LEADER Tim Gwilliam and the Forest of Dean District Council’s Cabinet have wasted no time in trying to get hold of Robert Jenrick MP, the new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, to bring him up to speed on the long-running Five Acres affair in Berry Hill.

Mr Jenrick replaces James Brokenshire MP who held the job under the previous Prime Minister Theresa May.

And Cllr Gwilliam said he hopes it is ‘third time lucky’ with Mr Jenrick, who was installed to his job on Thursday by new Premier Boris Johnson.

Cllr Gwilliam fired off an email to the new Minister on Friday morning to explain the situation surrounding Five Acres, the former Gloucestershire College site.

Homes England were due to hand over the site for a pound to the local authority last year but needed to get the final decision made by Mr Brokenshire.

However, they withdrew their request to the Secretary of State a month ago to review the sale and since there has been a stony silence from the organisation, leaving the district council in the dark about what is going on.

The authority’s scrutiny committee have voted a fortnight ago in favour of asking Homes England to come and explain their position to an inquiry they want to hold but have not heard yet if they will do so.

FULL STORY IN THIS WEEK’S FORESTER