Why grid investment and planning reform must go hand in hand

The private sector is stepping up. SSEN transmission has committed to £10 billion of investment to upgrade the electricity network infrastructure across the north of Scotland. This in turn will spur the construction sector, which already contributes over 6 per cent of Scotland’s GDP, into an even higher gear. But this ambition and investment to create a reliable national grid must be matched by a planning system that turns plans into action.

Scotland has made progress through the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 and National Planning Framework 4. Yet decisions still remain slow and fragmented, delaying investment. Successfully meeting our energy security, reliability and climate goals calls for a planning system designed for speed, clarity and coordination – ensuring critical infrastructure like the national grid can keep up.

In Balfour Beatty’s paper ‘Scotland’s Growth Unlocked: Harnessing the Power of Infrastructure’ the solution is both urgently needed and surprisingly straightforward. We call for a single, streamlined gateway for planning and approvals: a process that brings agencies together, sets clear statutory timelines, accelerates decision-making, and eliminates costly delays.

Scotland’s government should also take a more proactive approach – fast-tracking critical national projects, safeguarding key energy and transport corridors, and aligning development with economic and climate goals. Only then will we prevent projects vital to energy security and net zero from being held back by bureaucracy.

Finally, reforming the system isn’t just about speed; it’s about jobs, skills and communities – ensuring infrastructure delivers opportunities for people all over Scotland while benefiting the environment, education and the wider economy.

Scottish Engineering’s latest data confirms the scale of the challenge with half of engineering employers reporting difficulties recruiting staff. These issues extend beyond engineering, impacting construction, utilities and manufacturing alike.

As Scotland positions itself as a global leader in clean energy and sustainable infrastructure, this scarcity of skilled workers threatens to delay critical projects and compromise economic ambitions. That’s why over the next twelve months, we’ll be running ten training academies across Scotland, supporting 100 people to gain their CSCS cards, build structured work experience, and receive tailored support focused on health, wellbeing and personal development.

These plans, combined with the £997 million we have spent with Scotland-based suppliers since 2021, are the tangible impacts that well-planned infrastructure can deliver when skills development, local spend, and project delivery go hand in hand.

Back in the 1920s, Balfour Beatty constructed the mega Lochaber hydroelectrical scheme – an unprecedented investment into renewables for the good of the UK, contributing to energy independence and enabling domestic industrial capability. Fast forward 100 years, we’re here again – Scotland has the natural resources and we have the ambition.

What we need now is a planning and regulatory system fit for the scale and urgency of the challenge. New facilities that are being built, including our recently completed Fife College project in Dunfermline, where Balfour Beatty first started its journey – can only achieve their targets if the grid is resilient, reliable and net zero.

The choices made in Whitehall and Holyrood in the coming months will determine whether Scotland leads the world in clean energy and reliability or watches others seize the initiative.

The time for bold action is now. Streamline the process, unlock investment, and deliver the future.

Nick Rowan, Managing Director, Scotland at Balfour Beatty