Pupils from King William Street SchoolTHE GREAT DEBATE: NOBODY is too young to enter into the Swindon Advertiser's debate about the future of Coate.

Children at an Old Town primary school have waded in to the controversy, and they are probably better informed about the issue than most adults, after making sure they did their homework on the subject.

Year four and five pupils at King William Street Church of England Primary School spent several days researching the history of the park and the issues surrounding the possible development of the area, which is proving so divisive in the town.

The children visited the park and interviewed staff as well as members of the public, and then held a debate, with both sides of the argument being heard.

And 17 of them feel so strongly about the issue that they have written to the Advertiser with their views.

As Lucy Court and Liam Elphick wrote: "Everybody seems to have been asked for an opinion except us, the children of Swindon, the very people it is said will benefit from the building of a new university."

And developers should take note every letter is critical of the proposals.

They are concerned about harming wildlife and about increased pollution.

As Luke Ferina, Stephanie Missen and Tom Iles said: "Will it be good for us or will it just pollute our childhood memories?"

Stephanie, 10, from Old Town, was one of the children involved.

She said: "The project was really good. I enjoyed going to Coate and working on it.

"In the morning we did pond-dipping and caught some tadpoles, and in the evening we interviewed people who work there and some of the people who just go there to enjoy themselves.

"We asked them about Coate Water. Some of them thought the new buildings weren't that good because it would make Coate really different."

She may be only 10 years old, but she's come to her own conclusion about the development.

She said: "In one way it's good to have the new buildings because it's a university, and more people could go there.

"It would be good for them but not that good for myself."

And when pressed about whether she would change her mind once she reached university age, she was adamant that she wouldn't.

The ten-year-olds are eloquent in their views of the university.

Here's what Erin Coneron, Sarah Wallis and Albert Scholey said: "We are not completely against the idea of the development and accept it will provide new jobs, houses and better education facilities.

"However if this means the loss of Swindon's only large expanse of open space and water we would prefer it were built somewhere else."

Dave Andrew