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Stockport Council & Other News

Letter To The Stockport Express From An Intelligent Chap.

Andrew Webb, CYPD, Anwar Majothi, Barry Khan, Donna Sager, CYPD, Eamonn Boylan, Fir Tree Primary School, Freedom of Information, Ged Lucas, Information Commissioner, LibDem Councillors, Lisa Smart LibDem MP, No Playing Fields, NPS Stockport, Polluted Land, S Houston Finance Director, School Places Shambles, Senior council officers, Steve Houston, SMBC, Vale View School, Vicki Bates, Monitoring Officer, Stockport Council Posted by Sheila OliverPosted on Tue, November 18, 2025 15:25

18th November 2025

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/bill-for-school-to-be-built-on-toxic-minefield-898373

Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 7:20 PM

Subject: Re: Harcourt street risk register

Dear Editor

I was very interested to read your anonymous correspondents views on the motives for the resistance to the proposed school in Harcourt Street. I have no idea whether he is right in his conclusions. I would say however that the Express records a continual list of Council Planning errors and so the probability of Harcourt St being yet another seems much higher than the correspondents claims that the toffs in Harcourt Street are bullying the poor  council tenants in Fir Road. That explanation seems patronising to the point of absurdity. Conversely I have equally no firm idea that Mrs Oliver is correct in her assertion that the Harcourt Street site is seriously contaminated with toxic elements. From what I understand from her letters to this column she claims the ex tip in Harcourt Street is the same as other old tipping sites in Stockport that have been refused planning permission. Furthermore it appears a less than required testing regime has indeed shown serious toxic contamination. Surely any sensible person would expect a proper and full scientific testing of the site especially as young schoolchildren are involved.

In fairness the Council seems to be slightly veering to this view as it now judges the risk of a full scientific examination as Very High. That seems a very significant change in attitude.

Finally the attitude of the ruling LibDem Group seems at odds with the liberal and democratic attitude of their National Party.

3 Cllrs in particular, Cllrs Goddard, Weldon and Porgess seem to have nailed their reputations and possibly their jobs to the mast by insisting without firm evidence that there is nothing wrong with the site. Mrs Oliver has also pointed out that the cost of the new school is considerably higher than national standards and even the cost of other local schools. To borrow the conspiracy theory attitude of your correspondent are these Cllrs protesting too much because they have something to hide especially when a simple survey as required by the Environment Agency would settle the issue.

Yours faithfully

XXXX (name redacted)



Why Didn’t The Contamination Dog Bark?

Anwar Majothi, Barry Khan, Donna Sager, CYPD, Eamonn Boylan, Fir Tree Primary School, Ged Lucas, Information Commissioner, LibDem Councillors, Lisa Smart LibDem MP, No Playing Fields, School Places Shambles, Steve Houston, SMBC, Vale View School, Vicki Bates, Monitoring Officer, Stockport Council Posted by Sheila OliverPosted on Tue, November 18, 2025 15:19

18th November 2025

Friday, July 25, 2008

In the words of Sherlock Holmes. Why didn’t the dog bark?

If contamination is a consideration. If some evidence of contamination has been found. If the risk has even been ‘closed” or resolved. If virtually every conceivable risk has been listed. 

Then why oh why is there not even a mention nor a sniff of contamination in this wonderfully crafted risk register constantly being modified over time and experience?

Do they just not care whether there is or isn’t contamination? No, they didn’t.



Lord Goddard. Letter from a council taxpayer – to be ignored, of course

School Places Shambles Posted by Sheila OliverPosted on Sat, September 21, 2013 08:22

This letter was sent to the Stockport Express and can be more clearly read here – http://www.sheilaoliver.org/school-places-shambles.html

“Case in point is the sale of the Peel Moat site to a developer to build 129 houses without a Section 106 agreement. The reason for no S106 – the council felt that the land would not be attractive to a developer, so put monetary gain before the needs of the Heatons families. We are already in need of a primary school and once families occupy some of those houses that need will be exacerbated.”

We pay these LibDem Executive Councillors and some senior council officers huge sums in allowances and salaries to make a complete pig’s ear of our town.



Lord Goddard. Please don’t knock down our nursery

School Places Shambles Posted by Sheila OliverPosted on Sat, September 21, 2013 08:09

The LibDems won’t listen; they never do.

This Stockport Express article can be more easily read here – http://www.sheilaoliver.org/school-places-shambles.html



Lord Goddard. LibDem arrogance and chutzpah

School Places Shambles Posted by Sheila OliverPosted on Sat, September 21, 2013 07:54

I may, of course, be wrong but wasn’t this LibDem Executive Councillor in charge of schools in circa 2006 when the primary schools were shut and the land sold off for housing. She now bleats that the school places poser just has to be solved. Well, if there had been a little more foresight from these LibDem Executive Councillors in the recent past, and they were warned of the stupidity of their actions at the time, then children in the Borough of Stockport would not find themselves in this very unsatisfactory situation of not having a school place now.

This Stockport Express article can be more easily read here – http://www.sheilaoliver.org/school-places-shambles.html

And, it is alleged, that when LibDem Executive Councillor Alexander had to serve community service for causing death by dangerous driving, she served those hours of community service in the Citizens Advice Bureau – no scrubbing off graffiti from the Market Place for her then!

Also, fellow citizens might recall that when serving as Mayor of Stockport, she arrived late and chatting at the Remembrance Service during the silence.

LibDems eh, dontcha just love ’em.



Lord Goddard. Stockport LibDems build on Green Belt (again)

School Places Shambles Posted by Sheila OliverPosted on Sat, September 21, 2013 07:43

This article from the Stockport Express can be more clearly read here – http://www.sheilaoliver.org/school-places-shambles.html

The LibDems sold off lots of primary schools, despite warnings of what would happen, in circa 2006 so they have a nice little earner by building housing on the redundant school land. Now they take Green Belt to re-build schools. Arfur Daley would give a low whistle of respect at what this LibDem-run-for-a-decade council gets up to. And we the council taxpayers foot the bills as usual.

“..as the school is in a green belt area, where new building is agains the council’s development plan…”