GATHERING round to discuss the future of Launceston — you’d be forgiven for thinking you had walked into one of the monthly meetings of the town council.

But it was in fact a meeting of Launceston’s Youth Council the Post attended last week, where, with agendas in hand, youngsters representing different schools voiced their vision for the town.

Launceston Town Council gives the Youth Council a grant of £3,000 every year, which the Youth Council can put towards projects that benefit young people in the town, or to projects within schools not covered by the school’s own funding.

The council meets half-termly to discuss such projects, and other pressing matters. The latest meeting, which was attended by representatives from Launceston College, St Joseph’s School, St Catherine’s Church of England Primary School and Windmill Hill Academy, was held on the afternoon of November 8.

The meeting was asked to comment on Cornwall Council’s Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD) for Launceston. Cornwall Council on Monday finished its consultation on the document, which talks about the future growth and regeneration of major towns, including Launceston.

The Youth Council was shown the map, detailing the sites in the town for future housing, retail and employment growth.

The Kensey Valley site is currently allocated on the map as a mixed-use site, for approximately 40 new homes.

Alex from St Catherine’s School pointed out: “That’s going to be 40 new neighbours at Kensey Valley.”

He said of what he would like to see in the town: “I’d like to see at least a park because it’s really boring down there. They closed the woods so it’s less fun.”

Lawrence from Windmill Hill Academy said he’d like to see a speed limit on the hill at school times, and a cycle path to link in with other cycle paths on the county so Launceston ‘has bigger access to people’.

Olly from Windmill Hill Academy asked for more play equipment in Priory Park. He said: “Equipment was taken down and not replaced. Most people go to Coronation Park. There’s no one in Priory Park even on a sunny day.”

Mary from St Joseph’s School said they would like to see pedestrian lights added to the traffic lights at Newport.

Town councillor and Launceston’s deputy mayor, Margaret Young, who leads the Youth Council, said: “Some kind of pelican crossing is a brilliant idea.”

Harvey from St Joseph’s School said he would like to see traffic lights on the roundabout by the Spar shop at Newport, which leads off of Roydon Road and the A388.

Lottie, from St Joseph’s School, said she would like to see more pedestrian crossings and crossing patrols, adding: “On the way home from school a few days ago a girl had to cross in the middle of the road and could have got run over.”

Cllr Young said: “What you are all coming up with is for the north of the town, which is exactly where the pressure points are.”

Jessica from St Catherine’s asked: “Can they stop building new estates? Traffic is becoming too much and people are getting late for school.”

George from Launceston College said: “With all of these houses planned to be coming in there is a proposed new primary school coming into the town. There’s no talk so far on what’s going to happen to college and secondary education.

“If you are bringing in more houses there’s going to be more students. They are not all going to be primary school students.”

Meeting chairman Walter said he would like to see social housing refurbishment at Tower Street and Northgate Street, and Cllr Young added those areas were ‘looking tired and deserted’.

Walter also said he would like to see expansion to the town’s rugby club, and a livestock centre with a retail park.

Alex from St Catherine’s suggested Launceston should have a train station again.

Other suggestions included redeveloping the leisure centre so it has a bigger indoor sports hall, and decorating the library, ‘to make it more welcoming’.