The Romiley Gazette

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6th January 2026

“Children at Risk? Residents Slam ‘Frighteningly Incompetent’ Council”

By: Your Local Watchdog Reporter

Reddish residents raised serious safety concerns about the Harcourt Street school planning process, following emails obtained via FOI that suggest council oversight may have been “too little, too late” before the school opened in 2011.

Local resident Sheila Oliver highlighted the late handling of traffic issues around the proposed school. Traffic concerns had been raised as early as October 2006, yet according to FOI correspondence, these issues were only addressed in July 2007, mere days before the Tame Valley Area Committee meeting.

Ms. Oliver pointed to a particularly alarming email from Mr. Whelan, a council traffic engineer, in which he wrote:

“I agree, I didn’t realise until I took over the file recently just how big the school is and how limited the drop off facilities. But better to raise it now than after the school opens and the kids are getting all muddy getting out on the verge. Then the cost of any remedial works would be likely to fall to the Area Committee who probably wouldn’t thank me for it.”

“This isn’t about muddy children,” Ms. Oliver commented. “It’s about children potentially getting killed. The council’s handling of this has been frightfully incompetent.”

In response, the FOI officer defended the process, explaining that the file had been handled by a Highways Case Officer as part of the council’s 2,400 annual applications. He noted that issues raised—such as cross-border pupils affecting trip distribution and emergency vehicle access—had been investigated. He also stated that a commuted sum for a footway had been secured in case it was needed later.

Yet residents remain unconvinced. Questions linger:

• Why were traffic and safety issues only “hurriedly dealt with” nine months after they were first raised?
• Why did a senior traffic engineer only “realise” the scale of the school before it opened in 2011, after months of planning?
• Why, despite police complaints about traffic, does the council seem to consider ongoing discussions about traffic safety “vexatious”?

Critics say the FOI response and council commentary illustrate a bureaucracy more concerned with cost allocation than child safety. With the school now open, some argue these early planning missteps could have had serious consequences for residents, families, and children commuting to the site.

Ms. Oliver remains a vigilant critic: “Residents should not be labelled vexatious for asking basic safety questions—especially when the police themselves have expressed concerns. This is about accountability and protecting our children.”

The Gazette will continue to follow the story, keeping an eye on council transparency and how traffic planning is enforced around schools in Romiley.

Romiley Gazette – holding local authorities to account, one FOI at a time.

Mon 10/09/2007 16:54

Dear Mrs Oliver,

Query in relation to the size of the proposed school

The file was dealt with through the early planning stages by one of the Councils Highways Case Officers.  As the Council deal with some 2400 applications a year you will appreciate that Mr Whelan cannot give each one personal attention and that he has to delegate. 

As the Highways Case Officer attended the meeting with you and Mrs Penkethman the Council agreed at the meeting to look further into two matters which you raised.  These were this drawing of pupils from over the border in Tameside / Manchester (which effected the trip distribution) and concerns over emergency vehicle access.  We requested, and received, information on cross border pupils which demonstrated that numbers were not significant.  We also requested further consultation with the emergency services which has taken place.  When Jim left I reviewed the file and considered that the issue of drop-off facilities and the possible provision of a footway was something which needed to be addressed as part of the planning process.  The issue has now been resolved by payment of a commuted sum to provide a footway if it is needed at a later date.

Yours sincerely

Freedom of Information Processing Officer

From: sheilaoliver [mailto:sheilaoliver@ntlworld.com]
Sent: 22 August 2007 18:13
To: Andy McAlpine; gwynnaa@parliament.uk; Steve Lamb; Peter Devine
Cc: Cllr Mark Weldon; John Schultz
Subject: traffic reports – Harcourt Street

Dear FoIA Officer

Thank you for your response regarding the traffic at Harcourt Street with respect to the school planning application.

Please may I know why traffic issues raised in October 2006 were only hurriedly dealt with days before the Tame Valley Area Committee at the end of July 2007?  This rushed, botched job has produced ludicrous results. 

May I also have a response as to why Mr Whelan made the following comments in an email seen under the FOIA:

“I agree, I didn’t realise until I took over the file recently just how big the school is and how limited the drop off facilities.  But better to raise it now than after the school opens and the kids are getting all muddy getting out on the verge.  Then the cost of any remedial works would be likely to fall to the Area Committee who probably wouldn’t thank me for it.”

I am a dim typist – Mr. Whelan is a too highly paid traffic engineer.  I have known for ages how big the proposed school is. Why hasn’t he? 

 I think the question is not of children getting muddy but of children getting killed!  This is a frightenly incompetent council.

I await your response with interest.

Sheila