YOUNGSTERS at a Woodley primary school were given the chance to display their ideas on how to improve the town last week.

Children in Years 5 and 6 spoke to councillors and the town centre manager Jacques Lherbier about various suggestions and their thoughts, sparked by a survey carried out with residents.

As part of this spring term autumn project, the pupils were asked to use the survey as a form of public consultation on new shops and features they would like to see in the town.

Mr Lherbier is now considering displaying some of the presentations, which included new pancake and toy shops

as well as decorations in the precinct, at the Oakwood Centre, in Headley Road.

He said: “The afternoon showed they are involved as children who live in the vicinity and want to make it better.

“I found it really, really fun and interesting. The children have done a wonderful survey. If they are put on display then they can be proud and people can find out what they have done.”

Town council leader, Cllr Baker, who is hoping to reform the council’s Youth Working Party this year, was impressed with what he heard.

He said: “It was amazing how structured their presentations were and you could see they had gained a lot from conversations with local residents.

“They spoke about a

new car park which I thought was interesting. They gave excellent presentations and made their arguments in a constructed way.

“It’s a brilliant idea for children of that age to get a brief understating of how the adult world works.”