By Sheila Oliver, Editor – The Romiley Gazette
6th November 2025
Residents in Romiley have voiced growing concern over the condition of W1 Woodland at Padden Brook, where trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) appear to have been felled and rubbish has reportedly been left dumped for over a year.
Two trees within the W1 protected woodland at Howard Close are believed to have been removed to allow bulldozer access onto the land. Campaigners say there is significant damage to the woodland floor and fear the site is being gradually prepared for future housing development.
Stockport Council, however, insists that no breach of the TPO or planning regulations has occurred.
In a statement, Emma Stubbs, Assistant Director of Neighbourhoods at Stockport Council, said:
“Arboriculture officers investigated and found no breach of the TPO regulations. Consent was given to remove some poorly formed ash trees, and other trees that were felled were outside the Woodland TPO and not considered worthy of protection. The works carried out on the land are not development for which planning permission is required.”
The Council’s use of the phrase “poorly formed ash trees” refers to trees judged by arboriculture officers as having structural weaknesses, decay, or irregular growth that makes them unlikely to mature into stable specimens.
However, campaigners point out that in a W1 protected woodland, the purpose of protection is to preserve the entire ecosystem, including smaller or imperfect trees that contribute to regeneration and wildlife habitat. They argue that such trees should not be removed unless there is clear evidence that doing so benefits the long-term health of the woodland.
Local residents remain unconvinced.
“Two trees inside the protected woodland have definitely been felled to allow heavy machinery onto the land,” said campaigner Sheila Oliver. “Even saplings in a W1 woodland are meant to be protected as part of regeneration — yet they’ve been removed. I’ve been asking for answers and action for over 15 months.”
Alongside concerns over the tree felling, large quantities of rubbish and debris remain dumped on the site, prompting environmental and safety worries.
“The rubbish has been there for more than a year,” Oliver said. “The Council says it wants residents to report environmental problems, but when we do, nothing happens.”
Oliver, who has run community campaigns on environmental issues in Stockport for many years, has also requested details from the Council on the extent of the protected amenity land adjoining the woodland, but says she has yet to receive a response.
Adding to local unease, the landowner has reportedly engaged an architectural consultant, leading to fears that development plans may be forthcoming, despite the Council stating that no planning application has been received.
The Romiley Gazette has asked Stockport Council to clarify what steps, if any, will be taken to enforce protection of the W1 woodland and clear the dumped waste from this valued community green space.
