People in Cinderford say they are disappointed after the High Court overturned a decision for a new Asda store. Campaigner, Amanda Wat­kins, said 'Cinderford is a 'forgotten town where people had to travel to get anything done' .

This was the local news item on BBC text news following the decision by a High Court Judge to support the Co-op's application for a judicial review.

In the Review dated July 12 Amanda Watkins states 'All we want is for there to be a shop in Cinderford that enables people to buy everything they need without the need to go to Gloucester or elsewhere'.

In the letter page of the same Review John Harris, Cinderford writes that the Co-op. was responsible for the closure of the pharmacy, a travel agency, a dry cleaners as well as the post office.

I have been associated with Ruardean Woodside for 42 years and have shopped in Cinderford regularly. Not so much now as age is catching up with me and I find it difficult to walk around the town. I always thought that the pharmacy, travel agents, dry cleaners and post office were going to close, were up for sale, no one else bought them so the Co-op stepped in and now residents can have all those services under one roof.

I was unaware that the Co-op was responsible for the closure of these businesses.

I could not care less if Asda builds a supermarket in Steam Mills but there is one thing for sure. If Asda does manage to build the store then they might as well close Cinderford town and turn the shops into bedsits. There will be nothing that Asda will not sell that will be worth going into the town for.

It is very obvious that the campaigners for the store, while Cinderford residents, do not support the town shops. It is not only the Co-op. that will suffer.

I have known numerous towns that have built supermarkets and this has done nothing to regenerate the older shops. Cinderford will never be a thriving town, as it used to be until something is done to widen the roads and improve the state of the buildings.

Steam Mills may be the most likely site to build an Asda store and there is no doubt that thousands of people will visit to do their shopping but I have no doubt that not many will be bothering to negotiate narrow roads to shop in Cinderford.

John Harris states, 'Towns of a similar size to Cinderford appear to have little difficulty in attracting more than one major supermarket.' This may be true but many shops have closed because of this.

I never shop in Asda, I support the Co-op and Sainsbury's when I go to Ross.

– Mrs. J.P.Pennock. Ruardean Woodside.