Fourteen Scottish neighbourhoods are set to benefit from up to £280 million in targeted regeneration funding under the UK Government’s Pride in Place Programme, marking a significant long-term investment in local infrastructure, housing, skills and economic renewal. The programme, confirmed in September, will allocate up to £20 million per neighbourhood over a ten-year period, focusing on areas with the highest levels of deprivation and weakest social infrastructure.
For the digital construction and built environment sector, the announcement signals a substantial pipeline of future regeneration projects, spanning town centre renewal, housing delivery, transport infrastructure, community facilities and public realm improvements across Scotland.
Targeted neighbourhood regeneration in Scotland
The Pride in Place Programme has been designed to directly address long-standing economic and social challenges at neighbourhood level. Following an evidence-led selection process involving local authorities, MPs, MSPs, the Scottish Government and community organisations, 14 neighbourhoods across 12 Scottish local authorities have been identified as priority areas for investment.
Neighbourhood Boards, made up of local representatives, will be established to oversee delivery and determine how funding is spent, ensuring that regeneration aligns with local needs. Funding is scheduled to commence from April 2026, allowing time for detailed planning, stakeholder engagement and project development.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander described the investment as part of a wider £2 billion commitment to strengthen communities and create opportunities across Scotland, while Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed emphasised the programme’s focus on devolving decision-making power to local people.
Opportunities for digital construction and the built environment
Projects funded through the programme are expected to include high street and town centre regeneration, new and improved housing, job creation, skills development, transport links, and improvements to health, wellbeing, safety and security. This creates clear opportunities for digital construction approaches, including Building Information Modelling (BIM), digital planning, modern methods of construction and data-led asset management.
Long-term, place-based funding also supports more strategic adoption of digital tools, enabling local authorities and delivery partners to improve efficiency, transparency and value for money across multi-year regeneration programmes.
Neighbourhoods receiving Pride in Place funding
The selected neighbourhoods include:
- Aberdeen City: North Locality Priority Neighbourhood, including Cummings Park, Heathryfold, Middlefield, Northfield and Mastrick
- City of Edinburgh: Bingham, Magdalene, The Christians and Niddrie
- Falkirk: The Forgotten Villages, Braes Villages and Hallglen
- Fife: West Fife Villages, and Methil and Buckhaven
- Glasgow: Springburn and Sighthill, and Castlemilk
- Highland: North, West and East Sutherland
- North Ayrshire: Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston
- North Lanarkshire: Forgewood, North Motherwell and Motherwell town centre
- South Ayrshire: Northern Ayr and town centre regeneration corridor
- South Lanarkshire: Hamilton town centre
- Na h-Eileanan Siar: Stornoway and Lewis
- West Lothian: Fauldhouse, Whitburn and Blackburn
Part of a wider £2 billion regeneration programme
The Pride in Place Programme sits within a broader package of UK Government investment in Scotland’s regeneration, infrastructure and innovation. This includes funding for investment zones, green freeports, city region and growth deals, energy transition projects, innovation accelerators and community ownership initiatives.
For the digital construction sector, the scale and duration of this funding provides a stable foundation for innovation, skills development and digital transformation across Scotland’s built environment.
A long-term pipeline for regeneration and delivery
As Neighbourhood Boards are established and projects move towards delivery from 2026 onwards, the Pride in Place Programme represents a significant long-term pipeline of regeneration work. By placing communities at the centre of decision-making and aligning investment with modern construction and digital delivery practices, the programme has the potential to support more resilient, efficient and sustainable neighbourhood regeneration across Scotland.
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