Latest news with #Coleford
BBC News
29-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Police officer's homophobic term was gross misconduct, panel finds
A police officer who used a homophobic term when two children ran away from him committed gross misconduct, a panel has Ashley Reid, from Gloucestershire Police, admitted to using the term while searching for two missing children in Coleford on 8 claimed he muttered the term under his breath in frustration as the children ran away, but the panel overseeing a hearing on Wednesday concluded another police officer, a social worker, and the two children clearly heard what he panel at the force's headquarters at Waterwells concluded a final written warning of two years was "the correct and proportionate sanction". Assistant Chief Constable Arman Mathieson, chair of the panel, added: "The use of homophobic language is, and always will be, unacceptable and is not compatible with the role of a police officer." The hearing found PC Reid, who has 14 years of service as a police officer, immediately apologised and has since exhibited genuine remorse and insight into the offensiveness of the term was subsequently found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to Authority, Respect and Courtesy and Discreditable Conduct. 'Remorseful apologies' In handing him a final written warning, ACC Mathieson said: "PC Reid was in a position of trust and had a role to safeguard the children, who were vulnerable due to their age, and the public would expect him to be held to account."This was a case of one single word said in isolation, in the spur of the moment, immediately followed by an admission and genuine and remorseful apologies to the two people PC Reid believed had heard him."ACC Mathieson said the comment "was not planned or targeted towards any specific individual or group"."The panel therefore concluded, when considering all the circumstances and context, that a final written warning of two years was the correct and proportionate sanction in this case," he full outcome will be published by Gloucestershire Police on its website.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Free hour parking scheme in Forest of Dean expanded
A parking scheme which offers the first hour for free is being rolled out to another site after council bosses confirmed the regime is "working well". Forest of Dean District Council chiefs abolished the first hour charge for their car parks last year as a way to attract new visitors to their part of Gloucestershire. At a cabinet meeting on 15 May, councillors voted to bring Pyart Court car park in Coleford into the scheme to ensure continuity across their authority agreed to delegate officers to consider feedback and decide whether to go ahead. The Pyart Court site includes a off-street parking area which enforced different rates than their nearby car there is a 20p charge for an hour and 40p for two hours – which applies 24 hours and seven days a badge holders are also charged at the standard rate, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). 'Unify charges' Projects and property cabinet member Sid Phelps, who presented the report, told the meeting: "The proposal will abolish the current charge for blue badge holders, to bring it in line with other Forest of Dean District Council car parks."The parking order will unify charges across all of our car parks in the district." Mr Phelps asked cabinet members to back the proposals and to agree a budget of around £5,850 for equipment and signs for the emergency cabinet member Chris McFarling approved the concept of bringing Pyart Court on board."We seem to be doing well with the new charging facilities which we introduced," he said."After much discussion and debate, they seem to be working well. We are managing to get the income we need to offset the expenditure in our car parks."
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Forest to get first extension in more than 200 years
A 88 hectare (0.88 sq km) woodland is the first extension due to be added to the Forest of Dean in more than 200 years. The site at Hoathorns, near Edge End in Coleford, was bought in December 2024 by Forestry England. A public consultation has now opened on plans for the site. The land will support biodiversity, create habitats for wildlife, and eventually provide a sustainable source of timber. "It's the first extension to the public forest estate in the Forest of Dean since 1817," said Forestry England's area manager Tom Brockington. "We will be looking to create a mixed woodland and members of the public will be able to explore it." More news stories for Gloucestershire Listen to the latest news for Gloucestershire The site was formerly a farm and is currently made up of arable and pastoral fields bordered by native hedgerows. Early plans will link the new woodland to existing ancient ones. Mr Brockington said it was a "really exciting location" for the new forest. "This extension will connect ancient woodland to the isolated woodland that exists in the farm now," he said. A public consultation on the plans was launched on 6 May and will run until Sunday 1 June. It is expected planting will begin in November and last until the end of March 2026. Forestry England manages more than 1,500 woods and forests across the country and received over 285 million visits in 2023/24. It plans to create at least 2,000 hectares of new, high-quality woodland nationally. Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. New 44-acre nature reserve for former dairy farm New national forest to see 20m trees planted Future of ponds unveiled after series of protests Forestry England
BBC News
10-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Forest of Dean to get first extension in more than 200 years
A 88 hectare (0.88 sq km) woodland is the first extension due to be added to the Forest of Dean in more than 200 site at Hoathorns, near Edge End in Coleford, was bought in December 2024 by Forestry England. A public consultation has now opened on plans for the land will support biodiversity, create habitats for wildlife, and eventually provide a sustainable source of timber. "It's the first extension to the public forest estate in the Forest of Dean since 1817," said Forestry England's area manager Tom Brockington. "We will be looking to create a mixed woodland and members of the public will be able to explore it." The site was formerly a farm and is currently made up of arable and pastoral fields bordered by native plans will link the new woodland to existing ancient Brockington said it was a "really exciting location" for the new forest."This extension will connect ancient woodland to the isolated woodland that exists in the farm now," he said. A public consultation on the plans was launched on 6 May and will run until Sunday 1 June. It is expected planting will begin in November and last until the end of March England manages more than 1,500 woods and forests across the country and received over 285 million visits in 2023/24. It plans to create at least 2,000 hectares of new, high-quality woodland nationally.
