DFV was born out of a meeting that I called at the Miners Welfare Hall, Cinderford on 9 March 2001 in conjunction with the Countryside Agency (CA). The purpose of the occasion was primarily to put the CA Officer, Val Kirby who was responsible for a Integrated Rural Development Project (IRD) in touch with grass root local Forest people. Towards the end of that meeting there was a strong desire to form an organisation. This and other things going on at the time (loss of all the Forest's free roaming sheep through foot and mouth is good example), all contributed to a concentrating of minds and prompted a thorough search of the second draft of the District Plan Review where we were amazed to find the extent of proposed intrusion into the Statutory Forest.

  DFV has grown to a current membership of over a thousand and still growing strong. It has, and continues to work closely with the IRD project.

Notes

  1.  The initial aim of the Cinderford meeting was to counter a lobby for a statuary special landscape designation.

  2.  DFV is strongly opposed to any statuary landscape designation in the Forest of Dean and take the view that to retain our uniqueness, we must retain a good degree of local control through the Deputy Gaveller and the Verderers, the latter of who should be given more teeth.

  3.  The Forest population have an enviable record for looking after and defending its own back yard and the unique exclusive legislation referred to above and later below, is perhaps testament to this.

  4.  The main objective of DFV is: To promote and maintain the VURRISTER (Forester) identity and enhance the pride and culture of the people of the Forest of Dean by creating a powerful voice capable of being heard and taken account of, particularly at all levels of government and every other administrative organisation in the Forest.

  5.  A more comprehensive statement can be found at our web site www.deanforestvoice.org, and in our constitution document annexed below.

  6.  DFV was formally constituted at an inaugural general meeting, in September 2001.

DFV SUPPORTING OBJECTIVES

  1.  Decision making. Providing a voice able to address governmental and administrative organisations.

  2.  Culture. Promote and maintain Forest culture.

  3.  Ancient Rights. Ensuring that ancient rights specific to the Forest of Dean are protected.

  4.  Dialect. Encourage the retention of the Forest dialect.

SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES

—  Six public meetings have been held around the Forest of Dean Area regarding proposed pithead developments within the Statutory Forest. The outcome was unanimously against any development intrusion within the Statutory Forest.

Note

A Transcript of the final meeting held at Speech House is available. It took the form of a finally/summary event of the other meetings. It was kindly transcribed for us by English Partnerships.

—  Raised objections at the Local Plan Public Enquiry. Basis of evidence attached.

—  Sought legal opinion (after District Council) availiable.

—  Regular (weekly) committee meetings which are open to the public.

—  Meeting Forest Enterprise on a periodic basis.

—  Meetings and dialogue with English Partnerships and the RDA Team

BACKGROUND SUMMARY

  The Forest of Dean is unique in many ways, not least it is one of only two surviving Statutory Forests left in the country. The other being the New Forest. The striking differences between the two are that the Forest of Dean has remained a working forest throughout and is also by far the largest oak forest in the country. Purposely re-planted in the 17th century it was the Navy's major source of oak for several centuries and many of the "Napoleon Oaks" still stand here today. However by far its most notable difference are our peculiar Freemining rights which are universally known and form the backbone of the Foresters identity. While the origins may be obscure, this unique right was confirmed by statute under the Dean Forest Mines Act 1838 and this statute itself is unique because it is the only public act ever to confirm a local custom. There is simply nothing else like it.

  The 1838 Act is one of a series of mining acts known collectively as the Dean Forest Mines Enactments. They survive intact to this day.

  The Forest of Dean is also special in other ways. Situated between Severn and Wye it is naturally geographically isolated, but over the centuries the situation has been enhanced through our peculiar mining rights. When these rights were first granted mining skills were a closely guarded strategic military weapon used particularly effectively by successive Norman Kings, against the Scots and the French. Thus to this day the Forest of Dean is invariably described as: "Remote, Secretive and Different". This description can be found in virtually everything ever been written about it and there has certainly been plenty. Perhaps the best way to demonstrate this is to refer to the latest such description by Loyd Grossman who is currently here doing a history series for TV. On 25 September 2003 he is quoted in the local paper: "It has this very different and very distinctive character and culture and landscape and historically it is of incredible significance.—Because it is tucked away between two rivers in this funny little corner, that character has been protected. It can also seem terribly, terribly remote—although here we are just 45 minutes from Bristol".

Notes

  1.  The initial aim of the Cinderford meeting was to counter a lobby for a statuary special landscape designation.

  2.  DFV is strongly opposed to any statuary landscape designation in the Forest of Dean and take the view that to retain our uniqueness, we must retain a good degree of local control through the Deputy Gaveller and the Verderers, the latter of who should be given more teeth.

  3.  The Forest population have an enviable record for looking after and defending its own back yard and the unique exclusive legislation referred to above and later below, is perhaps testament to this.

  4.  The main objective of DFV is: To promote and maintain the VURRISTER (Forester) identity and enhance the pride and culture of the people of the Forest of Dean by creating a powerful voice capable of being heard and taken account of, particularly at all levels of government and every other administrative organisation in the Forest.

  5.  A more comprehensive statement can be found at our web site www.deanforestvoice.org, and in our constitution document annexed below.

  6.  DFV was formally constituted at an inaugural general meeting, in September 2001

PROOF OF EVIDENCE

  1.  Up until the last 20 plus years parliament has always recognised the Forest of Dean as a special case requiring special consideration to the extent that we can justifiably claim to be regarded as a separate entity. All the necessary evidence can be found in the parliamentary record from The Dean Forest Re-aforestation Act 1668 right through to Lord McNair's amendment to the Forestry Act 1981 in the House of Lords. In between these there have been at least a further 24 Acts specific to Dean and others such as the Coal Act 1938 and the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1945 that have each contained special provisions for the Forest of Dean. (a list of statutes is appended below)

  2.  It is difficult to understand how the mould was broken but for some reason complacency seems to have crept in at about the same time as the first major round of redundancies occurred at Rank Zerox when more than four thousand jobs were lost. This occurred in the early 1980s

  3.  It was expansion at Rank Zerox that plugged the gap when NCB closed down the Forest of Dean Coalfield during the 1960s. Under these circumstances they were like manna from heaven and there is a line of thought (which with hindsight I tend to share) that we put too many eggs in the Rank Zerox basket.

  4.  Maybe it was this turmoil that took the eye of the ball, but what is certain is that those job losses early in the 1980's was such a huge shock that it triggered of a political objective, centred on Cinderford. That objective is still running today. Started by the previous Conservative MP, Paul Marland, it has been rigorously continued by our present day MP Diana Organ (Labour) and is now in danger of killing the golden goose.

  5.  By 1997 A combination of what can best be described as abnormal local complacency and over exuberant exploitation of the political objective by the previous MP with little or no understanding of the intricacies and background of Forest of Dean seem to have set the scene for what could now potentially be the biggest mistake ever made in the Forest of Dean.

  6.  1997 saw the start of two major initiatives in the Forest of Dean.

(a)  Frank Dobson came here electioneering and promised Special Statutory Protection against the threat of large scale quarrying (now famously known as Special Status); and

(b)  Following the general election a Coalfields Regeneration Strategy was worked out for a funding bid to the Coalfields Communities Fund, spearheaded by the then newly elected MP Diana Organ.

  7.  Although at the time these two initiatives seemed unconnected, they are in fact inextricably linked, or perhaps more appropriately they should have been, for indeed they seriously conflict with each other.

  8.  Sections of the community still fearful of the threat of quarrying did not let Dobson's promise evaporate. They kept Diana Organ on the hook and subsequently the Countryside Agency (CA) was sent here to try to find a way forward. The CA commissioned reports and have so far spent over £1 million over the last three years trying to devise a form of Integrated Rural Development (IRD).

  9.  During virtually this same period the Forest of Dean Coalfields Regeneration Programme (CRP) was developed and brought forward through the District Plan Review.

  10.  The CA chose as their partner the Forest of Dean Regeneration Partnership. As far as can be established this organisation was set up, or encouraged by the County, and District Councils as an advisory group. It is a quango with no powers or authority. Its members comprise inter alia, but mostly, of regional and local government officers, regional representatives of the various statutory undertakers and other service providers, local representatives of national interest groups such as Friends of the Earth etc, representatives of Gloucestershire Rural Community Council (Chair), and a very small number of County and district councillors. Neither Freeminers or Commoners are represented or any other traditional local Forest interest group such as for example the Forest of Dean History and Archaeology Societies etc. In fact we understand that Parish representation is only through one seat filled by an officer from PTCA. DFV have continuously sought to secure representation on the Regeneration Partnership but without success. Consequently local grass route input to this important part of the process is extremely thin on the ground.

  11.  Why the projects (10 above) were done at arms length from each other is a complete mystery, but one glaring difference is that whereas IRD has been done by public consultation, the CRP was hatched, and has been developed virtually behind closed doors and consequently the strategy is seriously flawed.

  12.  Recent anecdotal evidence has brought to light that the initial CRP Strategy was worked out at meetings held at Rank Zerox, Mitcheldean Plant (circa 1997). Organised by the then new but Managing Director of the District Council who has recently left to take up a new post with another Council. The attendee list comprised of inter alia, the then newly elected local MEP with his "policy think tank"; the then newly elected local MP; a then newly installed District Council Regeneration Officer; a select group of elected members of the then labour controlled District Council; leading union representatives and local convenors; other local beaurocrats and regional government officers; and representatives of local business organisations such as Business Link.

  13.  In essence the CRP strategy was worked out by a group of individuals who by and large were not only new to their jobs, but in many instances also new to the area. Consequently they lacked local knowledge and possessed virtually no understanding of the Forest of Dean, either structurally or historic. Furthermore many of the key players actually resided outside District.

  14.  The real damage done is that the people involved in this exercise failed to realise that the Forest of Dean is different. Unlike the rest of the Country all the mines in the Forest of Dean Coalfield are situated on Statutory Forest land and the mining communities are scattered outside. Here miners travelled into the Forest to work.

  15.  Obviously they could see that government policy for Regenerating Coalfields Communities was firmly based on the norm for the rest of the country where mining communities grew up around the pitheads but instead of making a special case for the Forest of Dean they focused on trying to make the that criteria work here. Obviously not realising the damage they were doing

  16.  Consequently the CRP strategy failed to recognise the need for a special case to be made for the Forest of Dean and that is why we have presented this evidence and would welcome the opportunity to appear before the committee to answer any questions and strengthen our case.

  17.  Unfortunately DFV did not exist when these two monumental events began to unfold (10 above), had it been in existence it could have raised alarm bells at the appropriate time. As it was the seeds for the Pit Head sites had already been sown, curiously unbeknown at the time.

  18.  DFV became motivated by the CA and participated fully in their IRD experiment (which on the face of it looked like an excellent idea at the time). It sharpened peoples minds and raised awareness

  19.  As a result of this the second draft of the Local District Plan Review was comprehensively searched and the extent of the proposals for the Pithead sites became clear. But even then the full picture had still emerged and it was not until the Plan Inquiry had commenced that the full scope of Northern Ark was revealed.

  20.  DFV objected to all the pithead proposals. We have put our arguments to the Inspector at the District Plan Inquiry and now await his report which we believe will be ready in December. Copies of some of our submissions are annexed at the back together with some counter legal submissions. Please note to cut down on quantity we have not inluded the annexes referred to in these submissions, but can quickly supply them if required.

A SPECIAL PLACE

  Time and time again the Forest of Dean has been identified as a Unique and Special Place. Recent reports commissioned by the CA were quick to pick this up.

—  First in a an initial report by Land Use Consultantants.

—  Then in a Tourism Strategy Report by Stevens Associates.

—  But most importantly through a local project by local people called Dean by Definition.—Went out to find what local people think is Special About the Forest of Dean? Commissioned by the Countryside Agency This Report is available.

FOREST OF DEAN—A UNIQUE CASE

—  Our Ancient Rights are the key ingredient.

—  The coalfield sites are all within the Statutory Forest of Dean.

—  Due to the special circumstances relating to the Forest, men walked or travelled to work. The sites Pitheads are isolated from settlements. Settlements are not centred on or around the sites.

—  In other parts of the country some sites are actually being returned to Forest. In the Forest of Dean what should be Forest is threatened with development!

—  There has been a recent exchange of legal opinions in connection with the District Plan Inquiry. There are compelling arguments against the power of the minister to dispose of Forestry Commission Land within the Statutory Forest of Dean. (available on request).

PUT SIMPLY

—  The principle of allocation of Coalfield funding for the Forest of Dean is welcomed. However the "woodland employment" concept is flawed. The woodland site policy is already an outdated strategy.

—  Foresters do not want to see the Statutory Forest developed.

—  The Pit head sites are in the Statutory Forest and this is the crux of the issue.

—  When the principle of no development in the Forest is raised, the issue or perceived as a threat of loss of funding and the 2007 deadline arises. This is having a stifling effect on sensible debate.

—  We need a win win solution, that will save our national treasure and still receive the Coalfields funding for the Forest of Dean.

—  Accept the Forest of Dean is a special case. Make it a model of brave decision making, finding the right solution.

—  Enhance spend flexibility for the Forest of Dean put the money to better use in the communities not in remote pit head sites.

—  It may be a minnow in the overall Coalfields Project, but everything to the majority of Foresters (and people who visit and respect the integrity of the woodland).

—  More time is required to allow fair and meaningful open debate to work out the best solutions.

—  Removing and extending the 2007 spend deadline would allow time for proper consultation to take place and alternative solutions to be identified and developed.

—  Above all we ask this committee to acknowledge that developments within the centre of a National "Jewel" is inappropriate. That the Forest of Dean is a special case and that there is an important and urgent need for everybody to work together to find the right solution.

  Yours Sincerely

Mike Jones

On behalf of Dean Forest Voice