Cinderford: People feel betrayed by hospital plans

Forest of Dean District Council approved the hospital plans on the site of the playing fields last week

People in the Forest of Dean say they feel "betrayed" as construction for a new hospital will now go ahead before a replacement skate park is built.

Plans to build a new 24-bed community hospital on playing fields in Cinderford, were approved last week.

The deal will see a new skate park built nearby, but those involved in its design said they were promised it would be opened before the old one was lost.

However, access to the old skate park has already been fenced off.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), part of the deal involves the construction of a new skate park on land at the Miners Welfare Playing Field in Barleycorn Square Road.

Construction work is expected to begin soon but Sam Grist, 26, who was involved with its design, said many people were unhappy.

"We've spent a lot of time going down to the council offices with designs for the skate park to be promised they wouldn't start getting rid of the old skate park until the new one was finished," he said.

He was among those behind the original designs of the skate park in 2012 and said many people used it at the weekend.

"This is not above board in any way. Everyone I've spoken to feels betrayed.

'Own agenda'

"They told us what we wanted to hear and then sorted their own agenda regardless," he added.

A spokesperson for Cinderford Town Council, which owns the original skate park, said Covid-19 and a serious personal accident had delayed the construction of the new skate park.

"It was a hard decision to make, but delaying the building of the new hospital was not safe or viable.

"Cinderford is getting a fantastic deal alongside the new hospital. Works to upgrade the multi-use games area start next week."

They added the new £250,000 skate park would be open later this summer.

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, who are behind the plans for a new hospital, were approached but did not provide a comment.