I?REFER to various letters and reports recently in this newspaper and remind your readers (if this were necessary) of the failure of our councillors to truly represent the will of the electorate, and the collapse of democracy in the Forest.

Nothing exemplifies this better than the testy letter from Gethyn J Davies the councillor for Tidenham ward. This man is one of the gang who foisted car parking charges on the towns of Coleford, Cinderford, Lydney and Newent without any authority or allegiance to any of these towns, but is one of those co-called representatives of the people who decide amongst themselves what is good for us and ignore all opposition.

We must all be grateful to John Davies for listing those 'party line toe-ers' responsible for the infliction of these charges, who have ignored a 7,000 strong petition from concerned townsfolk; have disdainfully dismissed representation from the mayors of the four towns affected which highlighted the adverse circumstances in which local tradesmen were already struggling, and have disregarded direct approaches from the business people themselves.

Gethyn J Davies tells us that he has to pay to park in Chepstow where he prefers to go; therefore we Foresters should 'just pay up and hut up'. I am at a loss to understand this logic. Chepstow is a town which has not suffered the deprivations that the Forest towns have. In any case it is situated in Monmouthshire which is subsumed in the grander county of Gwent. It is thus within that parasitic principality of Wales, whose populace voted for devolution, which had a palatial 'gossip-shop' built by England and which has never ceased to sponge off England in spite of its nominal independance.

When car parking charges were introduced first of all, they were comparable with the current rates imposed on the Forest, and the prospective increases for this area can only be expected and guessed at.

At the same time, and in spite of the Forest's parlous financial position, a lunatic system of rubbish collection has been introduced which has cost nearly £1 million initially and is already known to be inefficient. This is no reflection on the crews which have to operate it, but is yet another example of the council's lack of attention to detail. Also the unrepresentative cabal which runs it have ignored the wishes of the electorate and have turned down the offer from the government minister himself to fund weekly collections.

John Davies's list indicates the number of councillors who show no regard for the people or for the Forest. Mainly they purport to represent peripheral areas and not the towns which generate most of the area's business. What with the Labour group's underhand dealings on the Cinderford Arc project and the open and justified revolt by John Belcher and FANS, it paints a sorry picture of our council. It also comes to a pretty pass when they alienate someone as 'red' as JB!

Who can you vote for, who will look after the Forest and put local interests first?

– Cy Roberts, Coalway.