Letter to the Editor: Forest residents have been given the option to vote on the future of Cannop Ponds and I expect a number of readers will have voted either online or on paper. 

I think that many of us will also look back at previous public votes/consultations.

The Forest people overwhelmingly voted to keep both Lydney and Dilke hospitals, vote ignored.

Next came the closure of residential care homes, even though the public voice their opinion against this, again it was ignored.

We know some of the consequences of the above decisions already and as for the line in the hospital consultation document ‘people can go elsewhere.’ 

I’d like to hear a little more detail about where.

Today the talk is about the options for Cannop Ponds, based on previous experience my question is “Will the public consultation make any difference to the outcome?”

I know that when I went into one of the sessions at Speech House, we did a show of hands four the options outside and I only saw hands up for option one.

I await the outcome of the consultation from the Forestry Commission, to see if the Forest people have been ignored again.

Ashley Thomas Cinderford.