THE county council is turning to services in the Forest for help after a leading meals-on-wheels provider decided to pull out of the county.

Meals provider Apetito decided not to rebid for its contract with Gloucestershire County Council after the number of meals was reduced.

They will stop delivering meals from March 31 to the more than 400 people who rely on the service.

Council chiefs say they are working on securing alternative services and are speaking to particular providers in the Forest.

Part of the district is now serviced by new charity Dean Forest Kitchen, which launched in January after the previous service, Forest Mobile Meals, closed in April last year.

The kitchen, which is based at Harts Barn Cookery School in Longhope, currently provides meals for people in the Cinderford, Ruardean, Coleford and Mitcheldean areas.

Trustee Sue Henchley said on opening that the district and county councils had already been in touch.

Adult social care delivery cabinet member Kathy Williams (C, Longlevens) told county councillors on February 15 that nobody really knows why Apetito turned down the contract and explained what the authority is doing to remedy the situation.

She said: “Things are moving quite quickly and we are in the process of speaking to particular service providers in the Forest of Dean.

“We are hopeful they will be able to take on some of the contract. We are also doing a reassessment of every individual who has qualified for the hot meals so far.

“It was myself and Cllr Carole Allaway-Martin who were particularly concerned that there was a presumption somebody could put a microwave meal in the oven.

“Some people are too frail to even do that. I’m hopeful we will have some more news to give you soon.”

Labour group leader John Bloxsom (L, Rodborough) said his fellow councillors were shocked to hear about the news.

He said: “When the service was recently recommissioned – with meals subsidised only for the first six weeks, there was a clear risk that this could happen.

“The council ignored that risk. It has come about and the private provider has walked away.”

Councillor Steve Robinson (L, Nailsworth) raised concerns about the situation at meeting in Shire Hall and asked if a higher subsidy would have made a difference.

Cllr Williams dismissed this and explained the provider receives the full price of the meal.

She said: “We are one of the lowest in the country that gives a subsidy on the meal but they still get the full price of the meal. We just subsidise it for the client.”

At a separate full council meeting on Thursday, February 16, Forest of Dean District Council leaders said they would consider setting aside a £15,000 windfall to help.