Dean Natural Alliance who with Forest of Dean Friends of the Earth and others have been continuing the legal fight against the development of the Cinderford Northern Quarter today (Tuesday 12th July) sent out a press release after their latest appearance at the High Court.
GNS agrees wholeheartedly with the sentiments that the CNQ development is ill advised, misplaced and seriously detrimental to the mosaic of habitats and plethora of wildlife on and around the site. The regeneration of Cinderford would have been far better carried out much closer to the town, community and infrastructure that already exists for many reasons over and above the damage that will be caused to a wildlife rich area.
It seems perverse that across the Forest, many groups and individuals are working hard to enhance the wildlife, culture, heritage, history and other facets of the area in pursuit of the Heritage Lottery Fund bid under the banner of The Forester’s Forest whilst on the CNQ site, the local authority and Homes and Communities Agency are bent on continuing with a development that will so adversely affect all of these things.
The text of the DNA press release is given below:
“Dean Natural Alliance greatly regrets the decision last week in the High Court not to allow an Appeal to go forward challenging the Planning Consent for the Hybrid Planning Application at Cinderford Northern Quarter.
We continue to believe that the selection of this site by the Forest of Dean District Council and the Homes and Communities Agency was ill-informed and deeply flawed. DNA feel the CNQ is unsuitable both because of its great environmental richness and because the mining legacy and contamination mean this development can never be economically viable; it will continue to be a great drain on the Public Purse and to damage wildlife.
As the Gloucestershire College still does not seem to be in a position to proceed with their proposed move from Five Acres, we believe there is no justification for yet commencing a section of a Spine Road which will lead nowhere, will increase traffic through Steam Mills and will require Public Forest Estate land.
Dean Natural Alliance feel that because the Cinderford Northern Quarter is such poor value for money with the speculative spending of some £18 Million and is so damaging to our heritage that we will continue to oppose it.”
Further information is available at http://www.deannaturalalliance.org/