YOUNG people in Tiverton look set to have the chance to more directly influence what happens in their community in what supporters have called a “once-in-a-generation step”.

Efforts have been ongoing since last year to find a way to allow young people in the town to be more connected to decisions that impact them.

Councillor Steve Lodge (Liberal Democrat), who represents the Tiverton West ward on Devon County Council, has been spearheading the initiative.

Four pupils from Blundell’s School and Tiverton High School addressed Tiverton Town Council on their vision for how young people can contribute to the town’s future.

The town council agreed to support three youth-led projects and to explore the creation of a formal youth council for Tiverton.

“This is a once in a generation step by the council, and great news for Tiverton,” Cllr Lodge said.

“I’ve seen the impact that young people from Devon Youth Council have across the county, and bringing that enthusiasm to town level will be game-changing.”

Cllr Lodge said he had started the discussion about a youth council in 2025 and created a working group supported by Lib Dem colleague, Councillor David Wulff, who leads Mid Devon District Council and sits on the town council.

Workshops were held with young people from Blundell’s, Tiverton High, and Uffculme School over the summer, and ideas from those were pitched to the town council.

The three projects highlighted were improving town centre safety, a youth-led pop-up shop, and contributing to the Christmas celebrations in the town.

Cllr Lodge told the council meeting: “When we asked what adults get wrong about them, one young person said simply ‘give us a chance to speak publicly or share our opinions’, and that’s the case for a youth council in one sentence.”

He added the contribution from the young people “demonstrated exactly why Tiverton needs a formal mechanism for youth participation”.

“They see the same problems we do,” he said. “And they want to be part of the solution. They just need to be asked.”

He added that various groups from the town had been involved in the working group, including Sustainable Tiverton, local councillors and the town mayor.

Cllr Wulff told the council meeting that it “had a responsibility to respond”.

“It is very easy for us to have a conversation about young people,” he said.

“It is much harder, but much more valuable, to make sure we are having that conversation with them.

“If we are serious about hearing their voice, then young people need to help decide what it looks like, how it operates, what it works on, and how it represents young people across Tiverton.”

One young person told the council: “Adults sometimes get things wrong about us.

“Some think we’re lazy, but actually the economy’s just got harder.

“Some think we don’t care about the town, but we really do. Some think we’re on our phones all day and don’t want to get involved, but we’re here, now, because we do want to get involved.”

The council resolved to support young people in taking forward their three priority projects,

recognise the importance of young people’s views in local decision-making, and to explore options for establishing a formal youth participation mechanism and report back to full council.

The council will now work with young people and partners, including schools, youth organisations and Exeter University’s ChYMe (Children and Young People’s Mental Health) research project, to establish an appropriate youth participation structure.

ChYMe has been studying young people in Tiverton for over a year, examining their wellbeing and relationship with the community around them.