ANOTHER Conservative councillor on the Forest of Dean District Council has resigned from the ruling group, putting overall control of the council on a knife edge.

Councillor Keith Aburrow (representing Pillowell) has left to join a new group – the Non-Political Alliance set up by Cllr Marion Winship (Alvington, Aylburton and West Lydney).

According to his letter (full text published below) his decision appears to have spurred by the continuing dispute over selling off the publicly owned Forest.

Councillor Aburrow's letter of resignation is as follows: "Please be advised that I have resigned from the Conservative group of members of the Forest of Dean District Council and that I am joining the Non-Political Alliance led by Cllr (Marion) Winship. I am doing so because I need to be able to speak and vote in council or committee according to my intellect and/or conscience in the interests of the residents of Pillowell ward and the Forest generally.

Cllr (Frankie) Evans, my fellow Pillowell ward member, who remains a Conservative, and I, will continue our harmonious working relationship and will both continue to be available to all ward residents. For anyone in doubt, Pillowell ward encompasses Parkend, Whitecroft, Pillowell itself, Yorkley, Oldcroft, Viney Hill and outlying residences.

May I add a little to reports of the debate on Cllr (Bruce) Hogan's motion in support of HOOF (Hands off our Forest) on December 8.

When Cllr Hogan had accepted Cllr Norman Stephen's friendly amendment the latter part of the motion read essentially that the Forest should remain in the ownership of a public body under the control of a democratic government. Cllr Brian Robinson (Mitcheldean and Drybrook) rightly pointed out that such public body could be one of India, for example (although not China), whereupon I suggested the addition of the words 'of the United Kingdom'. Cllr Hogan seemed pleased to accept this as a friendly amendment (which it was), but Cllr Len Lawton (Newent Central) proposed deleting all the words after 'public body'.

On Cllr Robinson's (and my) reasoning this would have left the Forest open to ownership by any public body anywhere in the world, which is why I voted against that amendment (and the Conservative group in general), and I'm very pleased that Cllr Hogan's motion was carried in the form 'a public body under the control of a democratic government of the United Kingdom'.

Finally, I intend, God willing, to stand as a Non-Political Alliance candidate for Pillowell ward in the district council elections in May 2011.