Ahead of this year’s Highland Business Dinner, Gary Webster, Partner at Brodies LLP, reflects on the scale of opportunity emerging across the region – from major infrastructure projects and energy transition developments to housing delivery and placemaking.
The Highlands and Islands stand at the edge of a defining decade. Significant investment in infrastructure, housing and energy is planned, with the potential to strengthen the region’s economy, support population growth and create more resilient communities. The challenge now is not ambition, but delivery – and ensuring that development responds to the realities of this ambition.
Over the next 15 years, up to £100 billion of capital investment is anticipated across the region. Strategic infrastructure projects, including the dualling of the A9 and A96, the redevelopment of Ardersier Port, the new HMP Highland and major grid upgrades, will be critical to unlocking wider economic opportunity. At the same time, the pace of the energy transition continues to accelerate, with offshore and onshore wind, battery storage and pumped hydro schemes reinforcing the Highlands’ role in the UK’s net zero ambitions.
Housing will also play an important role. The Highland Council’s plans to expedite planning permissions for around 24,000 new homes over the next decade — including at least 700 affordable homes each year – reflect the scale of demand and the importance of aligning housing delivery with infrastructure, employment and services. Innovative approaches to planning, such as the Council’s intention to become an early adopter of Master Plan Consent Areas, are designed to help accelerate the delivery of new homes where they are needed, while maintaining a strong focus on quality and placemaking.
What links these programmes is the need for joined‑up thinking. Successful development in the Highlands and Islands requires collaboration between public and private sectors, long‑term commitment from investors and developers, and a deep understanding of the distinct challenges of rural and regional delivery — from infrastructure constraints to workforce availability and community impact.
Brodies has had a base in the Highlands for a number of years, supporting clients involved in housing, infrastructure and energy projects across the region. Having a team of people who live and work here brings insight into the practical realities of delivery, as well as an appreciation of the importance of that local insight in shaping sustainable outcomes.
It is in this context that Brodies is proud to sponsor Phil Spencer as speaker at the Highland Business Dinner. Housing and placemaking are central to the region’s future, and his experience will add valuable perspective to the conversations taking place across the Highland business community.