Peterborough City Council resorts to online simulator likened to ‘game’ to balance budget

Peterborough City Council have faced criticism over creating an online budget simulator – which aims to give young city taxpayers a go at balancing the council’s books.

Council leader, Wayne Fitzgerald, introduces the online ‘video game-like’ simulator and asks for the people of Peterborough to "have a go" at balancing the budget.

The council also asks whether taxpayers are happy to pay more than 1.99% in council tax.

Peterborough City Council have defended the consultation and said it is “best practice” for councils to engage with the public as part of the budget setting process.

So, what’s been said by opposition councillors – and how did Peterborough City Council respond?

‘Floundering around’

Councillor Christian Hogg, leader of the Lib Dems Group said: “At a time where council expenditure is under the microscope in order to make a balanced budget, I find it shocking that this simulator was commissioned. I can't believe it was cheap, and frankly it trivialises the huge task that is before the council in meeting its fiscal responsibilities.

“There seems to be very little detail on what moving the sliders actually changes or the wider impacts of those decisions. We are in this position due to a huge reduction in government grant to Peterborough for many years now, along with an economic environment of rampant inflation largely caused by decisions made by this Tory government.

“We are now at the point of having to ask Peterborough residents to pay more in council tax for less services than they are currently getting. It seems like the current Tory administration, like the current Tory government, has no ideas left and is floundering around looking for solutions for little in the way of leadership that has the backing of the party, let alone the electorate that voted them into power.”

Peterborough City Council said the package it purchased allows for multiple consultations in a 12 month period.

In that timeframe the authority expects to be able to run a further budget simulator in the summer of 2023 - the cost for a 12 month period to run multiple consultations is £7,495.

‘Invite public to meetings’

Councillor Shaz Nawaz, Leader of the Labour Group added: “It’s good to find different ways to engage the public. The challenge with a simulator for budget setting is that it isn’t as simple to formulate. Budget setting is a complicated affair and needs detailed analyses alongside assumptions and predictions.

“A better way would be to invite the public for meetings to explain the process and discuss priorities alongside gauging opinions.”

Inappropriate 'solution'

Councillor Julie Stevenson, former leader of the Green Party Group, said: “I keep having to remind myself that this is not a parody, but by adding a virtual reality problem-solving tool into the mix they have done for me. To think, intelligent people got together and agreed this was a good idea. Imagine that. Nope. I cannot.

“I've sat through many digital agency pitches in my time (I assisted the Cabinet Office, the National Audit Office, NHS and BSi for a few years). Never have I ever seen such an inappropriate 'solution' to a critical real world problem. Never. And I've seen some pretty wild stuff.”

In 2023/24 the council faces a budget gap of around £21 million due to high rates of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.

A city council spokesperson said: "It is usual and best practice for councils to engage with the public as part of the budget setting process and many local authorities invest in expensive resident surveys and citizen panels to do so. We do not have the funding to do the same, however we want to encourage greater participation and allow residents to let the council know what's important to them.

"The idea as to how we could improve engagement with the public came about as a result of a request from our Financial Sustainability Working Group. Officers were then asked to find something that could be implemented and chose this budget simulator which has been used by many other local authorities.

"This is the first time we have tried a different way to engage on our budget and, given that Peterborough’s Census data showed we had one of the biggest increases in younger people anywhere in the east, it is designed to engage with a younger demographic.”