30th May 2026
Request for Friends of the Earth Assistance Regarding Planning Governance and Environmental Concerns in Stockport
Dear Chief Executive,
I am writing to ask whether Friends of the Earth would be willing to review a substantial body of evidence I have compiled concerning planning decision-making, environmental governance, and public accountability within Stockport Council.
Many years ago I worked alongside Friends of the Earth and local campaigners during the successful challenge to Tesco’s planning abuses at Portwood when they built their new store 20% to big. That campaign demonstrated the value of independent scrutiny when powerful interests and public authorities are involved.
For more than twenty years I have continued researching planning and environmental issues within Stockport. During that period I became one of the first people in the country to be designated a “vexatious” requester under the Freedom of Information Act. The restrictions imposed extended beyond FOI requests and ultimately resulted in council meeting questions on the subject being prohibited. Despite the passage of time, those restrictions remain in place.
What makes this particularly troubling is that many of the concerns which led to those restrictions have subsequently proved to be well founded. The environmental and planning issues surrounding the Harcourt Street, still-gassing toxic waste dump primary school are one example where warnings that were initially dismissed later gained wider recognition.
Over the years I have assembled what I believe is a comprehensive, evidence-based dossier documenting patterns of behaviour within Stockport Council’s planning system. The material includes planning records, committee documentation, consultation responses, environmental information, council correspondence, and historical case studies. Taken together, I believe they raise serious questions regarding transparency, accountability, treatment of objectors, and the protection of environmentally sensitive sites.
My immediate concern relates to the Padden Brook planning application and the wider programme of development proposed across Stockport, including significant Green Belt release. I am concerned that decisions affecting environmental assets, drainage infrastructure, biodiversity, and local communities may not receive the level of independent scrutiny that residents would reasonably expect.
I am not asking Friends of the Earth to endorse my conclusions. Rather, I am asking whether the organisation would be willing to review the evidence independently and assess whether there are issues that merit further investigation, campaigning, or public scrutiny.
I appreciate that many organisations receive similar requests and have limited resources. However, the scale of development proposed for Stockport and the long history of concerns surrounding planning governance make this an issue of potentially significant public interest.
I would be pleased to provide the dossier, supporting documentation, chronology, and source material for independent assessment.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing whether Friends of the Earth would be willing to engage with this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Sheila Oliver
Editor, The Romiley Gazette
CC:
Alan Dransfield, FOIA Campaigner
Chief Executive, Stockport Council
Corporate Director for Place Management, Stockport Council
Monitoring Officer, Stockport Council
Leader of Stockport Council
Relevant Environmental and Planning Portfolio Holders
