This initiative aims to address the pressing needs of council-owned infrastructure and support Angus’ long-term sustainability and economic growth as well as combating the effects of climate change. 

The fund comes from the 2025/26 Revenue Budget setting, (Report 67/25) when the council agreed to increase the budget provision for loan charges to finance additional capital expenditure on public infrastructure. A sum of £1.0 million has been added to the loan charges budget, creating an additional capital investment of £21.6m over the next four financial years (2025/26 to 2028/29), recognising that investment was necessary to maintain and, in some cases, replace vital infrastructure.

The proposed project programme follows a comprehensive assessment of potential areas requiring investment across Angus, and prioritisation by officers from the Infrastructure & Environment Directorate.

These projects span a wide range of public infrastructure, including roads and transport services, schools, parks, flood protection, and sports and cultural facilities. The focus will be on replacing ageing infrastructure, addressing climate change impacts, supporting cost reduction and helping the council achieve its net zero carbon ambitions.

The project prioritisation criteria included condition, urgency, economic and community impact, carbon saving, and spend-to-save impact. The proposed project programme will utilise the available APIF funding over the next four years, with provisions for future projects that will require further development and exploration.

The council’s property, plant & equipment assets are valued at over £1 billion, with roads assets estimated at approximately £1.6bn. The cost of maintaining and replacing infrastructure has risen significantly in recent years, leading to a backlog of investment needs. The current APIF funding of £21.6m, while substantial, is insufficient to address all investment needs, necessitating prioritisation.

Angus Council leader, Councillor George Meechan said: “We have worked hard with officers to identify the areas where spend is most urgently required. By addressing these issues now, we are confident that this investment will help prevent an even higher spend at some future date due to further deterioration in our infrastructure or even the loss of the asset.

“We paid particular attention to the Angus learning estate, the transport infrastructure that supports businesses and jobs and obviously on flood prevention. We have valuable assets that need to be maintained and preserved, and this fund will help us do that for the people of Angus.”