OLDHAM Council’s controversial plans to build one of its new academies on a site in Hollinwood have been scrapped in a U-turn that has delighted the local community.

Under the previous Labour administration, the Oak Colliery site, on Hollins Road, was earmarked as a preferred location for Oasis Academy Oldham, one of three academies making up Oldham’s £230m Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

In a bid to save it from development, Baptist minister and former borough councillor, the Rev David Joynes, with the support of dozens of residents, applied to register the land as a town green.

The move was met with anger by former council leader David Jones and Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Phil Woolas, who feared it threatened to derail Oldham’s entire BSF programme.  And while the outcome of the subsequent public inquiry is due tomorrow, the new Liberal Democrat administration has abandoned plans to build an academy on the site.

Cllr Kay Knox, cabinet member for children, young people and families, said it was about time the council listened to what people wanted.

"We know it was our officers’ preferred site and we understand the difficulty locating sites, but it’s a nonsense to disregard what people want," she said. As a group we have always been in favour of keeping open spaces. A lot of money has been spent on recreation on that land, some very recently. This situation is similar to that of Clayton playing fields, there is a covenant on that land, and we will respect that."

News of the council’s rethink was announced during a meeting of academy protestors in Waterhead.

Mr Joynes said: "It has come as a great relief and is very good news for the community. But we still want a town green so it won’t be used for something like housing and kept as an open space."

Council leader Howard Sykes has also admitted that the rest of the schools programme – which will replace Breeze Hill, Counthill, Grange, Kaskenmoor and South Chadderton schools, along with plans for a new Catholic school on the Meridian Business Centre site in Oldham town centre – will also be considered "very carefully" when the incoming administration take charge next week.

Information events about the current proposals will be held next week.

The potential closures of Kaskenmoor and South Chadderton schools comes under the spotlight at St Margaret’s School, Hollin-wood, on Tuesday, May 20, from 3-7pm.
The following day, the proposed closure of Grange will be discussed at the school from 3-7pm.
The proposals to close Breeze Hill and Counthill will be debated at Greenacres School, Dunkerley Street, on May 22, from 4.30-7.30pm.

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