22nd October 2025
Residents of Padden Brook say they feel abandoned as the destruction of their W1-designated wildlife site continues for a fourteenth month — while their MP, Lisa Smart, appears more focused on photo opportunities than addressing the issue on their doorstep.
Over the past year, locals have watched in dismay as trees have been cut down, habitats lost, and dormice and hedgehogs killed. Despite repeated attempts to raise the alarm, they say their concerns have gone unanswered.
“We’ve seen endless social media posts — smiling with schoolchildren, cutting ribbons, celebrating local art — but when it comes to protecting a legally protected wildlife site, there’s silence,” said one long-time resident. “It feels like photo ops come before the people and places she’s supposed to represent.”
The Padden Brook site is officially recognised as a W1 habitat. Environmental groups have warned that the prolonged damage could take years to reverse.
Local campaigners say they’re not looking for headlines, just help. “All we’ve asked for is for our MP to see the damage for herself and press for enforcement of existing protections,” another resident explained. “Instead, we’ve been met with polite words and no action.”
With each passing month, residents say their frustration grows — not just at the ongoing loss of habitat, but at what they see as political indifference. “It’s easy to smile for the cameras,” one campaigner said, “but much harder to stand up for a community that’s fighting to save what little green space it has left.”
