Infrastructure secretary Michael Matheson visited the £70m East Lothian Community Hospital project in Haddington to launch the latest update of the Scottish government's plans, including a commitment to increase annual investment.
Matheson said: “Looking ahead, the Scottish Government’s £5 billion commitment to infrastructure investment in 2019-20 will support 50,000 affordable new homes, delivery of the extension of early learning and childcare, new roads and railways, electric vehicles and delivery of superfast broadband across Scotland. As part of this, our pipeline report shows Scottish Government-procured projects with a value of almost £3.1 billion are estimated to be in construction across Scotland during 2019-20.
“Building on this success, our commitment to have a National Infrastructure Mission will increase annual infrastructure investment by 1% of current (2017) GDP by the end of the next Parliament, helping to protect and create jobs, and boost growth across the country.”
He also outlined the work completed over the course of 2018-19. Infrastructure projects worth more than £1.4 billion were completed and opened to the public, he said. “These include the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, the V&A Museum in Dundee, electrification of 100 kilometres of single-track line from Dunblane through Stirling and Alloa, and 19 new school projects.”
Matheson toured the three-storey hospital redevelopment, being undertaken by NHS Lothian in partnership with Hub South East Scotland, before visiting the outpatients department, which was officially opened in March 2018.
Morrison Construction project director Philip Galbraith said: “Our experienced team continues to make significant progress on internal and external works for the three-storey inpatients department and accommodation building. The project is on schedule, with last phase of works, including the construction of a new car park, set for completion in early 2020.”
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