The question was asked in a recent letter to the Forest Review 'What is Dean Forest Voice's opinion on the Cinderford Northern Quarter proposals, and what actions are they taking as a group.'

DFV has been involved in the proposals for the regeneration of Cinderford ever since the committee was instigated in 2005.

Our interest then was not in the regeneration of Cinderford itself, as we thought that this was a question for the people of Cinderford, but in any proposals that there may be to develop within the protected Statutory Forest.

The initial proposals contained many innovative ideas for redevelopment within the town centre which would have transformed the town.

The only proposal that involved the Northern Quarter was to extend the road, which ended at the Winner Garage, out onto the A4136. This made sense to us.

However the whole concept changed with the introduction of Coalfields Regeneration Money.

It was believed by the Local Authorities that the money had to be spent in redeveloping the pithead sites. This was a nonsense with regards to the Forest of Dean Coalfields, as no large scale coal mining had taken place for nearly forty years and the areas occupied by the mines were re-afforested or used for other purposes.

The Government agen­cy in charge at that time was English Partnerships (who preceded the Homes and Communities Agen­cy).

Dean Forest Voice went to see them in London and were informed by them that the Coalfields money could be spent in the coalfield communities and not just at the pithead sites.

This made sense to DFV.

However the local authorities were not to be deterred and pursued their plans for the Cinderford Northern Quarter with an obstinacy that was bordering on breathtaking.

It did not matter to them that much of the site was part of the Cinderford Linear Park which was created for public access and for wildlife.

The District Council received Derelict Land Grant funding with a still active condition for full public access for most of the developed site.

It did not matter to them that the area concerned was Statutory Forest which is protected by law from development and/or sale.

It did not matter to them that parts of the site are Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust Key Wildlife Sites and that any development was likely to be in conflict with the Habitats Directive and Habitats regulations. The site is part of an SAC (Special Area of Conservation) of European importance for species protected by the Habitat Directive and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended).

It did not matter to them that the area still contains vast reserves of coal which could prove of immense value to the country in future years, but which would now become sterilised.

Dean Forest Voice have convened meetings with interested parties who see the folly in all this. Various organisations and conservation groups both local and national have met to discuss combined action and the way forward.

A request has been made to Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, to issue a holding order on pending decisions on the relevant planning orders.

Dean Forest Voice are planning to organise a visit to London to put the case to the relevant ministers and others.

We believe that it would have been impossible to have chosen a more inappropriate site if they had tried.

To build a possible three-storey school on a site which contains in excess of a hundred pit openings, and fill it up with children is, in our view, absolute folly.

But we are not the Local Authority. It matters to us – it doesn't to them.

They are here now and will be gone in the future. Any future disaster will be someone else's problem.

Their priority for today is not to admit their mistakes, but simply to prevent themselves, at all costs, from ending up with egg on their faces.

– Keith Morgan, for and on behalf of Dean Forest Voice.