THE answer to antisocial behaviour is giving young people youth clubs and places to use and enjoy, a Lliswerry councillor has said.

Cllr Allan Morris, who has been on Newport City Council for more than 40 years, said: “I want a modern youth club. Somewhere they can drop-in, and somewhere for them to go to get them out of mischief.

“There’s precious little for our kids to do around here.”

He added: “Antisocial behaviour has definitely declined, but I want to address the cause of the issue – the cause is bored kids with nowhere to go.”

The Independent councillor said Lliswerry should see more investment as a result of housing developments in the ward.

He said: “We have thousands of new houses, but nothing for kids – where has all that money gone?”

These investments are formally known as a section 106 agreement, which is a legally binding contract between a developer and the Local Planning Authority (LPA). Section 106 agreements are often a contribution – such as a park, a school or affordable housing – the developer makes to the community they’re building in.

Lysaghts Park is the most recent development in Lliswerry, with the final stage being approved earlier this month at a planning committee meeting.

At the meeting on November 2, fellow Independent Lliswerry councillor, Mark Howells, requested that a new play area be built on Black Ash Park, as part of the housing development just off Orb Drive.

Cllr Howells said that local councillors were “keen” for the park to see investment because it is an area of antisocial behaviour.

But planning officer Joanne Davidson, said there was previously a play area that was subject to vandalism and subsequently removed. She added: “I’m not sure there’s an appetite by our leisure team to put one back for those reasons, but we can have another discussion about that.”