17th March 2026

A warning about alleged damage to protected land at Padden Brook has gone unanswered for over a year – and residents are now demanding to know why.

In September 2024, Romiley resident Sheila Oliver and other local residents contacted Stockport Council to report what she described as a landowner using a chainsaw on protected visual amenity land. She warned the activity could breach Tree Preservation Orders and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The council’s response at the time was minimal. A senior legal officer, Vicki Bates, Monitoring Officer, confirmed only that the matter had been “forwarded to the neighbourhoods team to action.”

No action appears to have followed.

Now, in March 2026, residents say there has been no visible enforcement, no public update, and no accountability.

The silence is raising serious questions — not just for council officers, but for local political leaders.

LibDem MP Lisa Smart, along with ward councillors Angela Clark, Mark Roberts and Rachel Bresnahan, have all been linked to ongoing complaints around planning and environmental concerns in the Hatherlow area.

Residents say they now expect those representatives to explain what has — or hasn’t — been done.

At the heart of the issue is a simple question: if protected land may have been damaged and subjected to dumping of large objects, why has no enforcement action been taken?

For many in Romiley, this is becoming about more than one incident. It is about trust in the system — and whether environmental protections are being upheld at all.

Calls are now growing for a full public explanation, immediate investigation, and clear evidence that local green spaces are being properly protected.

Until then, residents say, the message from Padden Brook is clear: report it — and risk being ignored.

You can read more about this issue here – https://blog.cromptonthedog.com/category/padden-brook/

The culprits

Emma Curle, Planning

Here is my LibDem MP Lisa Smart trying to save land she has spent the last 14 years trying to destroy with and extension to the LibDems’ disaster bypass.

LibDem councillor leader, Mark Roberts, who has not taken any action regarding Padden Brook whasover. Neither have Cllrs Clark & Bresnahan below.