« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
SPATIAL PERSPECTIVES
Central Belt
Edinburgh and Glasgow are Scotland's principal centres of business and culture and are key international gateways. The two cities are working together to make Central Scotland a globally important centre of economic activity. To achieve this they need to be linked by a fast, efficient, high quality transport system which is well connected to their surrounding regions and world markets. The towns of Central Scotland need good public transport links to provide access to jobs in Glasgow and Edinburgh and to make them attractive locations for business investment and residential development.
- The scale of the opportunities in the Clyde Corridor makes it a national regeneration priority, with the Clyde Gateway and Clyde Waterfront being the main foci in the medium term.
- Realising the potential of West Edinburgh as an internationally competitive business location is a key priority.
- The Edinburgh Waterfront is one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Europe, with the development sites constituting a major part of Edinburgh's housing land supply.
- There is a need to accommodate substantial growth in the number of households in the Edinburgh city region and the Upper Forth area over the next 25 years.
- Effective coordination of initiatives to create a Central Scotland Green Network offers the opportunity to achieve a significant improvement in environmental quality, woodland cover and recreational opportunities, making Central Scotland more attractive for residents, visitors and investors.
East Coast
The East Coast corridor between Aberdeen and Newcastle offers opportunities to develop knowledge economy links based on the expertise associated with the energy and offshore industries and the Universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, St Andrews, Edinburgh and Newcastle. The Forth Replacement Crossing at Queensferry is a vital strategic link and the Scottish Government is taking forward its replacement as a priority. Measures to strengthen the East Coast corridor will be taken forward in the strategic development plans for the Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh city regions.
- The primary aim for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire is to grow and diversify the economy, making sure the region has enough people, homes, jobs and facilities to maintain and improve its quality of life.
- A Dundee Northern Relief Road is needed to reduce conflict between strategic and local traffic and improve the reliability of journey times between Aberdeen and the Central Belt.
- The strategy for the Dundee city region is to promote regeneration, neighbourhood renewal and further improvements to the quality of urban living within the city boundary.
- The Forth Replacement Crossing includes the provision of a dedicated multi-modal corridor between Fife and Edinburgh giving priority to public transport.
Highlands and Islands
Significant population growth is planned in the Highlands and Islands, and the provision of development infrastructure is an important issue where substantial increases in population and households are projected. Inverness can develop its role as the Highland capital, broaden its economic base, improve its connections to other cities and attract a range of high quality jobs.
- The A96 corridor between Inverness and Nairn is the main focus of growth in the Inner Moray Firth.
- Substantial reinforcements of the electricity transmission system are needed to realise the potential of renewable energy resources, including new interconnectors for the islands and upgrades to address capacity constraints.
- The sheltered deep water of Scapa Flow is a major strategic asset and proposals for a container transhipment terminal are being developed.
- Targeted support will continue to be needed in areas such as north Sutherland and some of the islands which are still experiencing decline, and in parts of Moray and Caithness where more jobs need to be created.
Ayrshire and the South-West
This area functions as an important western gateway for Scotland and the aim is to build on the success of Prestwick Airport, strengthen key ports and strategic transport corridors between Ireland and the Continent and realise the potential of deep water assets at Hunterston. There is also a need to improve road and rail links to secure better integration with the Central Belt.
- The challenge in Ayrshire is to maintain population to support services as well as providing access to new job opportunities by creating competitive business environments and locations.
- Action is needed to improve environmental quality in the former mining areas of East Ayrshire and to promote regeneration and economic diversification in small towns.
- Strengthening the role of Dumfries as the main regional centre and transport hub will benefit the whole of the South West. Proximity to Ireland and Cumbria offers substantial business opportunities for the area.
- New port development on Loch Ryan will provide a modern international gateway between Scotland and Ireland, offering increased freight capacity, reduced journey times and new opportunities for tourism.
South of Scotland
The South of Scotland is strategically well placed on the major road and rail routes between Scotland and England. Opportunities lie in economic diversification and strengthening the knowledge economy, building on the rich environment and cultural heritage of the area, adding value to the primary assets including the large potential for renewable energy development, quality produce and design skills associated with the textiles and electronics industries.
- The planned improvement of transport links to the Borders will create new development opportunities and allow the area to accommodate some of the household growth projected in the South East of Scotland.
- The towns and villages of the South of Scotland play a key role in the economy, culture and quality of life in the region. Market Towns Investment Programmes are being developed to ensure that the towns of the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway are attractive, competitive places.
« Previous | Contents | Next »