North Somerset Council waste depot strategic business case

Challenge

SLR supported a long standing infrastructure project which needed to regain momentum and structure, by following a recognised business case methodology.

Local government financial pressures meant that infrastructure projects are under enhanced scrutiny and require a robust evidence base and business case to justify capital expenditure.

NSC needed to progress a variety of early investigative studies to establish a formal programme to manage the development of an improved waste collection depot, vehicle workshops, material processing capability, and waste transfer sites.

The key requirement was a strategic business case following the HM Treasury Green Book to formalise and manage the progression of their ambitions.

Solution

SLR’s extensive experience of developing waste management infrastructure provided an excellent foundation to guide NSC through the development of a strategic business case (SBC) for a new depot facility. Our team included in-house engineering expertise which added significant value in the early design concept and options development stages. These capabilities were augmented by our experienced facilitation and engagement specialists, who worked collaboratively with key programme stakeholders to establish and evaluate a long list of potential options.

SLR provided a systematic and informed approach to developing the SBC to initiate change, applying our understanding of local government pressures and governance to help structure the process and focus in on NSC’s key priorities.
We conducted site visits to establish a detailed understanding of the baseline position and challenges faced by the council, to ensure appropriate consideration of operational deliverability during options development and assessment.

Impact

A robust SBC was produced, establishing clearly structured objectives for the programme and confirming a compelling case for change to senior NSC stakeholders. It provided a clear pathway for NSC to progress the programme to outline business case (OBC) stage, based on an agreed suite of shortlisted options.

SLR was subsequently commissioned to deliver the OBC stage and provide continued support to the council’s programme, testing the feasibility, costs and benefits of the shortlisted options to establish a preferred way forward.