Scottish Council for Development & Industry calls for action to unlock rural Scotland's economic potential
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ACCESS to affordable housing and efforts to switch to a low carbon future will help unleash rural Scotland’s economic potential, a report by the Scottish Council for Development & Industry (SCDI) has claimed.
The organisation made a call to action to unlock that potential following the publication of the report by the SCDI Rural Commission which includes 42 recommendations.
Launched in April 2018, the Rural Commission was established to look at the economy throughout Scotland and consider actions that can help people and businesses in every part of the country, and these findings have been reported in An Economy for All of Scotland – Harnessing Our Potential for Everyone, Everywhere.
SCDI Rural Commission chairman and group finance director at Johnstons of Elgin, Chris Gaffney, said: “Scotland has vibrant businesses working in every area of the country who all play an important role in their local and the national economy. To achieve our national economic potential, we need to ensure that the conditions exist for these businesses to continue to develop and grow, wherever they are located.
“The Commission has combined a variety of practical suggestions in the key areas of concern for business in rural areas, alongside underpinning recommendations for improved analysis of rural data, a longer-term planning cycle, and the embedding of rural within policy frameworks.
“We hope that the report is a useful contribution that will help strengthen our communities and the business based in them”.
Aims of the recommendations include ensuring that the economy of rural Scotland is understood and embedded in decision making and that the right support is provided for different parts of the country.
It also calls for steps to ensure people have access to affordable and secure housing, and investment in infrastructure that can support a transition to a low carbon future while also recognising the transport needs of people throughout the country.
SCDI Highlands and Islands regional director Fraser Grieve, added: "SCDI have strong history of looking at the long-term issues that will shape our economy. We hope this report will start a greater dialogue over how we better capture the contribution of different parts of the country and unlock more of their potential.
“We will continue to engage widely with our members and look at the constructive role we can play in supporting these recommendations. These are not quick fixes but together could have a positive impact on reducing the barriers that are faced.”
The report notes that although just 20 per cent of the population live in rural Scotland, it makes up 27 per cent of the Scottish economy
SCDI chief executive Sara Thiam said: "As we look at the future shape of our economy and how we respond to growing digitisation, and act on the climate emergency, this work should help to ensure that we better recognise the impact of those changes on our communities.
“By strengthening our infrastructure, delivering the skills, and utilising our natural resources we can strengthen Scotland’s overall economy and tackle the inequality that exists between different parts of it as we do so.”
The report has been welcomed by Scotland's rural economy minister, Inverness and Nairn MSP Fergus Ewing.
“With Brexit representing the biggest threat to our rural economy and communities in a generation, I welcome the Commission’s report, which strongly mirrors a number of the recommendations made by the National Council of Rural Advisers," he said.
“Our rural and islands areas are home to the assets that provide the natural and business resources for key economic success stories from our natural larder to our vast renewable potential.
"Last year we published the first economic action plan which fully incorporated rural Scotland, setting out a number of new and existing actions that will work together to build a strong, vibrant and diverse economy that promotes wellbeing and attracts investment. We will continue to build on that success to further improve the wellbeing of our rural, coastal and island communities and provide a positive future for them.”
