16th August 2025

Further Ongoing Destruction at Padden Brook Site as Inaction Persists

Romiley residents have expressed fresh outrage as further destruction continues at the Padden Brook Local Wildlife Site, a stretch of protected amenity land that campaigners say has been neglected and mismanaged for more than a year.

The site, which was formally recognised for its ecological and community value, has seen repeated incursions, habitat loss, and environmental damage. Areas once rich with biodiversity are being steadily degraded, with little sign of enforcement or restorative action.

What particularly angers campaigners is the length of time that concerns have gone unanswered. It is now one year and six days since residents first raised alarms, yet they say that those in elected office have offered only silence or vague assurances.

Criticism has again been levelled at Liberal Democrat MP Lisa Smart and local LibDem councillors Clark, Bresnahan, and Roberts, who have been accused by residents of “standing by” while the site deteriorates. Local campaigners argue that the inaction represents not only a failure to safeguard an official wildlife site but also a betrayal of promises made about protecting Romiley’s green spaces.

One resident, speaking to the Gazette, said:

“We were told this land was protected. Yet every week there seems to be more damage, more trees lost, and more neglect. The fact that nothing has been done for over a year is disgraceful. We expect better from those elected to represent us.”

Campaigners are calling for urgent intervention by the council, Natural England, and relevant enforcement bodies to halt further damage and explore restoration efforts. They have also requested a clear public statement from their MP and councillors, something they say has been “conspicuously absent.”

With anger mounting and environmental loss continuing, residents warn that patience is wearing thin. “If action isn’t taken now,” one campaigner told the Gazette, “there may be nothing left to save.”