Draft Infrastructure Strategy 2027-2037
Chapter 3 - Scope and role of the infrastructure strategy
This chapter explains what we mean by "infrastructure" and sets out the scope of the draft Infrastructure Strategy. It describes how the Strategy will guide planning and investment decisions over the next 10 years and how it links to longer-term needs and short-term budget processes.
The Strategy covers:
- Scottish Public Infrastructure across economic, social, and natural sectors;
- Connections to UK Public Infrastructure and regulated private assets that are critical to Scotland's future;
- How we promote private sector investment in commercial assets such as factories, data centres and logistics hubs.
It does not include a pipeline of projects; this will be developed separately from Spending Review and budget decisions.
Why a 10-year Framework Matters
The Strategy sets out a 10-year framework, refreshed every five years, to guide infrastructure planning, funding and delivery across Scotland. It is designed to inform capital allocations in Spending Reviews and annual budget decisions, ensuring investment is strategic, outcome-focused, and aligned with long-term national priorities.
Linking Long-term Needs to Short-term Decisions
The Strategy is predominantly underpinned by a 30-year Needs Assessment, which identifies the key drivers of infrastructure demand and helps shape future investment decisions. This approach ensures that short-term decisions reflect Scotland's long-term vision.
Improving Infrastructure Delivery
To remain relevant and responsive, the Strategy will be refreshed every five years. It will interact with Spending Reviews, annual budgets, and project pipelines to create a coherent investment framework. This structured approach aims to improve planning, prioritisation, and delivery across Scotland.
Background
Infrastructure is defined as the set of long-term assets required for a country, city, or community to function effectively. It includes economic, social, and natural assets, and can be public or private. The Strategy focuses on Scottish public infrastructure but recognises the interdependencies with UK-level and private sector assets.
The relationship between Scottish public infrastructure, UK public infrastructure, and private regulated assets is shaped by governance structures, funding mechanisms, and policy priorities. This Strategy aims to provide clarity on these relationships and set out a framework for investment decisions that deliver long-term public value.