11th March 2026
https://democracy.stockport.gov.uk/documents/s261187/Stockport%20Council%20Biodiv
A new council report promising stronger protection for wildlife across the borough has prompted fresh questions from residents concerned about the fate of a local woodland site.
Senior councillors at Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council are considering a biodiversity report outlining how the authority is meeting its legal duty to conserve and enhance nature.
The report highlights measures such as tree planting, habitat creation and stricter planning rules requiring most new developments to deliver “biodiversity net gain” — meaning the natural environment must be left in a better condition than before development.
However, some residents say the council’s environmental commitments sit uneasily with what they claim has happened at Padden Brook, a woodland and green space in Romiley.
Locals have raised concerns for more than a year about clearance work and damage to habitats at the site, which residents say had been recognised for its ecological value. Campaigners say the area had long been an important wildlife corridor and natural woodland that had remained largely undisturbed since the 1960s.
Residents reported that the site had been cleared and disturbed despite repeated warnings to councillors and council officers about its protected status. Some claim the land was identified as a Local Wildlife Site, raising questions about whether stronger enforcement action should have been taken earlier.
One of the most contentious incidents involved the felling of mature trees. Calls were made for a full investigation into whether the protections had been breached.
Local campaigners argue the situation highlights a wider issue: while the council’s biodiversity report sets out ambitious environmental goals, they believe enforcement and protection of existing habitats can sometimes fall short on the ground.
Under national legislation including the Environment Act 2021, councils must consider biodiversity in all their decisions and take steps to protect and enhance nature.
The report says Stockport is embedding biodiversity considerations into planning decisions and working with partners to improve habitats across the borough.
But for residents living near Padden Brook, the issue remains a test of how those policies translate into real-world protection.
Campaigners say they want greater transparency from the council about what happened at the site, whether any environmental protections were breached and what steps will be taken to restore damaged habitats.
The council has previously indicated that potential wildlife crime investigations would fall under the remit of the police rather than the local authority.
For many residents, the outcome will determine whether the borough’s biodiversity ambitions are matched by action on the ground.
