Could Saddleworth’s long held wish for its very own health centre be moving closer to reality?

The hot topic was a main item when Oldham Council leader Arooj Shah hosted a Meet The Leader gathering at Uppermill civic hall with Harry Catherall, CEO, and GMP Neighbourhood Inspector Alan Sanders last week.

Villagers and community groups have been seeking a dedicated health centre for years and pressure has mounted with Saddleworth School vacating its old site on Uppermill High Street in a move to Diggle.

After listening to the residents pleas to consider building a medical centre on the old school site, Cllr Shah said:“It was very clear to me this is something people in Saddleworth want and need.

“We are already in discussion with the CCG as to how we can work together to try and make this happen. Obviously at this point there's nothing we can officially share but we will update residents on these discussions as soon as we can.”

Dr Andrew Taylor chair of the Greenfield and Grasscroft Residents Association, was among those who raised the issue at the meeting.

Speaking later he said: “There is a need to negotiate with the possible future stakeholders on all aspects of health, wellness support, medical investigation and treatment facilities.

“And we must be capable of dealing with the needs of all of Saddleworth and a proportion of East Oldham now and into the future including elderly and disabled access.”

Another thorny issue raised by Parish Cllr Helen Bishop highlighted the plight of residents living near Dovestone Reservoir, a popular beauty spot, who are often marooned by visitors traffic.

She said: "I am very happy Cllr Shah has agreed to visit and speak to residents. I shall be reaching out to her in the near future to arrange a time and date.

“I found her response very reassuring, especially her commitment to help facilitate the multi-stakeholder response, and I look forward to working more closely with her on the matter to achieve a positive outcome for the residents of Hey Top and the immediate area.”

Summing up later, Cllr Shah said: “I thought the session went well. I enjoyed the discussion and debate. The issues people raised were really heartfelt and people showed such a passion for their local areas.

‘We have also taken away a large number of issues to follow up and act upon including how we could better support the Whit Friday Band Contest, lack of access to public toilets and the ongoing issues relating to Dovestones.”