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5th January 2026

Local residents were promised a safe, cost-effective school at Harcourt Street, but decades-old correspondence reveals a more troubling reality. While council officials at the time claimed the site was uncontaminated, internal documents and later investigations showed otherwise.

A Freedom of Information response from 2007 shows the council set aside a provisional contingency fund of £350,000 for unexpected costs during the construction of the school. At the time, there was no breakdown of the figure, leaving taxpayers in the dark about what it would cover.

Subsequent investigations and proper remediation revealed that the site was heavily contaminated, requiring remediation works that would ultimately cost well over £1 million. The contamination included lead, arsenic, and asbestos, posing significant health risks if left unaddressed.

Residents had long raised concerns about both safety and costs. Sheila Oliver, a local campaigner, repeatedly questioned how such a contaminated site could be developed without thorough investigation and proper planning. Her concerns were validated when later ground surveys confirmed the presence of multiple hazardous substances.

Despite the known risks, the council’s initial public stance was that the site was safe, illustrating a troubling gap between official claims and on-the-ground reality. The FOI response further highlights that the council did not maintain a detailed breakdown of contingency spending, making it difficult for taxpayers to scrutinize where public money was going.

For the community, the Harcourt Street project remains a cautionary tale: taxpayer money was spent on unexpected contamination remediation, and residents’ concerns were largely ignored until independent verification proved them correct.

“The contingency fund was provisional, but the actual costs for cleaning up the site exceeded a million pounds — far beyond what was ever publicly disclosed,” says a local campaigner familiar with the case.

As development continues across Romiley and surrounding areas, residents are calling for greater transparency, thorough environmental checks, and accountability to ensure that history does not repeat itself.

Wed 22/08/2007 17:32

Our Reference: 665

Dear Mrs Oliver,

Freedom of Information – Contingency fund

I am writing response to your e-mail dated 8th August detailed below.

The contingency fund for the entire scheme is provisionally set at £350,000.  The Council do not hold any break down of this figure at this stage but will be utilised as and when additional costs are identified.

If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request, you are entitled to ask for an internal review. This will be carried out by a senior member of staff who was not involved with your original request. To do so, please contact foi.officer@stockport.gov.uk or the address below in the first instance

FOI Officer

Town Hall

Edward Street

Stockport

SK1 3XE.