New school is final straw as Tony prepares to move out
TONY Burrill has been a resident of Littleborough for 40 years.
But now, he’s made the decision to leave the place that’s become home.
The 43-year-old, who works as an assistant manager at a care home, is set to move out of the town within the next year due to a number of planned developments in the neighbourhood.
“I know there’s development for schools, there was a high school for around 1,000 pupils and for me, that’s really frustrating,” he told the Observer.
He said of the space: “It’s where people go to walk their dogs, kids play around and where I go for a walk when I’m stressed.
“That was going ahead after Covid but the government put a stop to it for three years”
In 2019 Lakeside Academy was one of the 22
new schools around the country to have been given the go ahead to be built.
The high school was planned to be developed on the playing field right behind Littleborough primary school on Calderbrook Road.
Rochdale council bosses were delighted that the 750-place school - to be run by Star Academies was seemingly signed off, saying it would reassure worried families and strengthen education in the borough.
But, the plan was put on hold as it was said there wasn’t enough pupils to fill the school.
The DFE said the school would not open before 2025. There has since been suggestion that the school may never open.
Coun Tom Besford, who represents Littleborough Lakeside, said in 2022 about the school: “Littleborough desperately needs a new school. We are already sending hundreds of children outside of the area for their secondary school education.”but Tony says the school plans, along with other developments in the area, have influenced his decision to leave the area altogether.
“These aren’t small developments we’re talking about, they’re all big,” he added.
“Me and my partner are gonna move within the next year because I feel so strongly about this school being built,” he said.
“A school in the village green? I’m sorry it won’t be a village anymore it’ll be a town and I won’t stay if they’re gonna develop it further.
“I would move somewhere more rural. It’s a shame because Littleborough is a wonderful place to live, you can go straight to Leeds or Manchester.”
Tony’s concerns come as locals have complained about another possible development being built on the park on Hare Hill Road.
“For housing, you understand the necessity but I find it quite unusual, especially given the transport structure that we have around here,” Tony said.
“In the middle of the day, it’s hard to get parking. You can’t park your car anywhere. It’s ridiculous to the point where if I don’t get up before 7.15am to go to the gym and I start work at 10am I won’t bother to go.
“If I do set off by that time it could take an hour to get to Rochdale and it’s only three miles. It’s terrible. There was a new development on an old scrapyard, they put about 50 houses there and then some more all over grass.
“Less than ten years ago we had so much grass to play on as kids but now it’s just houses. It’s a real shame,” he continued.