The Aberdeen City Region Deal Joint Committee met on Friday 4 September 2026 to discuss progress on various projects and approve funding reallocations. Key decisions included approving an extension to the Net Zero Technology Centre's funding agreement, reallocating funds for additional design work on the Cortes Junction, and agreeing to commission a report on future transport investment priorities.

Quarterly Dashboard Update

The committee received an update on the Aberdeen City Region Deal's quarterly dashboard. Stuart Bews, ACRD Programme Manager, highlighted identified risks concerning the Strategic Transport Appraisal and the External Transportation Links to Aberdeen South Harbour project. He also reported on the progress of the internal audit action plan, noting that five actions had been closed, with three remaining. These outstanding actions relate to updating the benefits realisation plan, amending grant agreements, and programme closure.

Revised Benefits Realisation Plan

The committee approved revisions to the Benefits Realisation Plan (BRP), which updates financial information, incorporates the Regional Economic Strategy's vision, and includes new digital projects. A significant change is the removal of the collection of protected characteristics data from the BRP due to GDPR compliance challenges, a decision that was discussed and agreed upon. The revised plan will be published on the Aberdeen City Region Deal website.

Net Zero Technology Centre Funding Extension

Approval was granted for a material change request to extend the Net Zero Technology Centre's (NZTC) Aberdeen City Region Deal funding agreement from 31 March 2027 to 30 June 2027. This extension, subject to UK and Scottish Government approval, is necessary to allow for the completion of critical-path activities for the Technology Testing Hub, including planning approvals, land arrangements, and construction sequencing, which are dependent on third-party processes. The extension will not increase the overall programme budget but will provide flexibility to ensure committed expenditure can be drawn down and to maximise regional benefits.

External Transportation Links to Aberdeen South Harbour Project

The committee noted the progress on the External Transportation Links to Aberdeen South Harbour project. Significant progress has been made in resolving statutory undertaker agreements and compulsory purchase orders. While there have been some delays due to outstanding agreements with Network Rail and the finalisation of contract documents, the project remains within its budget envelope. The estimated completion date for the road infrastructure has been revised to October 2028.

Strategic Transport Appraisal: Funding Reallocations

Two material change requests concerning the Strategic Transport Appraisal (STA) programme were approved:

• Aberdeenshire Council Funding Reallocation: £98,000 in procurement savings from two Aberdeenshire Council-funded STA projects (Regional Transport Impacts of Renewable Energy Transition and Peterhead / Fraserburgh / Ellon Future Scenarios Study) were reallocated to support additional design development work at Cortes Junction on the A90(N)/A952 corridor. This funding is needed to address technical and compliance issues identified during the design development of the junction, ensuring a DMRB-compliant solution can be achieved.
• Government Funding Reallocation: £65,000 of forecast underspend from completed Government-funded STA studies (Rail Freight Terminals Review, Drones / Automated Logistics Study, and Battery Electric Vehicle study) will be used to commission a Concluding Investment Proposals Report. This report will synthesise the findings of the STA programme since 2016, establish priorities for future transport investment, and provide an investment-ready document for stakeholders beyond the City Region Deal period.

ACRD Post Deal Arrangements

The committee approved Option A1 as the preferred approach for post-deal governance arrangements. This option retains the existing Aberdeen City Region Deal governance structure, including the Joint Committee and Programme Board, to provide oversight for projects extending beyond March 2027. The ACRD Programme Manager will now discuss this preferred option with the UK and Scottish Governments to seek agreement and report back on any necessary changes.

MOU Housing Progress Update

The committee noted the progress of the housing workstream under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). While the £20 million Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) could not be directly utilised due to eligibility criteria, a flexibility arrangement with the Scottish Government allowed £10 million to be delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme. This enabled Aberdeen City Council to address RAAC remediation costs while continuing to support affordable housing delivery. Significant progress has been made in delivering affordable homes across the city region, with approximately £463.7 million spent between 2016/17 and 2025/26, resulting in 6,594 affordable homes.