Letter: Cookie-cutter party policies in the New Forest

Sir – The local elections are done. Thank you to the A&T for, on the 14th April, publishing all wards and candidates. Then the following week: ‘Battle for the New Forest’ you asked the four main parties a direct question “their policies for the Forest”.

I despaired. There was not a cigarette paper between the parties. All four said build more houses, more infrastructure, more everything for us humans. Therefore, more traffic, noise, disturbance, pollution.

Not one party mentioned policies “for the Forest” – any one thing for the forest. Flora, fauna, other mammals, insects, fish or fowl; not a word.

Two parties want to put fuel stations in the car parks (ie EV charging points) presumably to encourage more vehicles to make the arduous journey through the Forest, which is all of 20 miles end to end.

None of them put forward solutions to really simple problems like speeding through the forest. Nor relatively simple problems like the proliferation of second homes that jacks up the building frenzy, and cost.

Not one thoughtful statement on more complex issues; as England is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, how there might be a policy to reduce the human impact (houses, numbers) on the Forest over time. Not a thought from any of them.

The current system of local councillors having allegiance to national parties doesn’t work. Their answers to the A&T direct question somehow reminded me of that famous final line from the hero to the heroine in answer to her question about ‘what’s going to happen’: “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” .

Peter Padfield,
Ringwood