Significant progress towards delivering major infrastructure projects
17 Mar 2015 11:52 AM
Almost 70 projects totalling around £7 billion will be under construction in 2015.
Progress is well underway towards delivering major infrastructure projects across Scotland, Infrastructure Secretary Keith Brown said today.
Major schemes such as the new Acute District General Hospital in Dumfries and Galloway, the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh and the A90 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route have recently commenced construction and many more projects are expected to follow this year.
The findings are outlined in the Scottish Government’s six monthly Infrastructure Investment Plan project pipeline published today, which provides an update on progress of projects set out in the IIP through to 2030. The Government also published its annual IIP progress report which records those projects that were completed in 2014.
Overall investment by the Scottish Government in infrastructure projects will exceed 8 billion between 2014-15 to 2015-16 and represents one of the key areas of support for Scotland’s Economic Strategy.
Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities Keith Brown said:
“I am encouraged by the amount of progress being achieved to deliver some of our major projects in Scotland. The reports published today show the wide range of projects that have been delivered over the past twelve months and are ready for use, the significant projects that we can expect to see completed this year, and the scale of our current overall investment activity across Scotland.
“The steps we are taking demonstrate not just what is being achieved now, but also what more could be done if the UK Government were willing to change its course on public spending in order to provide further support for infrastructure, skills and education to boost the economy.
“We have repeatedly called on Westminster to abandon austerity policies which are economically unsustainable and to adopt an economic strategy that focuses on growth. I urge them therefore in the forthcoming Budget to provide an injection of capital funding and infrastructure activity that will boost the Scottish construction sector and boost local economies all over Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.
“This Government is determined to invest in Scotland’s infrastructure both to stimulate growth and to lay the foundations for long term success. That is good news for our economy and good news for the people of Scotland.”
Notes To Editors
The Scottish Government published an updated Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) in December 2011 which set out priorities for investment and long term strategy for development of public infrastructure.
The Infrastructure Investment Plan Progress Report for 2014 demonstrates exactly how we are investing in Scotland’s infrastructure. The accompanying pipelines include a number of programmes and projects which have been identified as key capital investments that will deliver growth, support jobs and keep the Scottish economy moving.
Key points of 2014 update include:
- Infrastructure projects totalling almost £750 million completed construction and became operational in 2014;
- Projects totalling more than £75 million completed construction in 2014 and have or will become operational early in 2015;
- Projects totalling £225 million became operational in 2014 which completed construction in 2013;
- In 2015 we anticipate that a number of projects totalling around £1.5 billion, will become operational; and
- In 2015 almost 70 projects valued at around £7 billion will be in construction or will start construction.
The Infrastructure Investment Plan Progress Report for 2014, the updated Programme Pipeline and the updated Project Pipeline are available at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Finance/18232/IIP