Scotland should have a mayoral-led combined authority in the city region of Glasgow to unlock economic growth, improve infrastructure delivery, and provide clear strategic leadership in transport, housing, and skills, according to a new report from ACE Scotland.

The infrastructure and engineering consultancy body’s new Delivering Infrastructure 2050 Manifesto argues that it could improve economic growth in the region and deliver major infrastructure projects faster.

Sarah Peterson, chair of ACE Scotland, said: “Glasgow is one of the United Kingdom’s great cities, a powerhouse of talent, industry, and innovation. But we need to help it reach its full potential. To do that the way the region is governed needs to keep pace with the realities of a modern city-region economy.

“A mayoral-led combined authority would bring the kind of clear, accountable leadership that successful regions need. It would enable Glasgow and the wider city region to take a more strategic approach to transport, housing, planning, and skills, and invest in the infrastructure that supports long-term growth.”

ACE Scotland maintains that with city-region devolution, local government is not being replaced; rather, it is being enhanced to work in a joined-up way with businesses, other local government, and national authorities.

Ben Brittain, director of public affairs at ACE and author of the report, said: “Right across Europe, the city regions that are growing tend to share a common model: clear leadership, powers that are properly joined up, and the certainty of long-term funding. Where these three elements come together, places are simply better equipped to deliver the big infrastructure that supports jobs and long-term economic growth.

“A Glasgow combined authority with a directly elected mayor at its helm can deliver the clear and accountable leadership that is needed to bring businesses and investors together, align infrastructure investment with economic opportunity, and enable the city to confidently compete with the best city regions across Europe.”

The Delivering Infrastructure 2050 manifesto sets out a wide programme of reforms aimed at improving how infrastructure is planned and delivered across Scotland, including procurement reform, new approaches to private investment and measures to accelerate project delivery. The full report can be accessed here.