THE full cost of reclaiming land at Steam Mills, near Cinderford, for redevelopment is to be picked up by the English Partnerships' National Coalfields Programme.
The news has been welcomed by Forest of Dean District Council following an announcement by Jeff Rooker, the Government's Regeneration Minister.
In a statement issued on Tuesday the council's vice-chairman and Cinderford councillor Lynn Sterry said the town and people of Cinderford had lived with the legacy of a mining past for too long.
"The English Partnerships' announcement is just the boost the town needs. The District Council has done an excellent job in creating Forest Vale Industrial Estate which provides much employment for the town. This announcement is a major step towards achieving our longer term plans for Cinderford's Northern Arc. This will bring much needed investment, jobs, homes and recreational space to brownfield land to the north of Cinderford."
The council's Head of Regeneration Services, Owen James, said: "Inclusion in this programme gives access to 100 per cent grant aid towards the cost of land reclamation. We already have five other sites in this programme – Princess Royal, Northern United, Cannop, Parkend and Lightmoor.
"About two years ago there was an opportunity to put forward (through the coalfield communities campaign) additional sites for inclusion in the programme. The council put forward the Steam Mills site in Cinderford and mindful of the potential threat to jobs at Xerox, the Mitcheldean site. The original list notified to English Partnerships had over 200 sites on former coalfields throughout the country.
"Whilst the Mitcheldean site has not been included in the programme, a private developer has taken over the former Xerox works which will play an exciting part in the regeneration of the Forest of Dean as Vantage Point business village.
"After a long sifting process by EP and its consultants, and much lobbying by the council, the list was narrowed down to 10 sites which includes Steam Mills. Development of this 40ha site adjoining the Northern United site is proposed as part of our masterplan for the Cinderford Northern Arc.
"This identifies six separate development areas for industrial, business and housing use with the high environmental standards appropriate to our unique forest setting. Regeneration works would comprise new access, site servicing, landscaping and public open space."
•The pressure group Dean Forest Voice is urging local people to attend and take part in the last two debates being held to discuss proposals to develop the former colliery sites within the Statutory Forest.
In a statement they say the debates so far revealed a strong feeling of protection against "pock marking" the Forest with developments, while there were also those who believed the opportunity should not be missed.
The next debate is at Yorkley Institute this Thursday (7pm) and the final one at The Speech House on September 26 which will be attended by council officers and members, as well as representatives of Forest Enterprise.