Gail Richards
Chief Executive
Oldham NHS Primary Care Trust
Support Centre
Ellen House
Waddington Street
OLDHAM
OL9 6EE

Dear Gail Richards,

A Saddleworth Health Centre (with NHS Dentist) at the Knoll Mill site, Wellington Road, Greenfield

In a follow-up phone call following public questions raised at January’s Saddleworth & Lees Area Committee and at your PCT Board Meeting, your colleague Shauna Dixon explained that ongoing discussions were taking place between OMBC, the PCT and Community First re. the development of the borough’s health care facilities. She said it would be helpful if we could update you with reports of progress at the Knoll Mill site.

Following our intervention in writing to Sir Terry Leahy (Chief Executive – Tescos plc), it is now clear that the chief owner and developer, Paul Hanson (Paul Speak Properties Ltd) and Phil Wiggett (Wiggett Construction Ltd) have now been assessing the feasibility of creating community facilities on the site. At this stage, not one of the owners nor the developer has said “No” to the idea of building a health centre. Nor has OMBC come out against our proposal. Indeed, Phil Wiggett himself states in his most recent letter to us (9.02.06) that “we do not rule out such a facility at Knoll”. He also alluded to his own experience in building health centres, as in Timperley.

Paul Hanson and Phil Wiggett have indicated that they favour the conversion of part of the retained mill building for “health” purposes, as this may better suit their purposes. However we feel it would make much greater sense to construct a new “state of the art” purpose-built centre, more readily accessible for the disabled. This would also reduce the number of houses on site, a source of great anxiety amongst residents concerned about our local infrastructure and the rapid growth of population.

Contrary to a recent local press quote from a council spokesperson about binding legal documents preventing any changes on the site, it is now clear that no such formal agreements exist. In response to our queries to Aileen Johnson, OMBC’s Solicitor, we have now received a copy of the 106 agreement. Para . 3.10 states unequivocally that “Nothing in the Agreement shall prohibit or limit the right to develop any part of the Site in accordance with a planning permission (other than one relating to the Development as specified in the Application) granted after the date of this Agreement.”

Having also contacted Saddleworth Health Centre at Smithy Lane, a meeting has now been arranged between Mrs Tracy Jenkinson (Centre Manager), Dr Milnes and ourselves on Monday March 6 th. We understand a letter has already been sent to you from the centre, broadly in support of new facilities at Knoll Mill.

The case for new Saddleworth Primary Health Care facilities was first publicly expressed to you at the Nov 2004 Area Committee Meeting by Dr Atherton and by our Chairman, David McNeeney. In your reply to us, on 12 th May 2005 , you indicated that an “in-depth ‘catchment area study’ from OMBC was now taking place”, backed up by visits from yourself and Jan Joshi with a senior colleague. A subsequent meeting between myself and John Critchley, your Finance Director, confirmed that if local development opportunities arose the PCT would take them seriously. In the light of what is now taking place at Knoll, it would seem appropriate for us to meet you to discuss the results of your catchment area study.

Set against a massive increase of housing focussed at this end of Saddleworth and diminishing health provision, there is a groundswell of support for a new community health centre. It seems unfair to people that in neighbouring Tameside MBC, a similar development of 122 dwellings at Quarry Hill Mill in Mossley will herald the creation of a new medical centre, a health and fitness centre and a crèche.

Given the strength of local feeling and the potential for political will, here is an opportunity for the PCT to lead the way and demonstrate its commitment to the long-term health and well-being of our community.

I look forward to hearing from you and do hope we can arrange a meeting to discuss the situation with you.

Yours sincerely,

Mike Rooke

(Secretary – Greenfield & Grasscroft Residents’ Association)

cc: Andrew Kilburn (OMBC - CE), C’lor John Hudson/Jan Joshi (Chair/Manager – Sadd. & Lees Area C’tee), C’lors John Johnson, Richard Knowles & Christine Wheeler, C’lor Riaz Ahmed (Chair – PCT), Shauna Dixon (PCT - Clinical Services), Barbel Grayson (PCT Forum), C’lor Dr Atherton (Chair Sadd. Parish Council) John Battye (Pennine Health Trust), Mrs Jenkinson (Sadd. Medical Practice), Phil Wiggett (Wiggett Const. Ltd), Colin Barrett, Sir Terry Leahy & Shaun Edgeley (Tescos plc), Phil Woolas (MP)