Council to use card games to quiz public on spending priorities

It is hoped card games will pique people's interest in the budget consultation

The authority hopes to encourage more people to take part in the consultation and help educate residents on the challenges facing the authority.

David Porteous, the council’s acting strategy manager (Insight), is hopeful a budget simulator and “gamification” of the consultation will give the authority a better response.

He said: “Giving people that information is frankly a little bit boring. I think we would admit that the finances of local government are not the most exciting thing in the world and we have to take account of that when we engage with the public.

“We are hoping that localities will do two large gamification events. The target of those will be local representatives in the first instance, but we are hoping to make it as open as we can for people to come along.”

He added: “You will be given a set of 22 cards, an equal number of coins with plastic pound coins to represent current levels of spending. The extent to which individuals choose to fill up these cards represents their levels of spending for the services.

“We’ve never had that group exchange between people before. It is something that has been done by cities in America in order to set their budget.”