2nd November 2025
Leader calls questions “toxic” as residents demand answers over costs that soared
2nd November 2025
A school building project once hailed as a £5.5 million investment in local education spiralled to over £10 million, sparking outrage across the borough — and a war of words between the Council and the Romiley Gazette.
The dramatic cost escalation — almost doubling the original budget in just a few months — has raised questions about financial oversight, procurement, and project management within the authority. But rather than offering detailed explanations, senior figures have branded such inquiries “vexatious” and, this week, even “toxic.”
“Vexatious” then — and now
Now, as official documents confirm that the total spend climbed to well over £10 million, the same label is being used again to discourage further scrutiny.
It’s extraordinary that asking where well over £4.5 million of taxpayers’ money has gone is being treated like some sort of nuisance.
Tempers flare
Tensions boiled over yesterday when the Leader of the Council reportedly shouted at the Gazette’s editor, accusing the newspaper of “toxicity” for raising the issue publicly. Witnesses described the confrontation as “heated” and “entirely unbecoming of a public official.”
The Council Leader has not responded to requests for comment.
Silence over the sums
No detailed breakdown of the extra costs has yet been provided. The Council has cited “market pressures” and “unforeseen technical challenges,” but construction experts contacted by the Gazette said that such increases are “highly unusual without major design changes.”
“We were told £5.5 million — not over £10 million,” said one council taxpayer. “If there’s a good reason, tell us. But to say it’s ‘toxic’ to ask is insulting.”
Calls for accountability
If this is how the Council handles questions about money, what else are they hiding? said Sheila Oliver. “Public confidence is on the line.”
In the meantime, the question remains:
How did a £5.5 million school become a £10+ million mystery — and why is asking about it “vexatious” and ‘toxic’?
