THE Homes and Communities Agency plan for Northern Quarter was rubber stamped despite thousands of public objections.  For good measure the chairman of the Regeneration Board, Cllr Graham Morgan, labelled me a hypocrite because as he put it, I had previously worked  enthusiastically with a group of ex-colliers, who had invested their own money in the Rainbow Project development of Drybrook Quarry.

The two projects are poles apart.

The Rainbow Project involved restoring the tramroad's stone blocks within the Northern Quarter. The Brains tram-road bridged the gap between steam engine haulage and the modern railway. Cllr Morgan's comparison of the two projects is merely another cheap shot at me, and clearly implies his lack of understanding.

However, back to the events leading to the Homes and Communities Agency planning application.

Dean Forest Voice submitted evidence showing that the planning application was  subjected to a last minute amendment thus substantially changing it.

In fact, the revised application failed completely to acknowledge the location of the huge open-cast mine, an aspect that will have catastrophic safety implications.

This fact alone for any other planning application would guarantee it rendered undeterminable and automatically turned down. However with upwards of twenty million already squandered the lawful procedures have been ruthlessly marginalized.

The Homes and Communities Agency has initiated a criminal investigation against me that is supported by the Forest of Dean District Council.

The saddest aspect of all this intrigue, irrespective of the wasted millions,  is that Cinderford councillors like Graham and Cllr Tim Holder (and they may have honourable intent)  do not appear to have an inkling about what is really happening as they are being ruthlessly used by the Conservatives political and commercial machine.

Behind the MPs, there are commercial interests who have no understanding or interest in the finite resources  of the planet.

Their world is short-term materialism where decent people are another commodity to exploit.

They clearly have no concern for the future of Forest residents, its wildlife or any form of nature.  The many people who objected to the Northern Quarter development had their right to speak reduced to representation by a single speaker.

The planning hearing meeting was stage-managed against objections.

For example, during my representation, the chairman called me twice with the clock still ticking and then he gave me a reminder after another two minutes.

I was heckled by the other councillors (some would say bullied) to step down. The whole affair was a farce and those councillors who took part in trying to stop me from speaking are shameless party stooges.

Finally we must have a public inquiry in this dangerous and expensive farce.

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