2026 Election: Built Environment Commitments in Party Manifestos

The 2026 Scottish Parliament election is fast approaching. If elected to form the next Scottish Government, what changes are the main parties planning to make with regard to the existing built and historic environment?

To support advocacy around the 2026 BEFS Manifesto for the Built Environment, we are actively tracking the built environment policy commitments and positions that political parties are setting out in the lead up to next month’s elections.

This blog is a selection of key party commitments which relate to the five core themes of the BEFS Manifesto: culture and heritage; net zero and the climate emergency; repair, maintenance and retrofit; training and skills; and planning and place-making.

It directly quotes from party manifestos, and is far from exhaustive; readers may wish to review relevant sections of the six party manifestos for full details and additional commitments. You can also find direct links to party manifestos at the end of the blog.

BEFS Hustings and Next Steps:

Representatives of the six main parties appearing in national opinion polls, including former Scottish Ministers Paul McLennan MSP and Patrick Harvie MSP, joined the BEFS Built Environment Hustings Event on 7 April in Edinburgh (pictured). The panel’s engagement with BEFS Member questions indicated good levels of cross-party support for exploring a number of BEFS Manifesto policy recommendations.

BEFS will be working hard across the next term of Parliament to continue to advocate for the policy changes Members and stakeholders told us they would like to see. The BEFS Manifesto will inform the consultations and Committee business we engage with, as well as the relationships we will build with new and existing MSPs across parties, and the messages we will be sharing with policy-makers at every opportunity we get!

For more on BEFS policy influencing, please:

• Read the 2026 BEFS Manifesto, which is available in three versions: the full document, an executive summary, and an accessible edition;
• Visit the consultations page of this website for briefings and evidence submissions by BEFS;
• Sign-up to the fortnightly BEFS bulletin for regular news on policy developments.

The following party manifesto extracts are ordered a-z by party name. We hope you find the summary useful – and you can contact Derek or Jonna if you would like to get involved in amplifying BEFS Manifesto recommendations to policy-makers.

BEFS Manifesto Theme 1: Culture & Heritage

Reform UK: “Scotland is blessed with a number of business sectors where we are genuinely world class owing to our geography, science and people. These 10 natural clusters of excellence comprise: Financial Services, Advanced Manufacturing, Energy, Food & Drink, Tourism & Hospitality, Creative Industries, Life Sciences, Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine. It’s time now to focus our resources in education, skills and training around these 10 clusters to get our young people and our adults tooled up for this new, modern economy.” (p15)

Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party: “We will: Support our thriving culture sector with a new Culture Act that guarantees multi-year funding for cultural bodies… Amalgamate some of Scotland’s culture quangos so that funds are directed towards the frontline rather than spent on back-office costs… Overhaul the SNP’s scandal-ridden heritage quango so that it can do the job it’s supposed to – look after our historic buildings.” (p31)

Scottish Greens: “We want to… Bring forward a Culture Bill… to rebuild our cultural sector, including provision of ongoing and long term multi-year funding… Invest in our grassroots venues and community spaces by introducing a stadium tax… Support greater community involvement in the management of Scotland’s historic and cultural sites, through the creation of community oversight boards, particularly in rural and island communities.” (p160)

Scottish Labour Party: “Scottish Labour will… Reform Creative Scotland, improving transparency and accountability… Designate a creative capital fund, to deliver financial support to upgrade and protect venues across the country.” (p54) “Scottish Labour is determined to deliver excellence for visitors, working in partnership to build a tourism strategy that …Protects Scotland’s historic assets, reforming Historic Environment Scotland so it is fit for purpose and ensuring funding is properly used to maintain Scottish sites.” (p84-85)

Scottish Liberal Democrats: “We will… Promote creative industries and culture by: Taking away the needless bureaucracy faced by those applying for funding through Creative Scotland and taking forward the recommendations of the Leitch Review… Tackling the big city bias that exists in how culture money is distributed… Maintaining free access to national museums and galleries…. Champion responsible and sustainable tourism, recognising it as a key industry and incorporate it into our industrial and skills strategies.” (p22)

Scottish National Party: “By the end of the next parliament, we will consult to develop a Culture and Arts Bill, learning lessons from other European countries with similar legislation… We will continue to deliver a long-term funding settlement for the arts of an additional £100 million annually for culture by 2028-29… In addition, we will ensure that at least a further £50 million is delivered for culture investment by the end of the next parliament… we will review the structures of Historic Environment Scotland and take any necessary steps to ensure that the recent work of the new Chair is supported.” (p44-5)

BEFS Manifesto Theme 2: Climate Emergency & Net Zero

Reform UK: “Reform will: Scrap all SNP Net Zero related targets, subsidies and quangos… Revise and simplify the planning system to fast-track permissions for hydro, micro-hydro, geothermal, open-cast coal mining, and electrical network infrastructure, especially on brownfield or industrial sites, while retaining protections for Scotland’s invaluable natural beauty, and taking into account local communities… Require every related policy decision to include an Energy Price Impact Statement so that there is transparency for the public about the effect on their energy bills.” (p13)

Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party: “We will: Redirect the SNP’s budget they spend to meet their net zero targets and put this funding towards building new houses and upgrading our infrastructure instead (p42)… Overhaul Scottish Government energy policy so that its main objective is to lower costs for households and businesses, rather than reaching arbitrary net zero targets… Abolish the SNP’s unaffordable target for reaching net zero by 2045.” (p46)

Scottish Greens: “…our top priorities [include]… Get Scotland back on track to deliver net zero by 2045, launching a coordinated climate action delivery programme to drive down emissions from transport, energy, farming and housing… Protect communities from floods, storms, heatwaves and coastal erosion by taking preventative actions now, and establish a Climate Adaptation Fund with sufficient financial resources … Drive down emissions from Scotland’s land use by introducing a well-designed Carbon Emissions Land Tax.” (p4) “…managing freshwater resources will become an increasingly important part of our adaptation to climate change.” (p143)

Scottish Labour Party: “Scottish Labour will… [promote] nature-based mitigations which restore freshwater habitats and reduce the impact of flooding… take the action needed to achieve our net zero by 2045 ambitions… We will: Create a national warm homes programme, with one-stop centres in communities to advise on new technologies, access to domestic solar, energy efficiency measures, financing, and trusted local installers to help support local jobs… Expand the use of community heat and power networks, working with local authorities, communities and local developers… Support the expansion of renewable energy generation in Scotland.” (p75/76)

Scottish Liberal Democrats: “We will… Unlock the potential of renewable power… by: Quadrupling the amount of energy generated from solar in this Parliament, unlocking investment that will roll it out across rooftops… Take the action needed now for Scotland to achieve net zero by 2045, including: Setting out a clear, detailed and stable roadmap to net zero … Expanding the market for climate-friendly products and services with steadily higher criteria in public procurement policy…. Putting tackling climate change and delivering a just transition at the heart of a new skills strategy.” (p71) “…rainproof communities and slow the flow of water… to reduce sewage and flooding.” (p77)

Scottish National Party: “Our Climate Change Plan sets out actions from now until 2040 to reduce emissions, seize the opportunities of net zero for new jobs and economic growth, improve our infrastructure and, improve our energy security. It will deliver warmer homes, cleaner air and a more resilient energy system… We will deliver on the £500 million Just Transition Fund to support workers and businesses making the change to a sustainable future… We will expand the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) to £15 million.” (p23) “We will allocate additional investment of £15 million in flood mitigation and prevention.” (p63)

BEFS Manifesto Theme 3: Repair, Maintenance & Retrofit

Reform UK: “The SNP have saddled the private rental sector with regulation after regulation, driving down supply and driving up rents. The shortage has been stark for smaller properties essential for young people, with the proportion of 25-34 year-olds forced to live with their parents having increased by almost 40% since the SNP came to power… Reform UK will repeal the SNP’s regulations for all new tenancies, while keeping the terms of existing tenancies unchanged, making homes both plentiful and more affordable for the Scots who need them most.” (p17)

Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party: “Substantial sums of public money are currently being spent on providing loans and grants for heat pumps… We would protect funding for energy efficiency upgrades but redirect the cash spent on heat pumps and put it towards building homes and infrastructure instead. Other savings would be achieved by halting expensive green upgrades that are being planned to public buildings. At a time of stretched budgets we should not be asking the taxpayer to cough up for expensive net zero upgrades to our buildings and instead urge public sector bodies to look at cheaper alternatives so that we can invest the saved cash in infrastructure that needs fixing.” (p41)

Scottish Greens: “We want to… Bring back the Heat in Buildings (Scotland) Bill to set a clear routemap for decarbonising Scotland’s homes and buildings by 2045; to include a Clean Heat Standard and target dates for compliance… Pay for people to install heat pumps, solar panels with linked battery storage and other green heating technologies on their homes, with help available for homeowners to remove fossil fuel boilers.” (p12) “… Make it easier for people who live in tenements and other housing blocks to handle repairs, maintenance and energy efficiency improvements by reviewing tenement housing laws; making owners’ associations a legal requirement.” (p138)

Scottish Labour Party: “Scottish Labour will improve the quality of Scotland’s existing housing stock by: Improving tenement maintenance arrangements, expediting progress on reform recommendations… Speeding up cladding remediation, expediating a workable “Responsible Developers’ Scheme”, reviewing the Building Safety Levy, and setting clear targets and legal requirements for delivery of remediation… Widen eligibility for energy-efficiency support, dropping the age threshold for the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme to 70 and increasing rural grant uplifts by £500.” (p72)

Scottish Liberal Democrats: “We will… Set a timescale and milestones to remove dangerous Grenfell-style cladding from all Scottish buildings.”(p54) “Cut energy bills and emissions, and tackle fuel poverty, by: Bringing forward a Fairer Heating Bill, accelerating the rollout of smart climate-friendly heating systems, and taking a fabric first approach to retrofitting… Making it easier for people in shared buildings to agree to upgrades and improvements, adopting… proposals for every tenement to have an owners’ association, reserve fund for repairs and periodic building quality inspections… Promoting alternative financial models for retrofitting and expanding the financial products available.” (p70)

Scottish National Party: “We will invest at least £10 billion in capital spending – funding new and renewed buildings and equipment – over the next ten years.” (p17) “…We are committed to reforming the Tenement (Scotland) Act 2004 and Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 by the end of the next parliament, to better meet the needs of relevant owners and tenants to enable repairs, maintenance and enhancement of such properties… We have shown clear leadership in the heat in buildings sector, demonstrated not least by our grant and loan schemes. We will take forward our Heat in Building Bill to support homeowners, landlords and tenants to transition to clean heating in a fair and affordable way.” (p33)

BEFS Manifesto Theme 4: Training & Skills

Reform UK: “Reform will re-allocate funding from the bloated welfare budget to create a joined up Scottish Skills Strategy which will: Reboot the Apprenticeship Levy funding model and guarantee every penny is invested into apprenticeships linked to colleges… Establish a First Job Passport to ensure every young person moves seamlessly from school into further education or apprenticeship or vocational training or employment… Examine a new pathway for S3/S4 students into alternative, technical education based on the successful Newlands Junior College.” (p15)

Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party: “We would introduce a new Skills Bill that would establish a permanent framework for cooperation between businesses and our further and higher educational establishments, so that skills gaps can be swiftly identified by companies. Our colleges and universities can then adapt their courses to meet demand, meaning these skills gaps are quickly addressed. For colleges, this would mean providing them with extra support to deliver the courses our economy requires.” (p69)

Scottish Greens: “The Scottish Greens will deliver a Green Industrial Mission… Plan the workforce transition into Green Jobs by improving data gathering and publishing an annual Green Jobs and Skills Outlook, linking infrastructure investment to workforce planning and inclusion… Establish regional Green Skills Hubs linking colleges, employers and unions to guaranteed routes into low-carbon work… Double Just Transition funding to £1bn… Streamline Scotland’s apprenticeship system… to deliver modern and graduate apprenticeships in key sectors.” (p36-38)

Scottish Labour Party: “Scottish Labour will give colleges a clear purpose by… Reforming college funding so that it delivers stable multi-year funding which is linked to employment outcomes and apprenticeships… Creating Apprenticeship Centres of Excellence in colleges around the country, so that key industries have the pipeline of cutting-edge skills they need to grow (p41).We will… Train the construction workforce needed to build homes, prioritising construction skills in our new apprenticeships, and within new Skills Accelerators so that each region has the workers needed to deliver local housing targets.” (p68).

Scottish Liberal Democrats: “We will… Establish a new skills strategy, mapping where the gaps are and will be, and fitting training and education systems around it, so that the country secures the skills it needs… [including in] engineering and construction… Inspire people to do apprenticeships as a route to high-wage high-skill jobs by: Ensuring pupils can do structured work experience, summer placements or foundation apprenticeships… Matching apprenticeships to labour market demand and local economic priorities…” (p19/20) “…Securely funding colleges, building on the extra £70m secured by Scottish Liberal Democrats in the 2026/27 Budget.” (p42)

Scottish National Party: “We will deliver a single national skills plan for Scotland, aligned to economic need and designed to drive productivity and support the green and digital transitions… We will deliver the two reviews we have promised with the [Colleges and Universities] sector on the Shape of Future Funding Framework for universities and the College Sector of the Future Programme… We will increase the number of apprenticeships to deliver 150,000 over the Parliament… We will introduce an Apprenticeship Accelerator Grant, backed by the Apprenticeship Levy.” (p58-59)

BEFS Manifesto Theme 5: Planning & Place-making

Reform UK: “We will build on the concept of Local Place Plans to allow local people more say in the design and form of their communities, even down to street level, through a review of current planning laws. We will cease any new building regulation and stop local planners getting in the way of sensible local development. These policies will ensure that our town and city centres come alive again, buzzing with families, pensioners, workers and visitors combined.” (p17)

Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party: “We will: Establish new specialist planning hubs across the country in order to reduce waiting times for planning applications by sharing knowledge on how to deal with different projects (p28)… Scrap the SNP’s planning framework, with councils setting their own planning strategies so that they can build the homes they need.” (p42) “… Stop Scottish Government ministers from overturning planning decisions made by local people.” (p74)

Scottish Greens: “The Scottish Greens will… Strengthen compulsory purchase and compulsory sale powers so councils and communities can bring vacant and derelict land and buildings back into use… Support councils to revive town centres by repurposing empty commercial property into workspace, cultural and community uses… Require Local Place Plans to be honoured by local planning authorities… and support communities to develop plans where none exist… Introduce a community right of appeal in planning where decisions depart from agreed plans or officer recommendations.” (p118)

Scottish Labour Party: “Scottish Labour will… [support] development across the country by… Overhauling the planning system, reforming NPF4 so that decision-makers can take account of the economic potential of projects, designating housing as critical infrastructure … Speeding up planning decisions, transforming the planning hub into a national planning agency, with expertise and specialist teams that local authorities can draw on.” (p31) “… ensure local people can create good places to live by: Delivering fair funding for local services, agreeing a new funding formula for local government… Passing a Local Democracy Act.” (p52)

Scottish Liberal Democrats: “We will… [be] Developing a programme for a new generation of net zero new towns, prioritising from the outset features such as rail links, biodiversity, district heating, and the 20-minute neighbourhood… Reforming planning to make it simpler to redevelop long-term derelict buildings.” (p52) “…Modernise the planning system, making it less arduous and delivering badly-needed infrastructure and economic growth, including by investing in digital tools that help speed up decision-making.” (p56) “…Piloting and launching a major project to integrate AI into all local authority planning departments.” (p59)

Scottish National Party: “We will continue to take a strategic approach to delivering our regeneration ambitions, including revitalising town centres and encouraging town centre living, addressing the blight of vacant and derelict land.” (p38) “…We will further simplify regulation and reform the planning system, speeding up decision making, including reforming Compulsory Purchase Orders and exploring Compulsory Sales orders… We will also take steps to reverse the decline in professional planners working in public authorities.” (p40) “… we will explore: Rural planning reform, improving permitted development rights.” (p41)

Party Manifestos: Direct Links

(a-z by title)

Change With Fairness At Its Heart: Scottish Liberal Democrats Manifesto 2026

Get Scotland Working: The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Manifesto 2026

Let’s Demand Better: 2026 Scottish Greens Manifesto

On Scotland’s Side: SNP Manifesto 2026

Reform UK: Manifesto for Scotland 2026

Scotland Needs Change: 2026 Scottish Labour Manifesto

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