ONCE again, the spectre of re-development on the site of Holms Farm, behind Temple Close, Templeway West and Lydney Hospital, looms large with 48 housing units planned. About 60 interested parties attended a meeting in the former Legion building on March 22 to discuss the proposals and to voice concerns.

I had not known of the newts, badgers, bats and birdlife to be seen here, or of the flooding in bad weather, but, living high up in Grove Road near the hospital, I do know about access to the area.

Some 15 years ago, late one evening, a barn at the farm caught fire, resulting in emergency fire-appliances answering the call meeting head-to-head at the junction of Templeway West and Grove Road: one took the west option but found Watery Lane too tight an approach and the other tried the hospital end, giving up at the ploughed field.

Flashing lights galore. How to get within reach?

The obvious solution was found in Temple Close but the hydrant was too far away, and the lane too narrow.

Meanwhile, the barn burned, and was still smouldering at daybreak.

Biffa lorries resemble fire-appliances: they reverse up emptying heelies in the Grove Road cul-de-sac, making it unlikely that new homes at the farm would receive front-of-house service, as the newly planned approach lane from the cul-de-sac would involve more tight and narrow turns.

The prospect would be one of perhaps 24 wheelies being left every other Friday in Temple Close and 24 in the cul-de-sac rolled up there by residents like an old-fashioned funeral procession, especially on ‘black’ days.

The other Fridays would be quieter: why green wheelies with homes having car-standing space in front and patios behind and no gardens produce waste anyway?

Compare Stanford Road and Raglan Gardens at the top of Temple-

way, where cul-de-sac creates eight black wheelies one week and no greens the next.

In addition, notice two new compact detached houses where as many as five cars stand alongside on occasions.

These 48 housing units might well produce 60 cars on the farm site, the majority used for business and school runs to goodness knows which schools as the Bream Road primary must have a limited capacity.

This all suggests a wretched, money-grabbing plan, hopefully not part of the neighbourhood plan.

If it takes the two permitted invited speakers at the forthcoming planning-meeting as much as the allowed three minutes each to persuade the council of its absurdity, then it reflects badly on the duality of our councillors.

– Alan Keenan, Lydney.