N the letter pages of the Review July 25, Andrew Gardiner wrote regarding the Northern Quarter development on top of an intricate not thoroughly plotted maze of mine shafts and not to mention a five layer open cast mine in-filled with all-sorts of delights.

He ended with the observation that a superlative college is already existing, ie already built It is on a major bus route, just five miles from the site of a putative college, it has had taxpayers money to convert the old Royal Forest of Dean Grammar School to that sixth form college, and to later make modifications and repairs as necessary.

The existing college has facilities of playing fields (that open space for healthy full cardiovascular activity), athletics centre, a sports centre for indoor sports and a theatre for presenting artistic and discussion events, so yes it is an asset.

They say that a putative college at Northern Quarter would have about 8,000 square metres of floor area but the already built, there and ready to go superlative college has 12,000 square metres of floor space with much land around for expansion if that would be needed.

At the recent full council meeting the Forest of Dean District Council answered that the cost of a Northern Quarter College would be £15 million and in response to this question, quote: 'What is the estimated cost of just repairing the existing college at Five Acres?', the council replied, "Gloucestershire College has not released any information about the costs associated with ... refurbishment options.'

Repairs to the already existing superlative, much larger Five Acres College could cost as 'little' as £500,000?

But suppose those repairs/refurbishment cost as much as £3 million, then hard data comparison is that a new build would cost five times the cost of building work at Five Acres and a new-build would have less floor space.

A new college would cost 400 per cent more and that could well be 2,900 per cent more, ie it could be as much as £14.5 million of our taxpayers' money unnecessarily spent – and to provide much less space.

The answer's surely that taxpayer's money is not to be wasted – so often those spending our money lose their senses.

That extra space at Five Acres could be used for businesses to rent rooms, businesses that provide jobs of the sort that the Forest of Dean could do with, jobs that pay good salaries.

It has been confirmed in many many reports that such businesses seek quality surroundings of the sort provided by the rural context of Five Acres with its views looking over open countryside at the back.

– M. Rudland, Cinderford.