Infrastructure Strategy 2027-2037: consultation

Chapter 5 - Infrastructure Themes and Enablers

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) set out three long-term themes: Transition to Net Zero and Environmental Sustainability, Inclusive Economic Growth, Resilient and Sustainable Places, which remain the core outcomes for planning and guiding infrastructure investment in this Strategy.

This Strategy is structured around three infrastructure-specific enablers of public assets, place-making and private infrastructure (the ‘what?’ and ‘how?’) to achieve the outcomes of the plan (the ‘why?’). These enablers are the key mechanisms for delivering the Strategy.

The Role of Enablers in Delivering Outcomes

Public Assets – Optimising What We Have

Given the UK Government’s fiscal stance and current economic outlook, we do not expect the fiscal situation to improve over the medium term. This means that public sector reform, underpinned by the right assets is a priority for the Scottish public sector in the years to come. Consolidating the use of offices across Scotland through the Single Scottish Estate programme^[12] is creating savings but operational assets (hospitals, fire and police stations, etc.) also need to be aligned with better models of service delivery (e.g. shifting the balance of care to the community). All infrastructure that remains needs to be well managed and maintained with clear asset strategies and plans in place.

Place making – Creating Thriving Communities

Creating places that allow communities to thrive is crucial in how we deliver infrastructure, and it requires a good understanding of local needs and circumstances. It needs to be led locally and requires co-operation and joint planning by everyone involved. This cannot be done through a national infrastructure strategy, but this Strategy can set out the parameters in which local infrastructure decisions are made, aligning with the infrastructure-first approach as outline in ‘National Planning Framework 4’ (NPF4).

Private Infrastructure – Unlocking Capital

Investment in public infrastructure can enable private investment. The public sector creates the legal and policy conditions for private investment (e.g. private heat networks, EV charging networks or community ownership). The public sector enables affordable housing through subsidies and is developing additional approaches to unlock further private investment in housing. Another priority area for the Scottish Government is to increase infrastructure investment in renewables, especially offshore wind, which relies on private, UK-wide grid infrastructure.

Cross-Cutting Priorities for System-Wide Impact:

To deliver the Strategy’s outcomes effectively several cross-cutting priorities need to be embedded across planning and delivery. These can be grouped into three clusters:

People and Places

Housing – Ensuring homes are well-connected to infrastructure and support inclusive growth.

Regional Priorities – Aligning investment with spatial principles and regional needs to maximise impact.

Cross-body governance – Strengthening collaboration through regional bodies such as Regional Partnerships, and Regional Spatial Strategies to deliver integrated outcomes and implement place-based policies.

Economy and Wellbeing

Infrastructure priorities for economic growth – having a clear understanding of the economic impact of different types of infrastructure and making funding decisions accordingly.

Natural Infrastructure – Enhancing blue and green networks to support biodiversity, climate resilience, and wellbeing.

Investment and Delivery

Private Networks – Leveraging private-sector infrastructure (e.g. energy, digital) to complement public investment.

Funding Models – Exploring innovative financing mechanisms to unlock capital and accelerate delivery.

Complementary/Enabling Public Infrastructure – Targeting investment in supporting infrastructure that unlocks wider economic and social benefits.

Questions

5. Do you agree that enabling net zero and environmental sustainability, driving economic growth, and building resilient places continue to be the right outcomes to guide infrastructure investment over the next decade?

6. Are the three proposed enablers, public assets, place-making and private investment, sufficient to deliver the Strategy’s outcomes? Are there other enablers we should consider instead/additionally?

7. What mechanisms or approaches should the Infrastructure Strategy adopt to ensure that critical cross-cutting priorities, such as housing delivery, regional economic development, and natural infrastructure are systematically embedded in investment planning and decision making?

8. Are there any findings from the Scottish Future’s Trust (SFT) Needs Assessment (perhaps from drivers of change, cross-cutting themes or enablers) that we should more fully integrate into this 10-year Infrastructure Strategy?