Romiley’s community is demanding answers following a planning consent tied to Section 106 contributions for open space—while a nearby Local Wildlife Site was recently destroyed.
Mrs Oliver, representing many local residents, voiced deep frustration:
“They have just allowed a Local Wildlife Site to be destroyed. Where will the replacement open space come from—or will they just take the Section 106 money and keep it in the bank as the council has done in the past?”
Though S106 agreements are meant to ensure that such contributions go to genuinely mitigate development impacts, the audit trail is murky. Stockport’s Infrastructure Funding Statements show how much money has been collected, but not always how or where it’s spent stockport.gov.uk+1.
Amid growing nationwide scrutiny, a number of local authorities have reduced the use of S106 for open space since adopting CIL—raising concerns funds may be shifted toward more essential infrastructure only GOV.UK.
Campaigners are now calling on Stockport Council to commit to clear, local, post-development habitat provisions, with funds earmarked for real replacement of the wildlife corridor lost nearby—not just held in the bank.
Contacted for comment, the Council has not yet confirmed how or where the open space contributions will be invested—fueling local demands for transparency and accountability.
