NORTHERN United Colliery may be long gone, but the maelstrom that surrounds it's future continues – with the latest broadside to the council's plans being delivered by Dean Forest Voice (DFV).

In a statement, they have outlined the potential dangers of building housing and a college over a large mining complex, and claim that a disaster such as that which overtook the Welsh village of Aberfan in 1966 could be a real risk.

They write: "It is now well over 40 years since the Aberfan disaster and, although the conditions are not the same, Aberfan's problems being above ground level, while Cinderford's Northern Quarter problems consist of back fill mounds based upon a high water table, and over a major aquifer/lagoon below ground level, the inherent dangers are similar.

"The Aberfan disaster happened in 1966 when more than 150,000 cubic metres of water saturated debris broke away and flowed downhill at high speed.

"The slide destroyed a farm and 20 houses and slammed into the northern side of the junior school, and part of the separate senior school, demolishing most of the structures and filling the classrooms with mud.

"All could have been avoided if only those in authority had listened.

"Dean Forest Voice do not wish to get involved with scaremongering, but we cannot ignore history, only learn from it."

In the statement they refer to a report written by Paul Morgan, a former Home Office mine surveyor who worked in the Forest coalfield for 16 years, which was presented at the inquiry, and in which he expresses his fears for the potential dangers of building housing and a multi-storey college on the site. But his report was dismissed as "outdated old hat" by the regeneration chief of the development, a move that was described as 'cavalier' by the DFV.

The DFV statement goes on to question the veracity of the experts who were called by the regeneration committee to give evidence at the inquiry, held to examine the case of the development.

They state: "At the Inspectors Inquiry into the Cinderford Area Action plan, Dean Forest Voice questioned the Coal Authority spokesman about the mining legacy of the area in general. He stated that there were 136 recorded mine entries, of which three had been treated and made secure.

"Subsequently one old mine working, near to the cricket ground, collapsed with no apparent reason.

"It would appear that the only 'experts' that those in charge of the Cinderford Norther Quarter project are prepared to listen to are those that give them the answers that they want."

•Meanwhile, in a separate statement this week, the Gloucestershire Naturalists' Society, say that their executive committee had examined the Northern Quarter development and concluded their standpoint on it should be that: "The Society does not in any way support or condone the Cinderford Northern Quarter development as proposed and very much regrets the effect that the development is likely to have on the wildlife and habitats across and in the immediate vicinity of the development area."

They added: "The Society believes that whilst the investment and potential improvement for the economy and employment prospects is warranted and welcome in the Forest of Dan, especially in the current economic climate, the development as proposed is in the wrong location and would be far better sited elsewhere, for a variety of reasons, not least the conservation of the species and habitats in the area."