THE Malvern Hills Partnership has gone back to school in its quest to come up with a blueprint for the area's future.

Pupils at St Joseph's Primary School were asked for their opinions on Malvern, as part of the Vision 21 initiative.

Christine Wild, from the partnership, spent two days working with the ten and 11-year-olds, talking about what they did and did not like about Malvern.

"There are two key things that have come out," she said.

"Skateboard parks are not enough for young people. Teenagers dominate the park facility at the moment and it was felt there should be supervised facilities for the younger ones.

"The Splash complex also came under fire. A lot of the children said the changing rooms were dirty and it cost too much."

Despite the criticisms, the general feeling of the children was positive.

Mrs Wild said: "Overall, they said they were happy with Malvern. There were no major complaints.

"They loved the hills and the countryside and felt it was safe. They really have played a part. They seem to have a good understanding of how things work."

Headteacher Ann-Marie Wallbank said that the exercise was good for the children as well as the town.

"I think it gives them a greater awareness of what's going on in their town and I think we as adults need to listen to them," she said.

The Malvern Hills Partnership, an alliance of businesses, community groups and organisations, was formed by the district council to draw up a blueprint for the town's short-term future.