The Council is providing information about the development and about the different options on the table. It’s important for everyone to have a say on the basis of good balanced information. There has already been a lot of publicity and reports in the local press that may affect what you think. You can also browse through background information, the different options and FAQs put together by the Council to inform your thinking.  Press releases over time might also be useful. And you can also access the Facebook page.

In addition, the Council together with Sainsbury’s who have put forward a proposal to develop the scheme, are setting up an exhibition in the Penrith Leisure Centre between 17th – 19th September and you can find out more there.

When you’ve had a chance to consider all the information available to you – and perhaps also have a chat with representatives from the Council and Sainsbury’s at the exhibition - you can have your say using the video booth which will be set up in the reception area, to the left of the Leisure Centre entrance. This is where young people between the ages of 13 and 21  can voice their opinions. If you are under 16, you will need parental consent to say what you think using the  video option, but you can still voice your opinion using audio or other new media that will not identify you.

If you want to say what you think about this important development, come along sometime on

• Thursday 17th September between 10.30am – 6.30pm
• Friday 18th September between 10.30am – 8.00pm or
• Saturday 19th September between 10.00am – 4.00pm

The Council wants to listen to all public opinion and wants to give young people a really good chance to say what they think. So take the opportunity to find out more and balance your thinking by looking through all the information available before offering your considered opinion.

If you can’t make it to the Leisure Centre to say what you think, you can fill in the on-line survey instead. What you say using new media will be included in a video that will be presented to District Councillors, so that they can take account of your views when they make their decision. Besides the general public and young people’s views, other things will also be part of the final decision, like commercial, public benefit and town planning considerations.

A summary of your opinions will be posted here on the Eden Media site along with results of the consultation after a decision on what happens next in relation to the Penrith New Squares Development has been reached. You will also be able to link to an analysis of your feedback and results of the consultation by using the search button in the Council’s Consultation Finder database.

Hello I’m Claire,

This is my first experience of using webcam. Abbie from KSGS is interviewing me and although I haven’t met Abbie before, she has made me feel at ease in this very impromptu situation and we are delighted to demonstrate this facility on the site!

Saturday 23rd May – Digital Reporters meet up at Leisure Centre from 11.30 am
Plan is to cover the following:
- Setting up and running a simple ‘video booth’ (with lappie and webcam) to get some more interviews
- filming group interviews
- make a film plan for next couple weeks
- prep for editing on Sunday

I’m hoping a local reporter will be around to give us a few hints and tips on social reporting.

Sunday 24th – Digital Editing
Meeting at ‘The Cottage’ – a small room at the back of The George Hotel. It’s private and we’ll have wi-fi Internet access. let’s meet from about 11.30am onwards. Steve is planning to bring through some lap-tops pre-loaded with software. Plan is to show us how to do Image editing and manipulation and simple adding to site. We can try uploading material from day before interviews. Will probably also cover social networking stuff.

Would be great if you could tell your mates to come along and take part too – especially girls who might be interested.

Hopefully some of you can help Steve and me present Eden Media at a conference on 29th June, so we can talk about that too.

Find more videos like this on Eden Media