THE controversial development of former Forest mining sites is running into trouble as criticism mounts about the design of new works units at the former Princess Royal colliery at Bream.
Out of place, poorly designed and unnecessary were some of the points made to the Review this week.
Averil Kear, chairman of the Local History Society, is among those critical of the development.
"I know some people who live at Saunders Green are very distressed. They say the value of their properties has been badly hit by the development," she said.
Mrs Kear said many people believed the development by the RDA was unnecessary.
"They thought they were getting nicely designed single storey units with low roofs but instead they are massive structures with little design quality," she said.
"The concern is what are they going to be like in five years and will they be occupied. There are similar estates standing empty in Wales funded from the same source and with no-one prepared to take them on," she said.
Mrs Kear said she was cautiously optimistic the pithead baths would now be saved but the latest concern was now be the former Northern United site.
"The Princess Royal development is a mistake. The council has failed to recognise that there is no burning unemployment issue in the Forest and that these units could easily and more conveniently have been built on established sites such as Vantage Point.
"Unemployment is not a huge concern and most people are quite prepared to live in the Forest and travel to work," she said.
Local man P. Davis, of Bream, says the development has ruined the countryside between Parkhill and Bream.
Describing the buildings as 'monstrosities' he said that at the very least the roofs could have been green to blend in with the trees.