A RECENT holiday to the Isle of Wight has spurred me on to write this letter. I have lived in the Forest all my life and I have always loved the fact that we're surrounded by countryside and natural habitats.

As the years have passed, more and more building has taken place and open spaces have dwindled. What is it these days that makes us look at land and think "building plot"? Why are we so keen to destroy everything that is natural? Eventually we'll end up with just millions of houses and buildings and every little town will become a city!

I live in Cinderford and every bit of land is becoming factories or housing estates, even pieces that you don't think you could build on are being snapped up by companies who are squeezing as much out as possible regardless of the negative impact for the surrounding area and it is just pure greed.

Apparently they're needed but considering how many empty factories and houses there are that people are struggling to sell or are run down, I cannot see how they have come to this conclusion. I think it is more money than anything!

The re-development of the Northern Quarter is raising some issues as is the new proposed supermarket. Here we are again where big companies think they know best but don't bother to consult those who actually live here or any consultations that have taken place are ignored.

If anyone in Cinderford who reads this lives in the lower High Street, Valley Road or the surrounding estates, I urge you to look at Trilogy Developments who are trying to build this supermarket.

I have had numerous discussions with them and whilst I support another supermarket, I cannot support their plans as they stand because of all of the traffic lights and the locations of them which will cause chaos to the town and surrounding areas. Housing estates will become short-cuts as they're through roads, especially all of the 'Dean' estates.

As usual, none of the negatives are being highlighted so please do look into this.

As for the Northern Quarter and all of the proposed new houses for the Ensor's site, I would like to raise an issue I don't think has been addressed – new houses for families brings new children, so where are the new schools?

We have a daughter starting school in 2013. We are hoping for her to go to Steam Mills Primary but they are full as is every other school struggling to cope with the number of children around here. If they were not then everyone would get their first choice and there would be no appeals. Someone has to twig that you can't keep building houses without new schools. I thought the idea of the new estate on St Whites Road was so a new school would be built, but from what I have heard nothing appears to have started yet. We don't want our children educated in high class numbers so there will be no choice but to put new options in? I assumed there would be a new one in this Northern Quarter given the number of houses proposed but I have yet to find it!

In response to Cllr Hedley Sutton's letter printed in last week's Review considering you are the voice of Cinderford, I can't say that you're talking a lot sense!

You're just the type of person who appears to want to turn a town into a city! Talking of Two Rivers' relocation and suggesting it needs to be Cinderford to draw other employers in is not the answer to regenerating!

If you live in a town like Cinderford, you expect to have to travel to find bigger company work.

If you don't like it, move to a city.

The convenience might be there with work on your doorstep but who wants to be faced with a massive complex when they are trying to relax on a weekend and could have been riding bikes with their children through beautiful land?

Have the people of Cinderford said that they think this will 're-generate' the town? Has anyone asked what we would like to see here and not just asked for comments on what the council wants to get through?

For every employer you drive in, you'll drive a home owner out as they are here for the beauty and quietness of life as it stands. Just be wary of this when people choose to leave.

Driving around the Isle of Wight as a tourist, I visited little towns and drove through miles of untouched countryside and it made me realise that this is why people visit the Forest. They assume they will find a little town with independent shops and little local pubs with lots of countryside and big open spaces but they are instead being greeted with big shopping chains, factories and more houses than you could ever imagine.

All of our independent shops are struggling to survive and are disappearing, you only have to look at the empty premises dotted around.

Give it 10 years and we might as well apply for city status.

Let's face it, we will certainly look like one!

If I wanted to live in a city, I'd move to Gloucester, so why don't we try and see land as land instead of money and potential housing estates for once?!

I know where I would rather live right now and it takes a ferry to get there!

– Name and address supplied, Cinderford.