SCORES of young people shared their views on proposed spending cuts – bringing an end to a countywide series of consultations.

The Big Debate was organised by Oxfordshire County Council as it plans to slash £200m from its budget over the next four years. The cuts will affect everything from education and roads to libraries and social care.

Five meetings were held inviting residents to give their views. And this week it was the turn of young people to tell the council what they wanted in the future.

Diko Blackings, 18, from Blackbird Leys, Oxford, said youth activities and good public transport were a key concern.

She said: “People are worried about losing youth centres – as well as the fact that swimming is not free and the cost of transport, is rising.”

Helen Walker, 16, from Marcham, near Abingdon, said Oxfordshire’s youth parliament, which represents children at schools across the county, had to remain. She added: “Young people still needed to have their voices heard,.”

Sam Hatzigeorgiou, 16, from North Aston, said teenagers were aware of the financial crisis facing the country. He said: “We are just waiting to find out the extent and how it will affect all of us.”

Nadia Shafique, 15, from Headington, Oxford, added: “It is the future of youth centres which concerns me. Lots of kids use them and we are worried they will go.”

The audience for the County Hall meeting on Wednesday night was made up of 11-19-year-olds from schools, colleges and youth clubs across Oxfordshire.

It followed similar public meetings held in Oxford, Didcot, Abingdon, Banbury and Witney, attended by more than 500 people, along with an online consultation which attracted 400 comments.

Officers at County Hall will now draw together the views from all six events, which will be discussed by the Conservative-controlled council as part of its budget setting process.

Council leader Keith Mitchell said: “As the Autumn moves along we now enter a different phase. We must now sit down and think very hard about what our budget will look like from April 2011 onwards.

“On October 20 we will receive our first, very general indication of just what the picture is looking like for local government. This is when George Osborne makes his national spending review announcement in Parliament.

“However, it will not be until December when councils find out the precise figures relating to how much grant they will receive from central Government.”