Draft Infrastructure Investment Plan – 2021-22 to 2025-26

Overview

The Draft Infrastructure Investment Plan sets out a clear vision for our future infrastructure - to support and enable an inclusive net zero emissions economy. The plan focusses on adopting and building on the recommendations of the Infrastructure Commission for Scotland's Phase 1 report. It sets out our long term vision for Scottish infrastructure, shows how we will choose the right future investments, and sets out a 5 year programme of further improvements in our approach.

The consultation seeks views on the ways we plan to implement the Commission’s recommendations in the following areas:

• The inclusion of natural infrastructure
• How we prioritise - the common investment hierarchy approach
• How we best assess the impact of proposed infrastructure
• How we might best assess the carbon impact of future Plans

Why we are consulting

Earlier this year the Infrastructure Commission for Scotland made recommendations about the right future infrastructure priorities for an inclusive, net zero emissions economy in Scotland. This plan accepts their recommendations and shows how they will be implemented.

During the first half of 2019, the Infrastructure Commission undertook widespread engagement on infrastructure priorities. We have already considered the feedback received by the Commission in response to its Call for Evidence. We do not seek to repeat this engagement. The purpose of this consultation is to seek wide-ranging views and feedback on some specific areas around the ways we plan to implement the Commission’s recommendations, to ensure the right final approach.

Read the consultation paper. 

What happens next

Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence. The Scottish Government will publish responses, where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public, and a report summarising responses will also be made available.

Responses to some questions we have asked will directly inform the final Plan to be published later this year, in particular questions under sections 1, 2 and 4 below. As this is a significant turning point in our approach to infrastructure it will be important to take time to test and implement the right interventions where appropriate. We anticipate that responses to section 3 inform our future programme of improvements. These will be developed with further testing over time, and considered alongside other strategic developments, to ensure they deliver the right outcomes.