Your council, your call!

Should Pembrokeshire County Council increase car park charges, set up a new waste disposal scheme, or cut back on free swimming sessions?

These were just some of the questions facing pupils at Sir Thomas Picton School this week ‘Your Council, Your Call’, an exercise based on the real-life management of a local authority.

The Year 12 students were asked to discuss some of the current issues facing the Council, as well as some fictitious scenarios.

Like other local authorities in Wales, the County Council is currently facing a substantial reduction in its annual budget in the wake of continued government spending cuts.

The students worked in teams to consider 15 different cost savings proposals to identify savings of £5 million pounds, playing the roles of either County Councillors or senior Council officers.

They look at reasons for and against the proposals, as well as considering possible impacts on local people, communities and the environment.

The students playing County Councillors had the final say on which proposals were approved for a final Efficiency Savings Plan.

Eight teams of students were invited to present their Efficiency Savings Plan to Cllr Sue Perkins, Cabinet Member for Education, and members of the Council’s Children and Young People’s Rights and Communications teams, at the Pembrokeshire Archives today (Thursday 2nd July).

Each team were scored on communication skills and team work, as well their final presentations and a media release they were asked to prepare.

Cllr Sue Perkins said, “The team worked really well together to produce a coherent, well thought out Efficiency Savings Plan, which was very well presented.  There are also definitely some budding politicians on the team.”