Background
Perform Green were appointed as consultants to create a business case and feasibility study for investment in advanced wireless connectivity in Southend-on-Sea. Southend-on-Sea City Council were considering investment to transform into a smart city, to improve their economic prospects, environmental sustainability and connectivity impact.
What is Perform Green's role?
Perform Green undertook an initial period of research to gain an understanding of the existing context and information that was available, including from key stakeholders inside and outside of the Council. Armed with this information Perform Green undertook an options appraisal analysis to provide insight into the options available to the Council and the respective advantage and disadvantages. Perform Green identified five options, including the control case of ‘do nothing’. These ranged in complexity, cost and impact. Each option was then assessed against six metrics that were co-created with the Council and which were deemed to be mutually exclusive, exhaustive and provided insight.
From this options appraisal, Perform Green, in conjunction with the Council, reached a decision on a preferred option. This preferred option was then supported with a full economic and financial case. The economic case looked at the long-term impact of investment on the local economy and jobs and the financial case looked at the cost of implementation. The specific use cases selected for investment were focused on:
- High Value Manufacturing at an innovation business park using 5G – in particular around medical device manufacturers
- Visitor Experience at this tourist destination, providing more in-depth experiences spread across a wider area to increase repeat visits, dwell time and spend
- Improving job quality through creative businesses that had greater longevity and security than the existing tourist economy, e.g. digital art studios the museum as well as just basic business creativity.
These were further supported by recommendations on funding approaches the council could consider.
Ultimately, this business cases was used as the basis of a ‘Levelling Up Fund 2’ bid by Southend-on-Sea City City Council.
