ON March 16, 2006 at a special meeting of the Forest of Dean District Council, James Bevan and myself convinced the council to reverse a planning decision concerning 47 houses at Highfield Road, Lydney, predominantly on concerns regarding highway safety.

To quote from the minutes taken: "Members welcomed the recommendation to refuse the application." Another member "believed that common sense had prevailed," another member referred to the highway safety issues noting that "there had been three fatalities close to the site."

That was six years ago when we were subject to Labour's "build it anywhere" Regional Spatial Strategy.

No surprise then that when the developer went to appeal it was overturned. Who could ever forget the cock-sure chap in the suit who had the gall to tell the enquiry that Lydney was thriving, vibrant and prosperous?!

Six years on, and two years on from a change in government when a long overdue localistic approach to planning was expected, why, when the developers argued that contributions towards highway safety were excessive (£100,000 incredibly reduced to £30,000) did County Highways capitulate and why did the district council planning committee shrug their shoulders and capitulate?

With this issue, recent affordable "ghetto" housing with no infrastructural gain, car-parking, degeneration etc, etc Lydney continues to be "sold down the river" – little wonder that one or two want to scaremonger and compare Lydney with the Cornish settlement of Boscastle.

Ever the optimist, I would have expected a little "fire in the belly" from Lydney district councillors on this.

– Alan Preest, UKIP.