SFT outcomes report highlights impact of infrastructure projects

Peter Reekie

THE Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) has published its latest Outcomes report, highlighting the economic and environmental impacts it and its partners have made over the past 12 months.

Examples include attracting private investment into the bus sector to accelerate delivery of electric buses; new affordable housing development after SFT supported the public-to-public sale of the site of the former Clydebank Health Centre; A third pilot to deliver more affordable housing with six local authorities as regional partners; and the Net Zero Buildings Standard supporting over ÂŁ3 billion of public sector projects.

These achievements are documented among 19 case studies which can be found on the Outcomes website. Each example demonstrates the actions SFT, and its public and private sector partners have taken to maximise the social, economic, and environmental outcomes from infrastructure across Scotland.

Peter Reekie, chief executive of the Scottish Futures Trust, said, “At times when budgets are becoming ever tighter, it is vital that we look to maximise the use of our existing public sector properties whilst looking at new ways to attract investment, which has been our focus for many years as Scotland’s centre of infrastructure expertise.

“We are finalising our new corporate plan which will take us to the end of this decade, and we will be prioritising our resources toward economic growth and delivering net zero outcomes to support a sustainable and thriving Scottish economy. We will continue to use our funding and financing expertise to unlock increased levels of private investment, and work with colleagues across the public and private sectors to improve the quality and delivery of infrastructure projects and programmes across Scotland.”

Scottish Government cabinet secretary for finance and local government, Shona Robison, added, “Scottish Futures Trust is an essential partner in delivering our plans for Scotland’s infrastructure. This report demonstrates the value of its involvement in infrastructure projects and programmes. The Scottish Government is working with SFT as it develops its corporate plan to ensure it continues to focus its expertise and experience where it can have most impact and drive best use of our public finances.”