NORTH Wiltshire district councillor Carol O'Gorman has ambitious plans to set up a young people's council to make representations at council meetings.

She wants young people to be consulted on any issue to do with youth that comes out of North Wiltshire District Council.

Coun O'Gorman, who holds the youth portfolio, feels it is vital that young people are given a voice and decisions are not made without them.

The idea stemmed from local democracy week held in October where a young people's council was formed to meet and discuss council issues.

"It was so successful that I wanted to continue it. I didn't want it to be a one- off. We should be listening to young people because they know what they want, we don't.

"It is about educating people that young people want to be heard and need to be heard," said Coun O'Gorman.

Her long-term aim is to have a youth council, which debates every district council youth decision and then makes representations to the council at their meetings.

She is hoping to create a young people's council which represents each town in north Wiltshire: Calne, Chippenham, Corsham, Malmesbury and Wootton Bassett.

The council would be made up of sixth formers from a cross-section of schools and colleges.

The members who joined the young people's council during local democracy week are continuing to hold meetings and hope more pupils will join.

The young people's

council consists of members from John Bentley School in Calne and Wiltshire College in Chippenham. Pupils at Corsham School also want to get involved.

A working party of district councillors has also been set up to get contacts with other schools.

The young people's council is meeting next on February 11.

The pupils will be setting their own agenda including items on how they intend to represent young people and carry out research.

Member Ollie Smith, 16, from John Bentley School said the council was a great opportunity for young people to have a say.

He said there had been too much focus on skate parks and nothing else.

"Not everyone wants a skate park. A lot of us are not interested in skateboarding at all but it is all the council talk about," he said.

"Although there is a Calne Young People's Town Council, it is currently in limbo and unable to influence decisions because the town council has limited powers."

He said issues concerning young people included the lack of transportation and facilities in villages.

This was supported by Adrianna Harold, 16, who lives in Bromham.

She said: "There is about one bus a week. I can't go anywhere by bus.

"The villages often get forgotten and we don't have as much attention as the towns.

"This is my chance to get my views across."

At the meeting held by the young people's council in democracy week the

students discussed issues that were of most concern to them.

These included improved communication between the youth and the town, district and county council, leisure facilities and recycling.

The pupils were concerned about a lack of sporting activities for older teenagers, and complained that villages tended to focus on activities for toddlers and the elderly.

They resolved that the council had been a good forum and they would like to have regular meetings.

They also expressed a wish to be used as a consultation group by the district council.

It is now up to the district working party to gain support from members of the council for a simultaneous young people's council.