2nd November 2025
Yesterday in Romiley precinct, I — a 70-year-old resident and long-time campaigner — was shouted down in public by the Leader of Stockport Council, Councillor Mark Roberts.
This was not a disagreement conducted in good faith. It was an aggressive outburst by an elected official toward a constituent raising legitimate, evidence-based questions about public spending and environmental safety. Bystanders were visibly shocked. My husband had to intervene to bring the confrontation to an end.
For more than twenty years, I have campaigned against abuses of power and failures of accountability. My questions have focused for many years on the decision to build a primary school on a former landfill site. The project’s cost rose from £5.5 million to more than £11 million, partly due to contamination remediation. The school, campaigners note, was built smaller than required, reducing future capacity, while the surrounding roads remained hazardous enough that police have raised safety concerns.
These are not trivial matters. They involve public money, public land, and public safety. For over a decade, residents have been prevented from asking formal questions about the development — an extraordinary suppression of democratic scrutiny.
It is deeply concerning that, instead of engaging with legitimate questions, the Council Leader’s response was personal aggression. The role of public office is to listen, explain, and remain accountable — not to intimidate.
Our community deserves openness, respect, and truth from those who represent us. Public service should never mean silencing the public.
The Romiley Gazette will continue to investigate this issue, publish verified evidence, and give residents the platform they have been denied.
— Editor, The Romiley Gazette
