THE mechanics of the consultation will be left to the council's Policy and Performance department.

Sophie Duncan will spearhead the day-to-day operation, under the leadership of Cliff Garland, the head of the department.

Hundreds of people, "fully representative of the borough", will be canvassed for their views, Mr Garland promised.

These are the kind of exercises that demonstrate the benefit of the Council Citizens' Panel, comprising some 2,500 people chosen at random.

"The panel is selected from the electoral roll and mirrors all sections of the community," said Mr Garland.

"It is a true microcosm, with men and women in equal numbers and also a similar breakdown in age groups.

"The great thing about this panel is that any canvas always produces a 50-60 per cent response, which is fantastic.

"It does give us something really positive to work from because it gives a view from all the margins, as well as the centre ground."

Smaller focus groups will be concentrating on the public reaction to specific issues.

This initiative is more than an academic exercise. All people questioned will be asked to consider the consequence of their choices.

"We encourage them to reverse roles with councillors in the thinking process, so that they're fully aware of the impact on the borough should their preferences be adopted," Mr Garland added.

"This process is not just a matter of extracting a yes or no from people. This is the second phase of an ongoing policy."

The first phase explored residents' priorities for council services and was conducted by the private organisation RBA.

RBA reported: "Residents' feelings about Swindon are that there is a vacuum at the heart of the town. In terms of civic pride in the town and the lack of an adequate centre as a focal point for sociable and recreational life in the town.

"Mirroring the sense that the town centre has little to offer is the sense that everything Swindon had to be proud about is rooted in the past in the town's railway and engineering heritage yet even this history is under-utilised, compounding the lack of identity.

"Now some residents feel that Swindon is in danger of becoming a sort of twin town to Slough, the butt of people's jokes and the subject of serious misconceptions from people in other parts of the world. These misconceptions overlook the potential that the town has."

Education, social services and road maintenance topped the people's priority list, closely followed by refuse collection and development.