The next generation has their say...

According to an exit survey, 91% of the students of Weymouth & Portland who attended a special ‘schools and colleges day’ at the Draft Masterplan Exhibition believe that a development on the Pavilion & Ferry Terminal site will be a good thing for Weymouth and 85% like the proposals so far.

The ‘schools and colleges day’ took place on Friday 3 November 2006 between 10am and 3pm. 39 students from Budmouth College, Royal Manor Arts College, Weymouth College and All Saints School visited the Arts Centre throughout the course of the day.

This was a chance for young people to see the plans for their town, talk to Howard Holdings, Barlow Henley Architects and the Council, and record their comments. With so much marine and land-based research being undertaken as well as the architectural, engineering and commercial aspects, the students were also able to take advantage of an important learning opportunity.

In addition to the exit survey, a Post-It™ note wall enabled them to record their views for other members of the public visiting the exhibition to see. Comments included:

“Bringing us into the future”

“It’s a fantastic idea”

“I really like the Pavilion”

“Good idea because it needs to be more up-to-date”

“It’s good for the younger generation”

Gary Charman of Howard Holdings said: “We were delighted to see so many schools and colleges represented. It was great to see their enthusiasm for the future of Weymouth and listen to their views.”

“Friday was the first day that a significant number of young people have visited the exhibition. It is very important to ensure that any decisions made by the Council when the consultation period ends are based on the views of all age groups”, he added.

In addition to the ‘schools and colleges day’, Howard Holdings has identified a number of areas where it can assist students with their courses through practical study and hands-on involvement.