I HAVE been presented by the council in Coleford with a copy of the minutes of the Forest of Dean full district council meeting held on December 15, 2011, in which our elected councillors discussed the report from the scrutiny committee about the council's intention to install car parking charges in the Forest of Dean district. The scrutiny committee did not make a recommendation to install car parking charges – they implied the opposite.

The full council reviewed the report and a motion was proposed that the council "delays making a decision (to install charging) until full public consultation, including all town and parish councils, has been carried out and the economic situation has improved."

The motion was unsuccessful, despite the vote to approve the motion by the following councillors:- Julia Gooch, Ian Whitburn, Dave East, Maria Edey, Clive Elsmore, Andrew Gardiner, Paul Hiett, Graham Morgan, Max Coborn, Frank Baynham, Bill Osborne, Paul McMahon, David Thomson, Bernie O'Neill, Don Pugh, Val Hobman, Lynn Sterry, Di Martin, and Jackie Fraser.

The motion was rejected, and if you want to know which elected councillors are hell-bent on installing car parking charges in the Forest, see the following list of our elected councillors who voted against the delay:- Norman Stephens, Roger Yeates, Jim Connell, Gethyn Davies, Brian Jones, Brian Edwards, James Bevan, Judy Davis, Frankie Evans, Carole Allaway Martin, Marilyn Smart, Len Lawton, Peter Ede, Marion Winship, Arthur Thomas, Terry Glastonbury, Terry Hale, Diana Edwards, Martin Quaile, Patrick Molyneux, Brian Robinson, and Jane Horne.

Philip Burton abstained, thus not revealing his position.

Some of these councillors I have had personal contact with, and who have stated to truly being representatives of the people that elected them, although Marion Winship did tell me she was an avid supporter of car parking charges when she was the cabinet leader, regardless of public opinion.

Prior to the last district election, Jim Bevan knocked on my door and asked me to be a signatory to his application in support of his election to the district council. I was not aware that he supported car parking charges, and he being a local businessman I did vote for him.

However, I am now putting you on notice, Jim, I completely support the residents of Lydney, and the Forest, in that I detest the destructive plan to enforce car parking charges, and henceforth I will energetically campaign against any attempts by you to be elected as a town or district councillor in the future. This pledge applies to any, and all, of the above listed councillors who voted to defeat the motion to delay.

Many letters have been published in the Review on this matter, so I recommend that all residents who are against car parking charges, including those who signed the 7,000 strong petition, take action against the above listed councillors who are defying their views.

Now is the time to start naming councillors who are hiding behind the doors of the Taj Mahal in Coleford. I do not want to have to pay car parking charges when I am visiting the surgery in Lydney, neither should anyone who may be having difficulties and unable to walk there.

This is a disgusting, and non-democratic, action being taken by those who are elected to serve us. They can come down from the ivory tower and join us on the streets, and can call a referendum if they want to know the truth about how we feel.

– Ralph Perry, Lydney.