The Scottish construction industry has launched and revised a plan to guide its development over the next five years.

The plan by the Scottish Construction Forum (SCF) updates ‘Achieving Construction Innovation and Excellence in Scotland’ which was published in 2003 and led to the creation of the forum and the Scottish Construction Centre.

Chairman of the Forum, Graeme Millar said: "With the major recommendations of the previous plan now in place, the forum felt it was timely to undertake a public consultation exercise and refresh the plan in order to guide the industry for the next five years."

Launched at the SCF annual conference this month, it identifies four strategic themes - Positioning; Procurement; People and the Planet - and the organisations best placed to lead or support in taking them forward.

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The plan has been welcomed by Enterprise Minister Jim Mather, who said: "I am hugely encouraged to see the construction industry coming together in this way to plan for its future. We now have a Government Economic Strategy that will help the whole of the Scottish public sector contribute materially to the creation of a more competitive business environment, which we need to achieve increased sustainable economic growth.

"However, we all recognise that ultimately it is the private sector that will actually generate the bulk of that growth. That is why I am delighted the Plan will help the construction industry grasp the opportunities the future presents and makes the maximum possible contribution to our economy."

Stuart Patrick, Operations Director at Scottish Enterprise Glasgow said: "The construction industry are to be congratulated on the strides they have made since the launch of the original plan four years ago. All of the physical changes, both past present and future, which are supporting the growth of Scotland’s economy, and of Glasgow in particular as it gears up for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, are down to the construction sector and we must do everything we can to keep that momentum going."

Copies of the plan and more information on the SCF are available at: www.scottish-enterprise.com/construction

(JM)