Youngsters voice natural fears

THE CHILDREN'S council in Benitachell went back to nature for their latest meeting and called for a number of improvements to help the environment.

It was their first face-to-face meeting since the state of emergency was called in March and replaced the virtual discussions they had held during lockdown. Instead the council met in the open air, properly distanced in the church square.

Hosted by mayor Miguel Garcia and councillor for education and children, Jorge Pascual, the youngsters were praised for their ‘positive, hard-working and inclusive attitude’ in putting forward opinions on how to improve the community.

Top of the list of proposals was repairing the beach at Cala del Moraig, badly damaged by Storm Gloria in January - asking for people to park away from the cove and for the concrete area to be removed.

The children also asked for improved street lighting in Els Molins urbanisation, traffic regulation to control heavy lorries in areas ‘where children live’, and repairs to the church’s viewing area.

The representatives also asked for more town hall help for vulnerable families and highlighted the difficulties some children had accessing education during the crisis due to a lack of available electronic devices.

And there was also a demand for trees to be planted in the municipality, with a system to monitor the health and irrigation of the saplings.

Congratulated for their dedicated work during ‘strange times’, the council was told the town hall is drawing up a local plan for children and adolescents in a bid to win a UNICEF rating as a childfriendly community.