17th November 2025

Romiley Gazette – Community Report

Serious questions are being asked in Romiley about the conduct of Stockport Council’s Information Services department, after evidence emerged suggesting emails from residents have been labelled “vexatious” despite not being read at all.

Email records seen by the Romiley Gazette show a long list of messages sent to Information Services marked clearly as “Not read”. The correspondence spans many months and includes appendices, photographs and detailed reports relating to alleged environmental damage and suspected wildlife offences at Padden Brook, SK6.

Despite this, residents say they have been informed that their communications are excessive, unreasonable or vexatious – a designation that can be used by public authorities to limit or block further correspondence under Freedom of Information and Environmental Information regulations.

One resident told the Gazette: “You cannot fairly judge something as vexatious if you haven’t even opened it. The council’s own system shows these emails were never read. That raises serious concerns about process, accountability and honesty.”

The emails include repeated reports of alleged wildlife crime, ongoing land clearance, and concerns about council decision-making. Several messages explicitly warn of potential breaches of environmental protections and request investigation or clarification. Residents say none of these concerns have been substantively addressed.

Particular alarm has been raised over internal handling of emails questioning whether council meeting questions about Padden Brook could be discouraged or blocked by invoking FOI rules, even though those questions were not submitted as FOI requests. Residents argue this represents an attempt to suppress legitimate democratic scrutiny.

Guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office is clear that public bodies must properly consider correspondence before deeming it vexatious. Campaigners say Stockport Council’s apparent failure to read emails before applying that label risks breaching both the spirit and the letter of transparency laws.

“This goes beyond poor administration,” said one campaigner. “If residents are reporting possible environmental harm or wildlife crime, the correct response is investigation, not silence and bureaucratic shutdown.”

Campaigners also warn that misuse of the ‘vexatious’ label has a chilling effect, discouraging residents from raising concerns or challenging council actions for fear of being ignored or shut out.

Residents are now demanding full disclosure of how Information Services assesses correspondence, who authorises vexatious classifications, and whether unread emails can legitimately be used to justify restricting contact. They are also calling for independent oversight of how environmental complaints linked to Padden Brook have been handled.

The Romiley Gazette asked Stockport Council’s Information Services department to explain how unread emails can be declared vexatious, and whether reports of alleged wildlife crime were passed to appropriate enforcement bodies. At the time of going to press, no response had been received. As ever, space will be made available for any reply.

As one resident put it: “We are not asking the council to agree with us. We are asking them to read what we send, and to take responsibility for what they choose to ignore.”

From Subject Received Size
Info Services Not read: External: Appendices 11:39 25 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Appendices 11:38 25 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Appendices 11:38 25 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Appendices 11:38 25 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Appendices 11:38 25 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Appendices Tue 14:55 25 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Appendices Tue 14:55 25 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Appendices Tue 14:55 25 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Appendices Tue 14:55 25 KB
Info Services Not read: External: What I believe… Tue 09/12 25 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Could you please see LibDem Leader Mark Roberts get this Tue 09/12 25 KB
Info Services Not read: External: FW: Are council meeting questions about Padden Brook to be banned under the FOIA although not asked under that? Mon 08/12 26 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Wildlife Crime at Padden Brook, SK6 – the past year up until August this year 09/10/2025 26 KB
Info Services Not read: Hall has been strimming the land for 3 days now at Padden Brook 28/08/2025 25 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Wildlife Crime at Padden Brook, SK6 – the past year up until August this year 15/08/2025 26 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Wildlife Crime at Padden Brook, SK6 – the past year up until August this year 15/08/2025 26 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Wildlife Crime at Padden Brook, SK6 – the past year up until August this year 15/08/2025 26 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Wildlife Crime at Padden Brook, SK6 – the past year up until August this year 15/08/2025 26 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Wildlife Crime at Padden Brook, SK6 – the past year up until August this year 15/08/2025 26 KB
Info Services Not read: External: Wildlife Crime at Padden Brook, SK6 – the past year up until August this year 15/08/2025 26 KB