Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Strategic Transport Projects Review: Revised Timescale
Letter to the Convener from Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, Scottish Government, 30 December 2021
Dear Convener,
Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) Draft Publication for Consultation - Change to PFG Commitment on Timescale
I am writing to provide the Committee with an update on the revised timescale to complete STPR2 and publish the recommendations and relevant statutory assessments, for public consultation.
In the Programme for Government 2021, we committed to publishing the draft STPR2 Recommendations (and all relevant statutory assessments for public consultation) by the end of 2021.
It will not be possible to conclude and publish by the end of the year for the following reasons:
- STPR2 has to take cognisance of NPF4, as we are committed to align our transport investment with Scotland’s spatial strategy, planning policy and national developments. Whilst Transport Scotland have been working closely with the planning team, the final national developments were not agreed until close to publication (November) which limited their ability to progress appraisal on the transport interventions to support them, including discussions with regional partners on specifics;
- Consideration should be given to the links to the publication of National Strategy for Economic Transformation - it would be preferable for the recommendations for investment in transport build on the NSET publication rather than come before it as one of the strategic transport objectives relates to the economy;
Officials have advised that the necessary steps are in hand in order to publish and launch the public consultation by the third week in January 2022, which is subject to parliamentary scheduling.
I hope this is a helpful update.