LibDem councillor leader Mark Hunter claimed Stockport Council can’t act on wildlife crime.
A council can act on wildlife crime — but usually only to a certain extent.
In the UK (and many other places), local councils have responsibilities like:
- Enforcing by-laws about parks, public spaces, and nature reserves they manage.
- Supporting or working with the police, Natural England, the Environment Agency, or the RSPCA when wildlife crime happens locally.
- Investigating complaints about habitat destruction, illegal trapping, poisoning, or disturbance to protected species — especially when linked to planning permissions or land management.
- Issuing fines or taking other action if local rules are broken (for example, disturbing nesting birds in a council nature reserve).
- Public Question to the Council Meeting
- I refer to your public question that you submitted to the 3 April 2025 meeting of the Council Meeting which was as follows:-
- Temporary in planning terms is 28 days. When will the scruffy trailer dumped on visual amenity land/Local Wildlife Site at Padden Brook be removed? Local people have been asking the LibDems about this for many, many months and only received an incorrect answer in response tweezered out of them.
- As you were not in attendance, it was agreed that a written response would be provided.
- I have now been passed the following response which I have been asked to circulate to you:-
- As previously advised by officers from the planning service, the trailer is on site to assist the landowner with clearance of detritus and we are advised that it will be removed once these works are completed. The trailer is not development requiring planning permission and is not covered by the 28 day temporary permission, as this relates to the use of land.
- We remain satisfied that the response you have been provided is correct.
- Cllr Angie Clark and Cllr Mark Roberts
Public Question to the Council Meeting
I refer to your public question that you submitted to the 1 October 2024 meeting of the Council Meeting which was as follows:-
“I identified important trees on the Padden Brook site. I asked people to contact their local councillors to protect them. The councillors will have sent an email to the relevant officer, and the trees now have Woodland Tree Protection Orders on them.
“I identified that the land there is Amenity land and its wildlife cannot be disturbed, partly due to the unique nature of the land which has been not disturbed since the late 1960s. I informed the Council Leader, Monitoring Officer, Chief Executive and Cllrs Smart, Clark and Roberts that the land was being massacred. All of these people simply stood by and let it happen. Amongst other important wildlife we have lost dormice.
“Will the landowner be charged with wildlife crime? We, the people of Romiley, really respect nature. It is a shame that Stockport Council doesn’t.”
As you were not in attendance, it was agreed that a written response would be provided.
I have now been passed the following response which I have been asked to circulate to you:-
Dear Mrs Oliver
Thank you for your question to the council meeting on 1 October 2024.
Any decision to charge the landowner with wildlife crime would be a matter for Greater Manchester Police and not Stockport Council.
Regards
Cllr Mark Hunter
Leader of the Council
