It's a win for our beautiful Forest
WE welcome the pledge from the Government yesterday that our county's beloved Forest of Dean is not to be sold off.
But in doing that, we also welcome the campaign from the Hands Off Our Forest group, whose activities have really struck a chord among Foresters and woodland supporters throughout the UK.
Its campaign highlighted the fantastic assets the Forest of Dean has which should be preserved. For that we must all be grateful.
To see the scenic charm of the Forest on national television news throughout its campaign was in itself a great advertisement for this lovely area where so many people from all over Britain, let alone the county, spend so much time walking and cycling.
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The minister involved in yesterday's announcement on the Forest, Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has written a special article for The Citizen on page 6.
It is a good, honest piece in which she has made pledges to us.
They are solid pledges and The Citizen will ensure the Government is held to them.
The local MP here in the Forest, Mark Harper, has had to steer through some choppy waters with the campaign firmly firing its arrows at him and the Government.
He has always insisted to The Citizen, and to everybody in fact, that the Forest would not be sold off by the Government. A lot of people did not believe him.
We did believe him. Why?
Firstly, he is an honest politician, in our view, and he is also a Cabinet Office minister. What would be the mileage for him lying to us and his constituents? That would have been an electoral suicide note.
So, well done Mark Harper and well done to the campaigners. It must be a win, win situation for the Forest, one of the most beautiful areas of Britain which is now well and truly on the map for the right reasons – as one of our national assets.
AFTER it was revealed yesterday that half of the country's speed cameras do not work, The Citizen can today tell you that just five speed cameras are working at any one time in Gloucestershire.
We know that the police do not have the resources to operate all the county's cameras and we think that is generally accepted.
But The Citizen believes that the sight of a speed camera, whether it works or not, is still a deterrent to motorists who speed.
Comments
by Tim Cowhig, Flaxley
Tuesday, February 01 2011, 9:39PM
“The problem with this sell off, like so much of the governments program, is the almighty rush with which it is all announced and then is attempted to be rammed through so called consultation and parliament.
They seem suprised at the public reaction be it on this tuition fees or EMA.
They then offer a range of compromises which are again rushed and ill thought out.
We need good planning and more open consultation.
The change to The Forest of Dean's status looks more and more illogical as each change to the policy emerges and therefore ideological.
This is a working forest that the commission is running well and public ownership provides long term security.
Any new charity lacks the commercial expertise and the long term public finance underpinning which this enterprise and community asset needs.”
by Steve, Cheltenham
Tuesday, February 01 2011, 7:06PM
“Venk, what are vrick-bracks? I was brought up in the Forest, and I've never heard of them.
And what has this to do with speed cameras not working? I'm surprised it's as many as five that are working.”
by Rob Ward, FoD
Tuesday, February 01 2011, 1:49PM
“Alastair, get down off your high Llama and stop acting like a Tory snob, which yo aren't!
The management of the Forest will be offered over to a charitable trust, yes?
What happens if the charitable organisation is unable to maintain the high level of management through lack of volunteers etc?
Or even more worryingly, what if their budget for maintaining the forest runs out?
This is not the end and by saying that the forest is not going to be sold off is wrong, as it or part of it could be gone within 12 months of it being handed over.
As soon as the Government hands it over to the chosen organisation, they will have washed their hands with it and couldn't care less what happens there after.”
by alastair fraser, Forest of Dean
Saturday, January 29 2011, 10:55PM
“The Forest is not being sold. How many times do we have to say this?
An alternative has been offered in the form of a charitable trust.
Obviously Paul of Newent has not read the full content. Perhaps he will then realise that he has barking up the wrong tree.
Alastair Fraser”
by paul, newent
Saturday, January 29 2011, 2:32PM
“Rarely have I read a newspaper article so servile to a politician. I know the
Citizen is part of the Daily Mail but we in the forest at least deserve some honest and accurate reporting. For a start Mr Editor you have your facts wrong Mark Harper is not a Cabinet Minister. Mark Harper is a virulent right winger who supports every extreme right wing cause and opposes every thing progressive. Whilst in opposition he made lots or promises on Vat, tuition fees, the dilke, newent community centre, public libraries. He supported the bill selling off the forests and he is systematically abandoning all his previous promises. An honest politician i think not. We deserve more from our politicians, Mark Harper has used the forest to further his own political aims, he is now rarely seen in the constituency and even failed to attend the hustings in Newent. Is it too much to expect some honest accurate and impartial reporting from the Citizen, with Mr Mean in charge i suspect this is the case.”
by Venk Shenoi, Blaisdon Glos
Friday, January 28 2011, 2:02PM
“Afterall the Tory-bashing, hope the people of the Forest of Dean realise that cool heads of all pursuations need to join up and see the best way forward to safeguard the Forest of Dean's unique features and the freedom of all those who live here and those who visit - for future generations within the new legislative framework when adopted.
It costs effort, imagination, and time - and I am sure all in the the Forest of Dean will put aside petty politicking and get on with the job in hand.
It is all too easy to criticise but greater courage and commitment to go forward with what you believe in against the vrick-bracks - and Mark Harper our MP has come out stronger from the ordeal.
We need Mark to fight our corner in the Commons and I have little doubt he will deliver.”
by Shazbat, Lydbrook
Friday, January 28 2011, 1:28PM
“A little premature in your (self)-congratulation, aren't you? The battle is not yet over as the government retains the option to pass the buck on to some 'charitable trust'. No thought as to who or what would constitute this 'trust', nor how it would be funded. As far as I can see this is a loophole big enough to drive a supertanker through; set up a charitable trust, pass over to it responsibility for running the Forest (free gratis? I doubt it). watch the trust fail through lack of funding, see the vultures descend to buy up chunks of the land at bargain basement prices while the government goes "Nothing to do with us, this is the Big Society at work."
Nobody is really fooled by this, are they, Mr Editor?”