Dozens of major Scottish infrastructure projects delayed or over budget

Research by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) revealed that 15 major projects have gone over budget between November 2016 and March 2018.

The analysis of the Infrastructure Investment Plan also shows that 30 projects have had their completion date changed to a later date over the same period.

High-profile schemes to suffer setbacks include the £1.35 billion Queensferry Crossing, the new Aberdeen bypass and Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

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Meanwhile, the cost of the ongoing Edinburgh to Glasgow rail upgrade has soared by more than £100 million, the latest estimates show.

Other projects highlighted in the research include the Gorbals Health Centre - running £5m over budget and five months late – and the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project, which cost £13m more than expected. The NHS Orkney New Hospital and Healthcare Facilities are almost £10m over budget and delayed by five months.

Scottish Labour’s economy spokesperson, Jackie Baillie MSP, said the scale of delays and spiralling costs strengthened the case for a review of public procurement.

She said: “The scale of these delays and the spiralling costs seriously calls into question the SNP’s handling of major infrastructure projects.

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“The fact that so many projects are over budget, delayed, or both is unacceptable – and, given financial and timescale details are only available for 49 out of 87 projects, this could just be the tip of the iceberg.

“We already know the SNP government is putting billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money for public projects in the hands of private companies – and these figures show that people in Scotland are not getting value for money.

“There needs to be a wholescale review of public procurement in Scotland, including spending on major infrastructure projects.

“People in Scotland deserve better than a policy that lines the pockets of shareholders only to leave important works delayed and over budget.”

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A Scottish Government spokesman said a number of “significant projects” were on course to be delivered this year.

He added: “We are committed to delivering critical infrastructure projects and have a strong record in this field, including major road improvements to the M8, M73 and M74, the Queensferry Crossing, which came in £245m under budget and the new Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary.

“While it’s not uncommon to encounter challenges when delivering such a large number of ambitious projects of this size, scale and complexity, we have made excellent progress on our infrastructure plan, with further significant projects set to be completed this year. All of which is good for jobs, our economy and Scotland overall.”

The affected projects are summarised in the table below:

Total Capital Investment

Estimated completion date

Increased cost?

Delayed completion?

Project Name

Nov-16

Mar-18

Nov-16

Mar-18

M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project

£439m(revenue funded element:

£310m)

£452m

(revenue funded element:

310m)

Apr 17

Jun 17

Y

N

Forth Replacement Crossing

£1.325bn -

£1.35bn

£1.325bn -

£1.350bn

May 17

Aug 17

N

Y

Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme EGIP

£742m

(RAB funded value: £714m)

£795m

(RAB funded value: £767m)

Mar 19

Mar 20

Y

Y

A77 Maybole Bypass

£43m

£43m

Feb 20

Dec 20

N

Y

A737 Dalry Bypass

£58.9m

£57.9m

Sep 18

Dec 19

N (lower cost)

Y

A90 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie-Tipperty

£745m(revenue funded element:

£469m)

£745m

(revenue funded element:

£469m)

Dec 17

Sep 18

N

Y

CMAL - Two new 100 metre ferries

£97m

£97m

Jul 18

Mar 19

N

Y

Stirling Dunblane Alloa Rail Electrification (SDA)

£92m -

£159m

£92m -

£159m

Dec 18

Dec 18

N

N

Aberdeen to Inverness Improvement Project

£170m -

£283m

£330m

Sep 19

Dec 19

Y

Y

Acute Services Redevelopment Project

£275.5m

(revenue funded element:

£212.6m

£275.5m

(revenue funded element:

£212.6m)

Dec 17

Dec 17

N

N

NHS Orkney New Hospital and Healthcare Facilities

£67.5m

(revenue funded element £59m)

£77.4m

(revenue funded element:

£5.1m

Feb 19

Jul 19

Y

Y

NHS Scotland Pharmaceutical Specials Service

£28.6m(revenue funded element: £25.4m)

£29m

(revenue funded element:

£25.8m)

Oct 18

Dec 18

Y

Y

Royal Hospital for Sick Children / Department of Clinical Neurosciences

£230.1m

(revenue funded element:

£150m)

£230.1m

(revenue funded element:

£150m)

Apr 18

Under Review

N

Y

Redevelopment of Royal Edinburgh Hospital Campus Phase 2 and 3

£98m - £168m

£98m - £168m

Mar 20

Jan21

N

Y

Gorbals Health Centre

£14.4m - £14.9m

(revenue funded element:

£12.9m-£13.5m)

£18.6m

(revenue funded element:

£17.2m)

May 18

Oct 18

Y

Y

NHS Lothian Partnership Centre Bundle

£34.2m

(revenue funded element:

£28.4m)

£34.2m

(revenue funded element:

£28.4m)

Jun 17

Dec 17

N

Y

Stirling Care Village

£36m - £38m

(revenue funded element:

£33m - £35m)

£37.8m

(revenue funded element:

£34.8m)

Apr 18

Oct 19

N

Y

Woodside Health Centre

£15.3m -

£16m(revenue funded element:

£14.4m-

£15.1m)

£21.2m

(revenue funded element:

£20.2m)

May 18

Oct 18

Y

Y

Redesign of Services for Skye, Lochalsh & South West Ross

£15.3m

(revenue funded element:

£15m)

£15.3m

(revenue funded element:

£15m)

Nov 20

Dec 20

N

N

Redesign of Services for Badenoch and Strathspey

£14.5m -

£16m(revenue funded element:

£13.5m-

£15m)

£14.5m -

£16m(revenue funded element:

£13.5m -

£15m)

Nov 20

Dec 20

N

N

Inverurie Health Care Hub & Foresterhill Health Centre

£23.7m

(revenue funded element:

£21.7m)

£24.1m

(revenue funded element:

£21m)

May 18

Jul 18

Y

Y

Aberdeen Baird Family Hospital and ANCHOR Centre

£156m-£157m

£163.7m

Aug 20

Dec 21

Y

Y

East Lothian Community Hospital

£68m- £72m

£70.4m

Dec 19

Jan20

N

Y

Clydebank Health & Care Centre

£20.4m

(revenue funded element:

£19m)

£20.4m - £20.6m

(revenue funded element:

£19m - £19.3m)

Jun 19

Jul 20

N

Y

Greenock Health & Care Centre

£20.6m

(revenue funded element:

£19m)

£20.6m - £22.8m

(revenue funded element:

£19m - £22m)

Jun 19

Jul 20

N

Y

Lochside Academy

£47.4m

(revenue funded element: £44.5m)

£47.4m

(revenue funded element: £44.5m)

Aug 18

Aug 18

N

N

Kirn Primary School

£10.6m

£10.6m

Oct 17

Nov 17

N

N

Campbeltown Grammar

£25.7m

(revenue funded element: £23.5m)

£25.7m

(revenue funded element:

£23.3m)

Feb 18

Feb 18

N

N

Oban High School

£36m

(revenue funded element: £32.7m)

£36m

(revenue funded element:

£32.7m)

Apr 18

Apr 18

N

N

Boroughmuir High School

£32m

£32m

Jan17

Feb 18

N

Y

St John’s Primary School

£10.1m -

£10.6m

£13.2m

Mar18

Aug 18

Y

Y

Dalbeattie High School

£25.8m

(revenue funded element: £24.8m)

£25.8m

(revenue funded element:

£24.8m)

Oct 17

Nov 17

N

N

Baldragon Academy

£29.1m

(revenue funded element: £28.2m)

£29.1m

(revenue funded element:

£28.2m)

Jan 18

Feb 18

N

Y

William McIlvanney

£45.1m

(revenue funded element: £42.4m)

£45.1m

(revenue funded element:

£42.4m)

Mar 18

Apr 18

N

N

Newbattle High School

£35.9m

(revenue funded element: £33.8m)

£35.9m

(revenue funded element:

£33.8m)

Mar 18

Jun 18

N

Y

Milne’s Primary School

£2m -

£2.1m

£2m -

£2.2m

Aug 17

Aug 18

N

N

Elgin High School

£29.5m

(revenue funded element: £27.7m)

£29.5m

(revenue funded element:

£27.7m)

Oct 17

Oct 17

N

N

Largs Academy

£51.9m

(revenue funded element £44.3m)

£51.9m

(revenue funded element:

£44.3m)

Mar 18

Mar 18

N

N

Kinross Primary School

£10.2m -

£10.8m

£11.6m

Dec 17

Dec 17

Y

N

Kelso High School

£24.6m

(revenue funded element: £21.5m)

£24.6m

(revenue funded element:

£21.6m)

Jan 18

Nov 17

N

N (earlier completion date)

Anderson High School

£64.4m

(revenue funded element: £40.6m)

£64.4m

(revenue funded element:

£40.6m)

Sep 17

Oct 17

N

Y

Our Lady & St Patrick’s High School

£26.7m

(revenue funded element: £25.9m)

£26.7m

(revenue funded element:

£25.9m)

Oct 17

Oct 17

N

N

West Calder High School

£38.9m

£38.6m

(revenue funded element:

£29.1m)

Jun 18

Aug 18

N

Y

Broomlands Primary School

£5.4m - £5.7m

£9.7m

Dec 17

Jan18

Y

N

Dunoon Primary School

£7.2m - £7.6m

£10.1m

Apr 19

Jun 18

Y

N (earlier completion date)

Balloch Campus

£16.5m

£16.5m

Oct 17

Feb 18

N

Y

St Josephs College

£12.2m - £12.8m

£24.2m

Feb 18

Apr 18

Y

Y

Stoneywood Primary School

£5m - £5.2m

£13.6m

Jan 18

Aug 18

Y

Y