Forest letter.txt

QUESTIONS TO PAUL SYMONDS, HEAD OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT, FOREST OF DEAN DISTRICT COUNCIL

SHEEP ISSUES

Dear Mr.Symonds,

With reference to the Forest of Dean District Council's decision to serve notice on the Forestry commission to clear the settlements of sheep, may I ask you the following questions on behalf of Dean Forest voice.

l. By what authority do you seek to have the sheep removed from the settlements considering that most lie either totally or partially within the statutory Forest of Dean over which rights of pasture exist?

2. Was this decision taken by members of the full council? If not why not?

3. Was the decision taken in discussion with the sheep Liaison committee? If not, why not?

4. Can you give an estimate of the cost to the Ratepayers of any legal proceedings, and have any provisions been made for this?

5. If you have obtained a legal opinion on this issue, may we, under the Freedom of Information Act, request to see it?

6. Can you tell us the number and nature of the complaints that you claim to have received from the public?

Dean Forest voice is concerned at the apparent lack of understanding of the rights of pasture shown by officers of the Council. The experience and opinions of long-standing members, and others, clearly account for nothing. Instead you have proceeded along a path of conflict.

I look forward to your response.

Keith Morgan (Dean Forest voice 29.01.06

·       We have obtained legal opinion on this issue. I cannot supply a copy as it forms '   part of the current legal proceedings and is, therefore, not a public document because it is exempt from publication by virtue of Sections 30, 31 and 42 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The public interest would not be served by the publication of Counsel's opinion and advice.

·       We have received 892 complaints from January 2002 to December 2005. The natures of the complaints are various. Ranging from concerns that sheep may cause an accident to a very distressed person ringing in after hitting and severely injuring

·       a sheep.        Other complaints relate to nuisance, fouling, damage to gardens and refuse bags being torn open and contents scattered.

·       With regard to your ultimate paragraph, you will no doubt be aware that since 1994 the council, with other agencies, has been an active member of the Liaison Group and has provided support to efforts to remove the sheep nuisance from the forest communities. The tradition of sheep grazing has now changed considerably from that enjoyed prior to the 1950s, and all Members wish to see the nuisance caused by free-roaming sheep to be abated, but without precluding the traditional sheep grazing of the forest, which is also the overwhelming opinion of the members of the communities effected.

Yours sincerely

Paul Symonds