MADAM,

I’ve just attended my first town council meeting, about the decision of the council on the playground on Chippenham Mead. As one of the younger members of the community (age 11) I was intrigued to see how decisions about our town are made, but to be completely honest I am left feeling let down by the experience. I had high expectations of the council, but I did not think the meeting was well conducted or that the views of the community were taken into account in making their decision.

As a child myself I know how tempting it can be to skip past these kind of letters in the newspaper but I feel that it is important that the younger members of the community are able to express their opinions on these matters and be heard. A lot of the decisions that the government and the town council are making will often have ‘long-term’ effects on my generation. I feel that young children are often not given the opportunity to make use of and enjoy the Mead as so often it is used for sports clubs and events. I am finding it difficult to explain the sheer disappointment that I am now feeling that the town council have chosen not to move the playground to a safer, cleaner and more suitable environment for our youngest members of society. I myself find it an intimidating place to hang out with my friends and have never really used it.

If the new playground was located in a more accessible area then more people (myself included) would make use of it. Monmouth is lucky to have this wonderful green space and it seems logical to me that the playground should have a new home there. All we can do now is keep our fingers crossed that Monmouthshire County Council have different idea about the future of our playground!

Miss E Ashby

(age 11)