AMID the worst health and economic crisis in living memory, a specialist infrastructure enabler has reported a remarkable performance delivering projects worth more than £38 million.

The achievement by hub South West in the 12 months to March this year brings the total value of projects delivered by South West Scotland’s development partner of choice for community infrastructure, to £545m.

Its annual report showed hub South West – which brings together public sector bodies in Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway with private sector partners – was able to report a forward pipelines of new business standing at £289m.

Its strategic partnership building programme has also borne fruit over the year, helping to create a portfolio that now includes education, healthcare, early years provision, leisure, office space and, most recently, housing.

Chair Dr Willie Mackie, the chair of hub South West, who succeeded John McClelland in the middle of 2020, paid tribute in the report to the way the team negotiated its way through the pandemic.

“They rose to meet an unprecedented challenge, showing commitment and resilience, not only adding economic value but enhancing people’s lives within our communities,” he said.

The report showed hub South West currently has £174m of projects in construction, and since inception has awarded work packages worth £249m to companies in the territory and created 580 jobs.

It also outlined its plans to prioritise net zero carbon in the development of economic growth in all new community infrastructure projects.

In the next reporting year, hub South West has committed to nurturing its already effective economic and business development programmes through its growing network of SMEs, suppliers and consultancies as well as by implementing a social value portal in partnership with its principal shareholder, the Scottish Futures Trust, across all projects.

The organisation’s chief executive, Michael McBrearty, who is standing down, but will remain a board member, added: “This was the ninth year since hub South West was established and, in terms of the trading and operating conditions, it has undoubtedly been one of the toughest challenges we have ever faced.

“However, the pandemic has demonstrated the strength of our partnerships and the commitment of our supply chain. Using imagination and creative thinking, we have maintained business as usual and executed contracts for complex multi-million-pound projects.

“The hub model has never been so relevant in offering stability, confidence in deliverability and a true focus on ensuring that public investment has a far-reaching social value.”