THE Northern United Wildlife Woodland Memorial is designated Number 86 on the Forest of Dean list of Key Wildlife Sites.

Access to the memorial is lined with white posts and donated stones, along the west and north of the colliery's brick buildings.

This memorial was laid out during the time when Rob Guest was Deputy Surveyor, and the buildings were owned by the South West Development Agency. The name of the late chairman of the Forest of Dean District Council, George Read, is recorded on site, for donating large stone boulders from the Wilderness quarry for the memorial.

The memorial site honours colliers who lost their lives underground at Northern. They are: John Halifax Roberts, May 20 1936; Charles Adams, November 26, 1942; Maurice Martin Meek, December 22 1942; Thomas Yemm, July 28 1943; Charles Mason, December 13 1945; Leslie Jones, May 4 1951; Rowland Smart, December 10 1952; Alfred Powell, September 4 1963.  

In this respect, this site is naturally a very poignant and special place. It not only honours those who died, but it also reminds us of the hardships faced by local people in past times, and the dangers they encountered while working to feed their families. Therefore, I now ask: how can the Homes and Communities Agency and the Forest of Dean District Council even think of desecrating the sanctity of this special woodland area?

When the council's Sites Inspection Committee visited Northern on November 20 last year, they were not even allowed on site to inspect the application area by the Homes and Communities Agency. Therefore how can they possibly determine the agency's application?

With Averil Kear, representing the Forest of Dean Local History Society, I met a newly-appointed regeneration officer concerning these matters. Detailed drawings and documents were handed over to the council showing extended access around the memorial for a bird hide to be mounted on the summit of the slag heap. This, again, was prepared with full support of the Forestry Land Agent.

HRH the Prince of Wales sent his representative from the Prince of Wales Trust, Mr Fred Taggart, who came to the Forest and visited the colliery in support of community and its mining aspirations. At that time, everyone supported the concept of stabilising the buildings, with wildlife left in situ and buildings to be used as an educational resource where flora and wildlife observation could be undertaken.

On its completion, the Northern United Wildlife Memorial was unveiled by Deputy Surveyor Rob Guest. On behalf of the mining fraternity, the president of the Freeminers' Association, Eric Morris, spoke eloquently of those who worked incredibly hard, some paying tragically with their lives.

Now our wish and hopes on behalf of the public is for the desecrated site to be rededicated by an invited Bishop. The memorial access would be aligned with eight boulders of stone, each with a name of a deceased collier and terminating with a Gethsemene boulder.

At the planning committee on Tuesday I will invite every member of the planning committee to now put aside party politics and turn down these indecent proposals.

– Andrew Gardiner.