THE local press has reported widely on the proposed cuts to be made in the council services due to the financial dexterity of the ruling clique in turning a black hole of £400k into one of £1.1million. The three publicised areas, in case we need reminding are TIC, Pest Control, and Linkline. I will try and justify these proposals as best I can.

The Forest thrives on tourism, but the Tourist Information Centre in Coleford is manned by ladies who, in the opinion of the clique, are 'unprofessional'. (I have this on good authority). Well now, these ladies are smart, polite, and helpful and most of all know the Forest, as they are all local ladies. 'Un­professional?' - poppycock!

Next, just as the clique is bent on foisting fortnightly rubbish collections on the Forest district, the Pest Control officers must be made redundant. In Bristol, where the (Labour) council has imposed this arrangement, there has been a 500 per cent increase in calls to this department to tackle the problem of rodents, which are over-running parts of that city. Does not our clique liaise with other authorities?

Linkline was set up to bring some social well-being to us elderly and infirm residents, who refuse to vegetate in our old age, having paid taxes and NI contributions all our working lives. Nevertheless, we are a terrible inconvenience to such a progressive council!

In suggesting more appropriate cuts, it is relevant to remember the old Forest adage; 'you shake a tree from the top'. Perrin has gone, taking his gold-plated pension with him, but he is to be replaced, no doubt by someone from outside the Forest, who knows nothing about the area, its culture, customs or its history. From the minutes of the council meetings we can deduce that there are two 'Strategy Directors'. Why two? In fact why one? Why do we need a CEO and two directors? In industry, the CEO decides strategy, on advice from the Board. There is ample senior staff at the council office who should provide all the necessary information to the CEO.

There is also a 'Democratic Services Manager' – what does this person do?

Why does the council need a PR department? (It always makes me smile to recall that it is run by a chap called Wisdom). It produces that banal and superfluous tat called 'Forest Link' for which the best thing that can be said is that it is recyclable. Mine came in a C5 size envelope scrunched up with the council tax demand, and with the gummed flap adhering to the broadsheet itself. For a professional PR office, their presentation skills are minimal. Who wants to receive a paper concertina full of previous news items? The production costs and those of this entire department can be saved.

An in-depth assessment of the Health and Safety personnel should be undertaken as a mater of urgency, with a view to ridding the council of useless jobsworths. These are the people who go around, full of their own importance, issuing petty pieces of paper, preventing the hanging of flower baskets over pavements, pushing over gravestones, condemning as dangerous the paraphernalia of children's play grounds or prosecuting vendors whose advertisements are a few millimeters too near the road.

To summarise, a (small) team of consultants should go into the council office with the brief to carry out a proper job evaluation scheme. I have already mentioned such a proposition and the composition of the team – all locals – who are more than capable of such a task. To make such savings as I have highlighted above, would be easy, would show substantial reductions in council tax bills, would be a great benefit to the Forest and would preserve those essential services that this arrogant ruling clique are bent on curtailing, in an endeavour to hide their own inefficiency. – Cy Roberts, Coalway.