Anti-Five Acres College closure march in Forest of Dean

About 300 people turned up to the march protesting at the proposal to demolish the college campus

Protestors have marched through Coleford in the Forest of Dean opposing plans to demolish the Gloucestershire College campus at Five Acres.

Action group Five Acres is Not for Sale (FANS) says the proposal to move the college to nearby Cinderford will leave the area without leisure facilities.

Forest of Dean District Council's Patrick Molyneux, says locals will still benefit if the college moved.

He said: "It would be a brand new state of the art building."

The Conservative leader of the council added that it would be a "fantastic facility" and that Cinderford is "just six miles up the road from Coleford".

FANS campaigners claim that regenerating Cinderford at the expense of Coleford, with a smaller college and loss of sports and theatre facilities is not good for the whole area.

Chairman Jamie Elesmore said locals have not been consulted on the plans and the protest march is an "opportunity to express our concerns".

Protestor John Belcher said about 300 people joined the march and added: "We think we got our message across to a certain extent. People are very upset about this."