NOT everyone in the Forest is against the exploratory drilling for methane gas as recently proposed.

The Forest resources both above and below ground have always been exploited, venison, timber, iron ore, coal and stone. What is so different about exploring for gas?

I agree that no one really wants to see drilling rigs in the Forest but the country needs reliable sources of energy.

Industry and the service sector require a consistent supply of electricity and without it they cannot pay our wages, our pensions, fund our schools or the health service.

What are the alternatives? Much has been made of renewables, particularly solar or wind but although these can be part of the solution they cannot be relied on with the UK climate.

Tidal power is a more reliable option but environmentalists seem opposed to this.

Nuclear power, either fusion or fission, could be a solution but environmentalists hate it and the lead time is so great that for this option to be viable construction of new power stations should have started 20 years ago.

We are therefore left with fossil fuels, coal is out so that leaves oil and gas.

Unfortunately North Sea gas is declining and, with the current low price, exploration is on hold so we have no alternative but to import gas.

Where does this gas come from? We import mainly from the Middle East which is currently very unstable with the two super powers Iran and Saudi Arabia virtually at war.

Russia and the former CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) are large producers and exporters of gas but they are no more stable and should we rely on a source which could be turned off?

We have a potential source under our feet and I for one think we should move to the next step and at least see if there are viable deposits and, if there are, listen to proposals as to how this gas could be extracted with the minimum disruption.

– Iain Peter, Coleford.