I WAS surprised, and somewhat saddened, to read the report in The Forester (Thumbs up for Asda) in which one local councillor was quoted as saying that the proposed supermarket would 'get the ball rolling' when it came to new jobs and regeneration.

I can't help feeling that we're clutching at straws somewhat when we rely on a new supermarket to regenerate our local economy. It may well be that all the three Forest towns need new industry (the high tech variety might be good). But a new supermarket, particularly an out of town one? I don't think so.

Evidence from elsewhere suggests that it would have the opposite effect. Shoppers would flock to Asda, do their shopping and drive out again, leaving the centre of Cinderford to decay as shops close their doors. Any new supermarket construction would of course provide short term jobs (but not necessarily local ones), but once it's up and running, the number of people employed in the store would probably be outweighed by the number of job losses elsewhere in the town.

Yes, in this day and age we seem to need supermarkets – but wouldn't we rather have town centres that are vibrant, offering a range of alternatives for the shopper and the community alike? Perhaps we need to start developing a new vision of what we want for our Forest towns.

Alistair Graham

Lydney