Another budget round starts and another wave of potential protests beckon over the outcome. Consultations are all very well, but local people are suspicious that 'the council's mind is already made up'. Davy Jones looks at how councils might convince people they really want them to have a say.

Ten years ago, participatory budgeting (PB) was virtually unheard of in this country. A few enthusiasts waxed lyrical about PB in Porto Alegre in Brazil, but scepticism ran deep. The Audit Commission organised the first national conference on PB aimed at councils in 2003.