Infrastructure Investment Plan 2015: progress report for 2020 to 2021

Foreword

Infrastructure investment has been vital in delivering the Scottish Government's long‑term ambitions for inclusive economic growth, responding to the climate emergency and building sustainable places. Infrastructure can provide the largest GDP boost of any Scottish Government investment and that is why in November 2018 we committed to a National Infrastructure Mission in order to increase the level of annual investment by £1.5 billion by the end of 2025-26. This last annual progress report of our 2015 Infrastructure Investment Plan, outlines our key achievements during 2020-21 as well as the key major infrastructure priorities that we have delivered over the course of the last five years.

Our new Infrastructure Investment Plan, which was published earlier this year alongside our Capital Spending Review, covers the five-year period from April 2021, builds on these achievements and delivers our National Infrastructure Mission.

Infrastructure has also had a vital role in helping businesses and communities to adapt and recover from the economic, health and social harm arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. In common with many other countries, infrastructure projects in Scotland have been subject to significant adjustment in the light of COVID-19 and that is why in June 2020 we announced a £230 million Return to Work package to help stimulate Scotland's economy.

In total over the last five years, key infrastructure projects totalling £7.7 billion have completed construction and opened to the public within our project pipeline. This included major infrastructure priorities such as the new Queensferry Crossing, the Edinburgh to Glasgow rail improvement programme, the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route road scheme, the new Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, two new City of Glasgow College campuses and the Schools for the Future building programme. Within that, almost £660 million worth of infrastructure projects have been completed over the course of 2020-21.

Looking ahead, our new Infrastructure Investment Plan provides a robust pipeline of public sector infrastructure delivery, giving confidence to the construction sector and supporting our economic recovery from COVID-19. This pipeline includes details of around £26 billion worth of major projects valued at £5 million or more and national programmes valued at £20 million or more.

Our planned capital investment programme for 2021-22 includes substantial initial investments to support our commitment to inclusive economic growth. This includes strengthening digital connectivity through the £600 million Reaching 100% programme, investing £525 million to deliver the next five years of the £5 billion City Region and Regional Growth Deals programme, doubling investment in bridge and roads maintenance and enhancing safety with a programme of around £1.5 billion over 5 years. It also supports our transition to net zero and supports over £1.9 billion of low carbon infrastructure investment in 2021-22, including the first year of the £2 billion low carbon fund. This includes a range of multi-year investments such as the creation of an £180 million Emerging Energy Technologies Fund to support carbon capture and storage, negative emissions technologies and hydrogen development, £120 million of new investment in the transition to net-zero electric buses and £1.6 billion over the next five years to decarbonise heat in buildings.

Plans will continue to be subject to adjustment in the light of COVID-19, and we will continue to work closely across the Scottish Government to ensure the right investment and support is available for all our changing infrastructure needs.

I am pleased to say that the Infrastructure Commission for Scotland brought invaluable independent expertise and insight to the discussion on how we develop our long-term infrastructure strategy and support the delivery of infrastructure. The Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26 sets out the Scottish Government's supportive response to that advice and focusses on adopting and building on the Commission's recommendations, integrating these into a five-year implementation plan.

We look forward to continuing to work with all our stakeholders to ensure that collectively we maximise the benefits of infrastructure investment for the people of Scotland.

Michael Matheson MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport