CONTRARY to statements made by our councillors, no meaningful commencement at Cinderford’s Northern Quarter has been, nor yet can be made.

Before development can happen there are many conditions to be met: High Court actions are still unresolved, there is no certain funding or commitment from Gloucestershire Colleges that they will move from Berry Hill, no clarification nor details have been offered on the wild predictions of jobs or how they will be achieved.

The current proposals will increase traffic through Steam Mills, as most of the road cannot be constructed for years to come.

The Forest of Dean District Council has still not given the promised breakdown of the massive squandering of public money, believed to now be some £15 million.

Is it to pay something towards this uneconomic and costly project that our Council Tax is now going to have to increase, as already warned?

We are told that “up to 195 houses will be built”, yet a year ago the council’s own housing officer confirmed that affordable housing was not viable, no doubt due to the uncapped mine shafts, flood issues, infrastructure costs and poisonous gases.

The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust does not believe that mitigation can be successfully achieved for the diverse wildlife at CNQ.

Why not develop the vacant industrial sites much closer to the town centre and create some certain jobs, much quicker?

It was taxpayers’ money that paid for Cinderford Linear Park to be established and maintained.

What has happened to the legal restriction not to build on any of it?

How can a project one mile outside Cinderford possibly regenerate the town centre?

The CNQ project does not and cannot meet the council’s own objectives laid down for it.

It is time common sense prevented further public expenditure rather than trying to blindly carry on with half a road to nowhere with no college or other development at the end of it.

– David Priddis, Dean Natural Alliance.