Issue - meetings

1)    Item 9.1 - Lily and Lara - 3^rd year pupils at Bridge of Don Academy and Oldmachar Academy

2)    Item 9.4 - Tibeche - 4^th year pupil at Dyce Academy; and Agnes – Primary 7 pupil at St Peter’s Primary School

3)    Items 9.1, 9.2, 9.4 and 9.5 - Jon Barron

4)    Item 9.1 - Rachel Martin

The Council resolved:-

to thank the deputations for their contributions.

(A)       The Council received a deputation from Lara, a third year pupil at Oldmachar Academy, and Lily, a second year pupil at Bridge of Don Academy, who spoke in connection with the City Centre Update report.

Lara explained that they had been involved in the City Centre and Beach Masterplan project since the summer and that she liked giving her views and opinions on things. She enjoyed visiting the Art Gallery and appreciated that it was free. Lara felt that the city centre needed more shops, particularly independent ones, and more places to eat that were not just fast food. She added that young people needed somewhere to go in town to hang out and not to have to pay anything - more museums would be good, where young people could learn more about the history of Aberdeen.

Lara felt that the plans for the city centre were beautiful and very important for the future of the city. She felt that young people were being listened to and she enjoyed sharing their work at World Children’s Day. She added that her involvement in the project had given her more confidence and she had made new friends. Lara hoped that young people would continue to be listened to and they would be able to go anywhere they wanted in the city centre. She concluded by requesting the Council to agree to the proposals within the report.

Lily agreed that being involved in the project had been an amazing experience and it was good that the consultation on the city centre wanted to make a difference for the city. She spoke about her own future and how she wanted to be an engineer and that it would be good to help make Aberdeen a cleaner city. Lily added that the project had also given her more confidence and she had made new friends.

Lily advised that she liked to go into town with her friends but she was unable to do so unsupervised as there were not many safe places to hang out. She felt it would be good to have a youth club in the city centre, or other places that were free where they could do activities. She added that the Christmas Village was great and she wished it could be open all year round. Lily felt it was important for the Council to listen to the views of young people and hoped that changes could be made in the city centre soon.

Members asked questions of Lara and Lily and thanked them for their deputation.

(B)       The Council next received a deputation from Tibeche, a third year pupil at Dyce Academy, who spoke in connection with the Beachfront Masterplan reports.

Tibeche first spoke on behalf of Agnes, a primary seven pupil at St Peter’s School, who was unable to be present. Agnes had enjoyed visiting the Beach Leisure Centre and the activities that they had done as part of the project. Agnes felt the proposed redevelopment of the beach  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6