Stockport Council & Other News

8th January 2026

Residents living near Padden Brook have raised serious concerns after what they say has been the destruction of protected woodland and amenity land, with repeated complaints to elected representatives and council officers going unanswered.

According to residents, the problems began in August 2024, when a new landowner took control of the site and began clearance works. The land has since been identified as W1 protected woodland and protected visual amenity land, but residents say significant damage had already occurred by the time enforcement was sought and ignored.

Locals report that trees were felled or damaged, root systems disturbed, and wildlife habitats disrupted. Residents say protected species were present on the site and that the disturbance caused widespread distress within the community, prompting attempts by locals to intervene and protect what remained.

Despite what residents describe as “numerous complaints” to local councillors Clark, Roberts and Bresnahan, MP Lisa Smart , and senior council officers Vicki Bates, Emma Curle, Michael Cullen, Liz Sykes, Emma Stubbs Lisa McGrane et al, they say no meaningful action was taken.

Further anger has been caused by the appearance of a derelict care or “butty” van, which residents say was dumped on the land. The vehicle later became heavily graffitied and was eventually fenced in with a seven-foot-high fence, effectively turning it into a permanent feature of the site. Again, residents say repeated complaints were met with silence.

One of the most contentious actions involved the installation of a gate on Howard Close, which residents say was used to allow a bulldozer access onto the protected land. They claim the roots of protected trees were damaged as a result. Residents say they raised concerns immediately but saw no intervention from the Council.

Locals also allege that plans are now in place to fence in the entire site permanently and install permanent gates, further restricting access and changing the visual character of the area.

Residents on Howard Close say they were not properly informed of the planning application affecting them. They claim that although around 24 households should have been notified, only one was contacted. That letter, they say, arrived on the final day for comments, and the application could not be accessed or commented on before the deadline closed.

Adding to residents’ frustration, they claim that attempts to raise the matter through council meetings, Freedom of Information requests, and Environmental Information Regulation requests have been blocked, with questions reportedly refused or ignored. Vicki Bates, Monitoring Officer and Liz Sykes, Information Governance Officer blocked all scrutiny claiming raising the issue was “vexatious”.

For many locals, the situation has revived memories of earlier planning disputes in Stockport, including Harcourt Street. Residents say the pattern feels familiar: damage occurs first, questions are blocked, and enforcement fails to follow.

https://blog.cromptonthedog.com/category/vexatious

“This is protected land,” one resident said. “Once it’s gone, it’s gone. And nobody in authority seems willing to step in.”

Stockport Council, local councillors, and the area’s MP have been contacted for comment regarding enforcement action, consultation procedures, and the handling of residents’ complaints.