Commenting on the Institute of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) State of the Nation Scotland report on Infrastructure 2015, research & policy director at Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce James Bream said:
“This report underlines the work that needs to be done to improve Scotland’s economic infrastructure networks.
“We have been calling for the UK Government to develop a 50-year energy strategy which delivers a competitive cost envelope of energy solutions to provide security of supply while tackling the UK’s structural issues.
“The ICE report echoes our calls for a coherent vision of our energy needs, bringing together all energy sources, including nuclear, on-shore gas and renewables.
“Connectivity is a strong thread, and the report specifically mentions that northern cities need enhanced rail connections to the Central Belt.
“Only this week, we raised the question in Holyrood’s Business in Parliament Conference as to when we can expect the length of single rail track at Montrose to be improved to aid these critical connections.
“It also highlights that investing in our harbour infrastructure is necessary to avoid a negative impact on Scotland’s connections to Europe and beyond, which is being addressed by the current Aberdeen Harbour Nigg Bay proposals.
“These improvements will maintain our region’s competitiveness, ensure it remains at the heart of a prosperous country and keep its world-class focus for business activity in the decades to come.”