HERBIE Renfield, in a letter to your paper, asks what the

Liberal Democrat stance is in the present furore about the

proposal to sell off parts of forests, and our Forest in

particular.

You are right, Mr Renfield, in stating that 10,676

people did vote Lib Dem in the General Election, and I

believe they have a right to know where we stand. My

own gut feeling is that it would be wrong to sell off any

part of the Forest, and I agree that it is important that the

right to roam is protected and the Forest not changed in

any way. However I am not rushing to sign any petition

until I have heard the details of this proposal. When I

have the full facts I will act, and let the people of the

Dean know what action I have taken.

I would just like to add a little to Alan Robertson's

excellent letter and point out that Lord McNair was a

Liberal peer, and he was asked to help save the Forest

from being sold following the intervention of Tom Wilcox,

who some may still remember as a Liberal councillor at

the time, and who is now president of the Forest of Dean

Lib Dem Association.

– Sue Henchley, Liberal Democrat councillor for

Mitcheldean and Drybrook, chair, Forest of Dean Liberal

Democrats.