Letter to the Editor: Recently there does seem to be a rather bloated emphasis on promoting the Green Forest of Dean District Council (FoDDC) Leader in the local press with no opportunity given to other relevant local political thought.

In those halcyon days of the Viv Hargreaves and John Powell editorships both The Forester and Forest Review were renowned for their neutral, accurate and probing articles. I hope locally that is not lost within a political bias, and we are now not subject to Green Party blinkered propaganda.

Once given the opportunity you would think that the Leader Topping would concentrate on issues that pertain to the post that he holds at FoDDC, and believe me there are many, rather than worrying what Gloucestershire County Council or others are doing.

Perhaps as Leader Cllr Topping could answer the following points where I believe Local Residents would welcome his answers;

Why is the FoDDC Leader proposing to increase car-parking charges in our towns by 300 per cent?

Why is the FoDDC Leader not supportive of traffic alleviation measures in and around the Chepstow bottleneck?

Why is the FoDDC refusing to condemn the ludicrous West Dean Parish Council proposals to introduce a Tourism Tax in the Forest of Dean?

Why is the FoDDC Leader adding to Cabinet, bloating bureaucracy and creating “jobs for the boys” at significant cost?

Why doesn’t the FoDDC Leader insist that the proposed FoDDC Corporate Plan is published in the media allowing residents to see for themselves the lop-sided Green intentions with very little detail, let alone sparse confidence for much needed Forest economic growth ?

Why has the FoDDC not taken up the invitation to meet with the GCC Leader where he will see how GCC have adopted a balanced, grown up approach to climate change and are competently progressing ?

Perhaps the FoDDC Leader could explain the ramifications of what the much-loved Green Biosphere proposals would mean for Dean ?

Why is there a lack of communication/collaboration from the FoDDC Leader with particularly local members on the future of the Five Acres project ?

Just a few to get the ball rolling if it doesn’t get stuck in the uncut grass.

Cllr Alan Preest, Lydney