See What We've Delivered
At Nota Bene, we support public sector organisations in making thoughtful, evidence-based choices especially when the stakes are high and the challenges are complex. We bring together deep research, practical tools, and a genuine understanding of people’s lived experience to help our clients move forward with clarity and confidence. Below, you’ll find a selection of case studies that show the kind of work we do, the problems we’ve helped solve, and importantly, why we chose to take these projects on. Each one reflects our values: being personable, knowledgeable, and purposeful in everything we do.
Click on our various case studies to find out more.
Case Studies
Bus Options Appraisal
The Problem
Cambridgeshire faced the sudden withdrawal of six local bus services following notice from Stagecoach East. The timing of this announcement posed significant challenges, the notice period was short, and the situation unfolded just ahead of a mayoral election, adding considerable political sensitivity and urgency to the issue.
​
The affected bus services were diverse in both purpose and scale. Some operated infrequent routes, such as a single daily journey to support access to schools or colleges, while others were more regular services connecting rural villages to larger urban centres. Despite their differences, each route played a critical role in ensuring mobility for local communities.
​
Without intervention, the loss of these services would have left many residents without any public transport options, severely limiting access to jobs, education, healthcare, and social activities. The risk of increased transport-related social exclusion (TRSE) was high, particularly for vulnerable populations who rely on bus services as their primary mode of travel.
​
Complicating the issue further, some services lacked sufficient revenue to justify competitive tendering by the Combined Authority, raising difficult questions about financial sustainability versus community need.
​
The client engaged Nota Bene Consulting to assess each route and produce a board-level report with tailored recommendations on whether to retain or withdraw each service, balancing financial constraints with the broader social and economic impact.
​
Our Approach
-
Use of QGIS to display the route and population of each service. ​
-
Data collection on service usage. ​
-
Route data including : Timetabling, access to key services, route length and population catchment.
-
Gather and analysis on patronage data provided by stagecoach to form estimates for the revenue of each service. ​
Deliverables
Board Report
-
Produced and submitted to CPCA
-
Presented to councillors to support informed decision-making
-
Included recommendations on which services to retain or withdraw
​
One-Page Route Summaries (for each of the six services)
-
Key data highlights specific to each route
-
Clear recommendation and supporting justification
-
Custom route maps created using QGIS for visual reference
A61 Chesterfield Road
The Problem
Sheffield City Council and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority identified that the A61 Chesterfield Road corridor faced persistent congestion, unreliable bus journey times, outdated infrastructure, and accessibility challenges. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced bus patronage heightened the need to restore confidence in public transport. The corridor from Meadowhead to Broadfield Road required a coordinated response to improve safety, reliability, and travel conditions for all users.
​
A combination of bus delays, substandard pedestrian crossings, gaps in active travel provision, and corridor-wide issues such as flooding and constrained road geometry limited transport choices. These issues also posed risks to the efficient use of CRSTS funding, which must be spent by 2027.
​
Stakeholder views varied significantly, with public concerns sometimes conflicting with ambitions for enhanced bus priority. Frequent changes in client-side personnel further increased the need for structured decision-making and clear communication.
​
A strategic, evidence-led approach was required to identify deliverable, publicly acceptable improvements capable of enhancing bus performance and addressing multi-modal needs.
Our Approach
-
Developed Strategic Business Case and Phase 1 Business Justification Case in line with Green Book, DfT TAG, and SYMCA Assurance Framework.
-
Completed extensive data analysis including journey time, traffic, GIS mapping, socio-demographics, and flooding.
-
Generated and sifted options from longlist to preferred set, assessing deliverability, cost, and stakeholder acceptability.
-
Conducted wide-ranging engagement: workshops, walking tours, public consultations, and continuous liaison with SCC teams and operators.
-
Developed in-house preliminary designs, including complex junction assessments, safety audits, and design reviews.
-
Introduced carbon quantification using DfT’s VECAT tool with narrative contextualisation.
-
Established phased delivery strategy enabling earlier interventions while full-corridor work continues.
Deliverables
Strategic Business Case
-
Established clear evidence base and objectives aligned with regional and national priorities.
-
Demonstrated the need for intervention to support improved bus priority.
Phase 1 Business Justification Case and Appendices
-
Developed to support early delivery of interventions amid corridor-wide risks.
-
Included SMART objectives, options assessment, carbon analysis, DI appraisal, EqIA, M&E plan, and technical appendices.
Preliminary Design Package
-
In-house development of revised and expanded preliminary designs.
-
Included geometric layouts, active travel improvements, bus stop upgrades, and junction assessments.
-
Informed by Road Safety Audit and collaborative design reviews.
Options Assessment Report
-
Documented structured option generation and sifting.
-
Evaluated feasibility, affordability, stakeholder acceptability, and alignment with scheme objectives.
​
Carbon Quantification Report
-
Applied DfT VECAT tool for lifecycle, operational, and user carbon assessment.
-
Provided contextual narrative reflecting modelling limitations regarding modal shift.
Monitoring & Evaluation Plan
-
Set out framework for assessing intervention performance post‑delivery.
Public Consultation Materials & Maps
-
Produced accessible and visually clear materials enabling meaningful stakeholder feedback.
Distributional Impact Analysis & Equality Impact Assessment
-
Ensured equity and statutory compliance were incorporated into scheme development.
Future High Streets
The Problem
Sheffield City Centre had areas of long-term underuse and underinvestment, where private-sector-led regeneration was difficult to unlock on commercial terms. Public investment was therefore proposed to help reactivate underused retail and commercial space and bring activity back into key parts of the city centre.
Alongside place-based regeneration, the scheme also included a transport element: a free city-centre bus service (Sheffield Connect) intended to improve accessibility, increase footfall, and support wider centre vitality. This created an unusually multi-disciplinary business case, combining regeneration and transport benefits within a single funding submission.
​
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), as funder, required an independent assurance review of the submitted business case to test whether it met the South Yorkshire Assurance and Accountability Framework and could credibly demonstrate value for money, strategic fit, affordability and deliverability. The assurance outcome was used to inform recommendations to SYMCA’s Investment Board on whether the scheme should progress and receive funding.
​
A key focus of the assurance role was to test the robustness of the proposed scale of public investment, the delivery and grant-management arrangements, and the assumptions underpinning expected regeneration and accessibility benefits—particularly where there was potential for overlap between transport and place-based outcomes.
Our Approach
-
Delivered independent business case assurance in line with HM Treasury Green Book (five-case model) and SYMCA’s Assurance and Accountability Framework.
-
Reviewed completeness, internal consistency and evidential strength across strategic, economic, commercial, financial and management cases.
-
Tested alignment with local authority and combined authority objectives and governance requirements for Investment Board decision-making.
-
Undertook technical review of regeneration and transport appraisal methods, including risks of double counting and the treatment of uncertainty.
-
Issued structured clarification questions and worked iteratively with SYMCA and the applicant to strengthen the evidence base within tight timescales.
Deliverables
Clarification and Evidence Review
-
Developed detailed clarification questions to address gaps, inconsistencies, and key uncertainties within the submitted business case.
-
Managed follow-up queries through ongoing engagement, ensuring responses were received in time to be incorporated into governance and decision-making papers.
Technical Assurance: Transport and Regeneration
-
Reviewed grant funding and delivery arrangements for city centre retail and place-based regeneration improvements.
-
Assessed the Sheffield Connect free bus service business case, including patronage assumptions and accessibility impacts.
-
Identified and clearly articulated financial, value-for-money, and reputational risks, including potential overlap of benefits across intervention types.
​
Five-Case Model Assurance and Recommendations
-
Prepared a proportionate assessor’s report covering all five HM Treasury Green Book cases, structured so SYMCA officers could directly use content within Investment Board papers.
-
Set out a clear overall recommendation, including any conditions or requirements to support a robust and informed funding decision.
Board-Ready Advice and Outcomes
-
Delivered assurance within tight decision-making timescales through focused questioning and proactive liaison with stakeholders.
-
Supported SYMCA’s Investment Board decision-making, resulting in scheme approval, funding award, and the ongoing operation of the Sheffield Connect service.
Walking, Wheeling & Cycling Masterplan
The Problem
Across three distinct sites — Dinnington, Wath, and Rotherham Town Centre — local authorities faced persistent challenges in improving mobility and reducing transport-related social exclusion. Despite their unique contexts, each location shared common barriers to active travel, including:
​
-
High levels of transport-related social exclusion due to low car ownership and limited public transport access.
-
Poor air quality and negative health outcomes linked to physical inactivity.
-
Unattractive and unsafe conditions for walking, wheeling, and cycling, particularly around major roads with high traffic volumes and frequent collisions.
Existing infrastructure failed to support active travel effectively, making it an unviable option for many residents. The lack of safe, connected routes discouraged walking and cycling and limited access to education, employment, and essential services — particularly for more vulnerable groups.
To address these issues, the goal was to develop site-specific masterplans that aligned with local, regional, and national strategies.
This included:
-
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council’s place-based objectives to improve walking, wheeling, and cycling in areas with poor existing provision.
-
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s Active Travel Implementation Plan, which aims to build a fully connected network across the region.​
Improving active travel infrastructure was not just a matter of transport — it was essential to addressing health, environmental, and social inequality outcomes across the borough
Our Approach
-
Use of QGIS to map data effectively such as , pollution, Transport Related Social Exclusion activities and collision across three sites. ​
-
Interventions for Dinnington focusing on independent mobility routes to the market and green spaces. ​
-
Interventions for Wath focussing on community cohesion, direct routes and multi-modal connections.
-
Interventions for Rotherham Town Centre focusing on direct core network, comfort at junctions and neighbourhoods.
-
All interventions and priorities were fed into a weighted scoring system to allow informed decisions of which will be the best to go forward with.​
-
Overall analysis of the combined interventions ultimately decided which interventions were shortlisted, helping to create a complimentary overall scheme rather than a series of isolated interventions.
Deliverables
Strategic Business Cases for all three sites
-
Justified the need for public sector funding
-
Aligned with the public good nature of infrastructure projects, where private investment is limited
Stakeholder Engagement
-
Led collaboratively by Arup and Nota Bene
-
Gathered insights to inform planning and decision-making
Site-Specific Masterplans (one for each location)
-
Included background context and local transport challenges
-
Incorporated stakeholder feedback
-
Detailed proposed interventions and the option sifting process leading to final recommendations
Business Cases for Northern Communities
The Problem
Sheffield City Council sought to progress an early-stage transport investment proposal for northern Sheffield through the Strategic Business Case (SBC) stage as part of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) programme. The work needed to establish a clear strategic rationale for investment at a very early point in scheme development, prior to outline design.
​
The study area covered a large and complex geography, extending from the Northern General Hospital through communities such as Chapeltown, with connections to Meadowhall and Sheffield city centre. This area encompassed multiple transport corridors, diverse trip purposes, and overlapping needs for public transport and active travel.
A central challenge was how to improve public transport connectivity, reliability, and journey times, while also strengthening active travel provision, within a constrained funding envelope. The scale of potential interventions risked creating an unfocused and unmanageable programme.​
​​Against this backdrop, Amey Consulting appointed the project team as a sub-consultant to provide advice, assurance, and consistency with established CRSTS business case approaches previously applied on comparable schemes. The emphasis was on helping the client prioritise effectively and present a robust, proportionate Strategic Business Case.
Our Approach
-
Provided advisory support on option development and prioritisation, including the application of multi-criteria assessment principles
-
Supported the use of a Strategic Business Case structure consistent with other CRSTS schemes, ensuring alignment with best practice
-
Reviewed draft business case materials to improve clarity, robustness, and strategic coherence
-
Advised on stakeholder identification and engagement, including participation in workshops and Walking Workshops
-
Worked collaboratively with Amey Consulting and Sheffield City Council without duplicating analytical or modelling work
Deliverables
Strategic Business Cases Assurance and Advice
-
Review and commentary on draft SBC documents prepared by Amey Consulting
-
Advice on strengthening the strategic case for investment and maintaining consistency with previous CRSTS submissions
-
Input focused on early-stage decision-making rather than technical appraisal
Stakeholder Engagement Input
-
Attendance at stakeholder and client workshops, including Walking Workshops to identify on-street issues and opportunities
-
Engagement with Sheffield City Council officers across transport, public transport, design, and active travel teams
-
Input to discussions involving elected members, bus operators, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, and local area representatives
Option Development and Prioritisation Support
-
Guidance on narrowing a wide range of potential interventions into a more focused and deliverable package
-
Support for balancing competing corridor and modal priorities within a limited funding envelope
-
Emphasis on avoiding an overly diffuse scheme that would be difficult to fund or deliver
​
Project Outcomes
-
Successful submission and approval of the Strategic Business Case, with no significant assurance issues raised
-
Approval enabled Sheffield City Council to progress the scheme to the Outline Business Case stage
-
The work supported wider client relationships and demonstrated value in business case development, despite no direct follow-on role on this scheme
Assurance Support
The Problem
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) faced a significant loss of internal capacity within its assurance and strategic transport modelling functions. This followed staff retirements and prolonged recruitment challenges in a highly specialised skills market.
​
Assurance and transport modelling expertise are critical to SYMCA’s ability to appraise schemes, make funding recommendations, and support robust governance and decision-making. Delays in recruiting permanent staff created a risk to the continuity and quality of business case assurance at a time when programmes and investments needed to progress.
​
In parallel, SYMCA was preparing to procure a new strategic transport model to support future planning and investment decisions across South Yorkshire. Without specialist input, there was a risk that the model specification would not fully meet appraisal requirements or reflect partner needs.
SYMCA required experienced, embedded support to maintain momentum, uphold assurance standards, and provide confidence to decision-makers while permanent roles were recruited and established.
Our Approach
-
Embedded senior specialist support within SYMCA’s assurance and modelling functions, working as part of the client team.
-
Applied HM Treasury Green Book, Department for Transport’s Transport Appraisal Guidance, and SYMCA’s Assurance and Accountability Framework to ensure consistent and proportionate assurance.
-
Acted as a senior “sounding board” for assurance officers, providing constructive challenge and strengthening confidence in recommendations.
-
Defined functional requirements and advised on procurement strategy for a new strategic transport model, including scope, cost, and risk management.
-
Facilitated alignment across South Yorkshire partners through regular engagement and transparent, iterative development of specifications.
Deliverables
Assurance support and governance continuity
-
Review and quality assurance of transport business cases, including clarification and challenge to scheme promoters where required.
-
Ongoing support to governance and decision-making processes, maintaining consistency in assurance recommendations during resourcing gaps.
-
Close collaboration with the Programme Management Office (PMO) to streamline and strengthen assurance processes.
Strategic transport model procurement support
-
Development of tender specifications and procurement documentation for a strategic transport model with a value exceeding £2 million.
-
Advice on fully specified versus outcome-based procurement approaches, balancing certainty, flexibility, and delivery risk.
-
Ensuring the specification addressed appraisal gaps, including improved provision for walking, wheeling, and cycling.
Recruitment and handover to permanent team
-
Support to recruitment processes, including role specifications, interviews, and appointment of a Senior Economist and a Transport Modelling and Appraisal Officer.
-
Initial setup of the strategic transport model work programme and structured handover to newly appointed staff.
Assurance and Accountability Framework updates
-
Updates to the Assurance and Accountability Framework and associated templates to maintain clarity, consistency, and usability.
-
Coordination of SYMCA’s responses to government consultations on changes to the Green Book and transport appraisal guidance.
​Partner and stakeholder engagement
-
Facilitation of monthly stakeholder meetings with South Yorkshire local authority partners.
-
Management of differing expectations through evidence-led drafting, iterative consultation, and transparent communication.
​
Bus Reform Consultancy Secondment
The Problem
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) sought to accelerate its bus reform programme at a time of significant strategic and political pressure. Bus patronage had been declining across many of the region’s more remote and commercially fragile areas, putting essential links to jobs, health, and education at risk. Maintaining service coverage while ensuring public funding remained sustainable had become an increasingly difficult balance to strike.
​
Compounding this was limited internal capacity. Progressing a bus strategy, completing a region-wide network review, and advancing franchising business case work all required specialist, hands-on support. The work also sat within a wider set of interlinked transport issues, including the high-profile Cambridge access charge proposal, creating a sensitive political environment and a need for coordinated engagement across multiple authorities.
​
The CPCA therefore brought in interim consultancy support to lead technical development, navigate the political landscape, and maintain momentum on a suite of time-critical decisions. The aim was to deliver robust evidence, protect vulnerable communities’ access to services, and lay the groundwork for public consultation on franchising.
Our Approach
-
Drafted a comprehensive Bus Strategy through engagement with politicians, officers, bus operators, and the public.
-
Conducted a data-driven bus network review using PODARIS and QGIS to assess performance, social value, and affordability.
-
Developed the franchising Outline Business Case in line with DfT guidance, coordinating legal, financial, and economic inputs.
-
Adapted prioritisation metrics to reflect the region’s mix of rural and urban needs, emphasising connectivity for vulnerable communities.
-
Managed sensitive communication and sequencing across the CPCA, the Greater Cambridge Partnership, and Cambridgeshire County Council.
-
Chaired the Bus Forum, supporting constructive engagement with operators.
Deliverables
Bus Strategy
-
Produced a strategy shaped by extensive engagement with elected members, operators, officers, and the public.
-
Reflected the CPCA’s sustainability ambitions and addressed service quality, coverage, and affordability.
-
Supported political approval processes within a complex multi-authority context.
Bus Network Review
-
Delivered a region-wide assessment of service effectiveness, using PODARIS to analyse catchments, socio-economic need, and cost.
-
Recommended where to retain, modify, or reprioritise services, with a strong focus on safeguarding remote communities.
-
Introduced clear metrics balancing financial viability with social inclusion.
Franchising Outline Business Case
-
Developed a legally robust OBC in accordance with DfT guidance, coordinating economic, financial, and commercial analysis.
-
Oversaw and guided consultant inputs, auditing outputs to ensure consistency and readiness for public consultation.
-
Resulted in one of the few agreed franchising business cases nationally at the time.
Governance, Engagement & Political Support
-
Delivered tailored briefings, one-to-one sessions with politicians, and formal presentations to support informed decision-making.
-
Sequenced technical outputs to maintain alignment with related policy work, including the Cambridge access charge.
-
Chaired the local Bus Forum, helping strengthen operator relationships and reduce conflict during a politically sensitive reform period.
Rapid Response Support (Post-Project)
-
Nine months after completion, provided a follow-up rapid review of further at-risk services, demonstrating client confidence in the work’s quality and impact.
