The Romiley Gazette

26th August 2025

The land in Offerton that once promised new development is back in the spotlight, but residents are urging caution after the last scheme collapsed amid financial turmoil.

Developers THI previously raised alarms over cash flow, with funds running dangerously low – a situation that left many questioning the company’s financial planning. How much responsibility THI had in preparing costs and timetables remains unclear, but it seems likely that they were aware from the outset that the project’s finances were under severe strain. Estimates suggest the scheme ran around £750,000 over budget.

Attention now turns to senior councillors who approved a bailout despite unclear funding sources. Many residents feared the shortfall could have fallen on SMBC taxpayers, both domestic and business. LibDem councillor Iain Roberts, the council’s so-called “Regeneration Man,” at the time commented only that the source of funds was uncertain. Some speculated that the New Homes Bonus – a central government grant for new housing – may have been considered, though critics argue that using it would have been inappropriate, as housing already formed a major part of the original scheme’s miscalculated cost.

Local campaigners and opposition councillors argued that the situation pointed to incompetence at the heart of the council. Instead of rubber-stamping the bailout, the Labour Group’s call for answers should have been taken seriously.

Questions also remain about THI themselves. Who were they, and why did they wield influence beyond their development plans? Observers note that in many cases, it seems the developers drove the process more than the council itself.

Residents of Offerton, meanwhile, can’t help but notice a troubling pattern. Why does the area repeatedly appear in headlines over failed redevelopments and disgraced shopping precincts? The hope is that, with the land back in play, councillors and officers will finally exercise the due diligence that local taxpayers deserve.

26th August 2025

Residents and campaigners are raising serious concerns after a previous geological survey revealed dangerously high levels of methane gas at the Lisburne Lane/Blackstone Road Playing Field, a site earmarked for new housing development.

The study, conducted by the Greater Manchester Geological Unit between June and September 2004, involved gas monitoring across 15 boreholes. Results have highlighted alarmingly high concentrations of methane at several points. In particular, boreholes BH3, BH6, BH7, BH8, and BH10 showed consistently elevated methane readings, with maximum values well above the 5% Lower Explosive Limit (LEL).

According to the report, methane concentrations reached as high as 62.2% at BH1 and 56.5% at BH2, while averages of more than 40% were recorded in multiple boreholes. These levels are far beyond recognised safety thresholds and represent a potential explosion hazard if trapped within confined spaces such as basements or foundations.

Carbon dioxide levels were also found to be elevated at several boreholes, adding to the overall environmental and safety concerns about the site.

Expert Warning

The report makes clear that concentrations of methane above the 5% LEL “do represent a hazard.” With readings across the site far exceeding this level, environmental campaigners argue that the land is unsafe for residential development without extensive and costly remediation.

“This is not a minor issue,” said one local campaigner. “We are talking about gas levels that could pose real risks to future residents if this development goes ahead without the proper safeguards. The safety of families must come first.”

Impact on Development Plans

Developers hoping to push forward with new housing should now face significant questions over whether the site can be made safe. Mitigation measures such as gas membranes, venting systems, and long-term monitoring may be required, but residents say they remain unconvinced that building on this land is appropriate.

The findings are expected to intensify local opposition, with calls for Stockport Council to reconsider the suitability of these fields for housing altogether.

As one resident put it: “Turning it into a housing estate built on dangerous levels of methane is reckless. The council must listen.”

26th August 2025

By our local correspondent

Residents of Offerton are once again turning their attention to Blackstone Fields, a site steeped in Stockport’s industrial past and now at the heart of debate about its future.

A Legacy of the Industrial Revolution

Blackstone Fields, lying on the fringe of Offerton, tells a story that begins with the Industrial Revolution. As Stockport’s cotton mills and hat factories boomed in the 19th century, so too did the town’s population. Housing was cramped, sanitation poor, and refuse abundant. With nowhere suitable in the crowded centre, waste was carted out to the rural fringes. Blackstone Farm became one of the main dumping grounds for ‘night soil’ and refuse from the growing town. By the Victorian period, this practice evolved into a more formal landfill, leaving behind layers of industrial and domestic waste.

The Contamination Question

That legacy remains in the soil today. Surveys undertaken in recent years have confirmed ground contamination across Blackstone Fields, including traces of landfill gases and pollutants typical of 19th-century industrial waste. Remediation experts point to the challenges of stabilising such a site: methane management, contaminated soils, and the risks of building foundations on ground once used for tipping.

Housing Plans Under Scrutiny

Stockport Council has long earmarked the site for regeneration, and the most recent proposals envision new housing and community facilities. Supporters argue that reusing brownfield land prevents encroachment on greenbelt and could breathe new life into this neglected corner of Offerton. But local campaigners warn that without thorough and costly clean-up work, residents may inherit the risks of the site’s Victorian past.

One resident told the Gazette: “This was a dumping ground for the mills. We’re not against housing, but we need to be sure it’s safe. You can’t just cover it up and hope for the best.”

The Future of Blackstone Fields

The debate illustrates the double-edged inheritance of the Industrial Revolution. On one hand, Blackstone Fields stands as a reminder of Stockport’s industrious past; on the other, it remains a contaminated scar demanding careful handling. Whether the land can be transformed into safe, sustainable housing will depend on rigorous remediation and transparent engagement with the community.

For now, Blackstone Fields continues to symbolise the challenge of reconciling a 19th-century legacy with 21st-century needs.

Summary of the 1996 J. H. Blake Contamination Report:

• Domestic waste in deep pits:
  The report notes that in several trial pits, “a considerable quantity of domestic waste comprising black plastic bags… was found under the surface clay layer” What Do They Know.
• Depth and instability:
  The waste was typically found at depths between 1 m and 2 m, but in one case (pit 6), it extended down to 4.1 metres and was not fully penetrated What Do They Know. The backfill material proved unstable, with sides that collapsed rapidly during investigation What Do They Know.
• Potential hazards:
  The nature of the dumped materials suggested they were putrescible—capable of decomposing into harmful gases—leading to “noxious odours,” with likely high levels of both methane and carbon dioxide What Do They Know.
• Water intrusion and leachate risks:
  Many pits encountered water at the base, raising the concern that leachate—liquid draining from the landfill—could contaminate local watercourses or aquifers What Do They Know.
• Serious contamination potential:
  The report concludes the findings indicate “a potentially serious contamination problem affecting the majority of the site” What Do They Know.
• Recommendations:
  The report deems the initial investigation proposals and cost estimates inadequate to fully address contamination and gas risks. It recommends either abandoning the development scheme or, alternatively, conducting a far more exhaustive survey to fully characterize the contamination and plan appropriate remedial measures What Do They Know.

What This Means

The Blake report clearly paints the site as significantly contaminated:

• Deep domestic waste fill, including decomposing organic matter, poses gas-generation risks (methane, CO₂) and ground instability.
• Water intrusion into the pits raises the potential for contaminated runoff and pollution of groundwater.
• The report strongly urges more extensive soil and gas investigations before any development, and possibly reconsidering the plan altogether.

24th August

Concerns are being raised over how Stockport Council are handling the Blackstone Fields redevelopment after it emerged that previously proposed developers — THI Riverside Ltd, with GB Building Solutions Ltd as guarantor — were financially incapable of covering the contamination remediation costs, leaving taxpayers potentially liable for £750,000.

The site, long known locally as a former tip, required significant remediation before any building could safely take place. However, company records show that THI Riverside was a tiny company with net assets of just around £5,000, while GB Building Solutions went into administration in 2015 and was later dissolved, leaving little or no financial backing.

Despite these red flags, the council had relied on them to manage remediation risks. When the clean-up costs reached three-quarters of a million pounds, it became clear that the public purse, not the developers, would cover the shortfall.

A local resident campaigning on the issue said:

“This was a completely foreseeable problem. The council should have carried out proper financial checks. These companies were never in a position to guarantee such huge costs.”

While the current developers are different and the council may have since put safeguards in place, the episode highlights what many see as a serious failure of due diligence.

The Gazette has asked Stockport Council for details on the checks carried out on THI Riverside and GB Building Solutions at the time, and what measures are now in place to ensure public funds are not exposed in similar situations.

Residents are calling for full transparency, and reassurance that lessons have been learned before any future phases of development proceed.

Councillor Shan Alexander and Councillor Wendy Meikle, who are still Executive Councillors were involved with this project.