THAT WAS the verdict of young people at last week’s Youth Community Council meeting in Peasedown St John.

Young people are, as much as their older counterparts, concerned about the general problem with litter, untidy streets and dog walkers not picking up their dog-mess and are calling on Bath and North East Somerset Council to do more to clean our streets.

Young people at the meeting also complained that there wasn’t much of a Police presence any more in their area and this has caused an increase in petty vandalism and anti-social behaviour at night.

Speaking at the meeting, held at Peasedown Youth Centre, was 14-year-old Katie Madams who said:

“The issue is not with the Police responding to crime because they do that very well. Our concern is not seeing the Police in Peasedown enough. We believe that a greater presence will see less anti-social behaviour.”

Katie, as well as the rest of the Youth Community Council members, also want to see more activities for young people.

Twelve year old Lauren Holvey said:

“There really isn’t much for teenagers to do in Peasedown. We don’t have a BMX or skate-track yet and we have to travel all the way into Bath to go to the cinema and to Bristol to go bowling.”

Present at the meeting was local B&NES Councillor Nathan Hartley who said young people are concerned about the same issues as the older residents of Peasedown;

“At last week’s Youth Community Council meeting young people demonstrated that much of the issues that adults in Peasedown worry about are shared by younger people as well. Everyone wants to see more police on the streets, less litter lying around, more leisure activities and better street lighting in certain area of the village.

I have taken on board the concerns of local young people and will be liaising with B&NES Council officers to address many of these concerns. I shall also be working with Youth Centre staff to look at new ways of funding the centre.”

Other issues raised at the meeting included more recreational areas and a re-modernisation of those that already exist, cheaper activities for those on low incomes and CCTV in specific areas.