ON July 11, Sir Jonathan Porritt came to the Speech House and spoke of his concern for the future of the Northern Quarter, a site that is home to 1,450 species of wildlife.

His worries relate to the Northern Quarter being sold, thus setting a precedent for further sales of the statutory forest and other ancient forest estates of England.

Following Jonathan's presentation, a rather hasty press release was issued by the Forest of Dean District Council and on behalf of the Homes and Community Agency who had carried out a series of drilling investigations on the Northern Quarter.

The press release appeared desperate to denigrate Jonathan.

In reality, it added up to little more than a disingenuous attempt to discredit Jonathan Porritt through an irrelevant subterfuge by referencing unrelated technical data concerning limestone sinkholes.

In actual fact, neither Jonathan nor any of the Dean colliers have ever mentioned any problems due to coal embedded in limestone.

Therefore, there is no issue relating to limestone sinkholes.

The issues that do exist concern the strata that contain sandstone, mudstone and clays, ie the coal measures.

Within these coal measures are labyrinths of underground galleries, chambers, roadways and shafts.

It is these that will continue to sink, subside and collapse as they always have done in the Northern Quarter.

With hundreds of bell pits, shallow and deep shafts and dipples, and more than a dozen seams and outcrops within the Northern Quarter, it is difficult to find a more worked-out and waterlogged mining area in the country.

Given its underlying contaminated structure, the area is only suitable for use as a nature reserve as it exists today.

A copy of a survey that was commissioned by the Head Verderer was exhibited at the Speech House.

This survey was undertaken by a mining surveyor who possesses a vast experience of the Northern Quarter.

It predicted the inherent dangers of developing on multiple layers of waterlogged and worked-out coal seams.

Since the deep mining pumps were switched off, the water table has risen and the water at depths where unlicensed waste has been deposed, remains under extreme pressure.

Furthermore, a letter from the Coal Authority to the principal planning officer of the Forest of Dean District Council, dated July 8 2014, categorically states, and I quote: "This Masterplan appears to locate dwellings over the position of recorded mine entries within the sites and does not appear to have been informed by the submitted coal mining risk assessment (March 2014) which states that no structure should be constructed directly over a mine entry even if treated.

"Building over or within the influencing distance of a mine entry (shaft or adit) can be dangerous and has the potential for significant risks to both the development and the occupiers if not undertaken appropriately."

The letter continues to explain that the applicant (the Homes and Community Agency) has not satisfied the requirements of the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework).

Should the authorities go ahead with plans without satisfying NPPF requirements, they – every one of them – will be held to account for not taking full responsibility for public safety, and for squandering millions of public funds.

This misleading and false press release was a shameful endeavour to influence the public concerning the Northern Quarter which is due to be determined in August 2014.

To date, the Environment Agency has warned of contamination and flooding risk, while the coal authorities have strongly objected to the current proposed development of the Northern Quarter.

Finally, we can only hope that these authorities will understand the risk highlighted by the Coal Authority and that they simply must not continue to pour taxpayers' money by the millions into a multi-layered, contaminated and water-logged labyrinth.

They could simply grasp the nettle and move the proposed site south of the Old Engine Brook or accept that the superlative Five Acres site remains the ideal place to retain its college.

– Cllr Andrew Gardiner (Ind), Forest of Dean District Council, Lydbrook and Ruardean.