IN The Forester on February 3, the leading article states that Coleford is losing out to Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth because of lack of supermarkets: Ross seems to be losing its High Street shops and one trader told us he was closing his shop because the supermarket took about 80 per cent of available money in the town.

Partly this is competition, but also these days, people only have a limited amount to spend.

We shop regularly in Coleford and in our view it is the variety of shops and businesses, not just supermarkets, which attract shoppers. We should be encouraging small businesses of Coleford to thrive.

Any development which affects these local enterprises, of which there are many, would not improve shopping in Coleford – it should therefore be approached with extreme caution.

The question of increased traffic and particularly parking problems are another consideration, especially if the Bank Street scheme is implemented, which will remove parking spaces. All these things have to be borne in mind when assessing such a proposal. If, on consultation, people vote for an extra supermarket, we will abide by their decision. But we would not wish to see Coleford's local enterprise to deteriorate into a shadow of what it was.

Coun Carole Allaway-Martin (District Councillor for Coleford Central), Coun Grace Bensted (District Councillor for Coleford Central), Coun Terry Hale (County Councillor for Coleford)