THE chairman of Mitcheldean Parish Council, Tony Pickthall, says his area and the Dean in general could face dormancy if its institutions and services continue to close down.

Reacting to the County Council's intention to focus its youth services 'mainly on the vulnerable', which heralds the closure of Mitcheldean's Wilderness Centre in its present form, Mr Pickthall said it was vital for everyone in the area to decide what their main needs were and develop strategies and business plans to make them work.

He said the Forest was in danger of being overlooked as a poor relation. "Once libraries and other services close down, and shops start closing too, communities are well on the road to becoming dormant," he said.

He was critical of the threat to outdoor and environmental facilities like the Wilderness Centre, which has been heralded in County Council statements.

"They seem to have overlooked the Outward Bound type of work they do there with underprivileged children, many of whom have never been in the Forest," he said.

The county council has not been specific about closing the Wilderness Centre but it says voluntary bodies and communities may step in to support youth services which it won't run in the future. Mr Pickthall says that means getting together with all concerned and seeing if it can be put on a sound financial footing.

He added that he felt "we are in for a tough 10 years" and haven't yet seen the full extent of things to come.