I SYMPATHISE with Mr Hugh Griffith and his feelings of despair expressed in his letter 'Disgraceful treatment.'

I have also had the experience of waiting for the Stagecoach service No 23 at the bottom of Bream Road in Lydney on a less than pleasant day, at what seems to be an unofficial bus stop. When asking other people waiting there they assure me that the No 23 will indeed pull into the little 'slip-road' there to pick passengers up.

Whilst looking around where I stand at the scene of damage, resulting from some kind of quite severe motor accident, it seems that demolition of the wall and the closed toilet building will be the final decision.

What to do with the small site?

First thought to cross the mind is to make alterations to the little slip road to make it into a bus pull-in, a nice little bus shelter with a timetable and an official bus stop sign, similar perhaps to the one around the corner on the main road in front of the Tesco store upon the now abandoned No 73 route to Chepstow.

Well good news, Mr Griffith. A planning application (PO650/12/FUL) was submitted to the Forest of Dean District Council for the demolition of the existing toilet building.

But I am afraid, Mr Griffith, the good news is very short-lived. The bad news is the planning application is for the demolished toilet building to be replaced by five public car parking spaces.

The authority's only consideration is not for the comfort and welfare of the bus traveller and the tax-paying public but to the selfish desire to further try to fill their coffers from the unpopular decision to implement the pay and display car parking scheme which at the moment is less than as profitable as they would wish it to be.

At the moment I am not aware of plans to designate the unofficial bus stop at the bottom of Bream Road into an official one. However if a proper bus stop complete with shelter could be included in the authority's plans I am sure Mr Hugh Griffith and his fellow bus travellers would warm to that proposal.

– Michael Nixon, Lydney.