The action plan proposed for the Canterbury Estate, aimed at tackling local issues and improving conditions for young people, is an optimistic initiative which deserves to be supported by residents of the estate, whatever their age.

The behaviour of young people affects everyone, and it's unfortunately true to say that on Canterbury Estate, as on other Bradford estates and, indeed, on similar estates throughout the country, some members of the younger generation sometimes behave badly.

There is a whole range of reasons for this. Adult experts are able to come up with plenty of suggestions as to why children tend to act disruptively and, in some instances, destructively and make the lives of their neighbours a misery. However, the people best able to understand the needs and frustrations of the younger generation are the young people themselves.

Initiatives like this action plan offer them an ideal opportunity to say what they think needs to be done to improve the community in which they are growing up. As Councillor Kris Hopkins says, it is important that young people are given a say in the development of their neighbourhood.

Let's hope that they make the most of this chance to have their voices heard in a positive way. Their input will not just help their own estate to have a better future. Their generation face common problems wherever they live. If the Canterbury Action Together scheme can come up with a way forward for that estate, it might well be applicable to other estates too.