AN "ambitious" plan to transform the quality of council housing in eight areas across Renfrewshire has been given the green light to move to the next stage.

Councillors agreed on updated plans for the £100million ten-year Housing Regeneration and Renewal Programme following an in-depth consultation with the more than 1500 affected residents last year. 

The programme aims to create modern, high quality, energy-efficient and affordable council housing, while also improving the wider neighbourhoods and contributing to the area's recovery from the Coivd-19 pandemic. 

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There will be a mix of investments to improve existing buildings and the areas around them, as well as potential demolition and new-builds in some areas. 

The eight areas covered by the first phase of the programme are: 

  • Auchentorlie Quadrant/ Seedhill Road (Paisley)
  • Howard Street area (Paisley)
  • Waverley Road (Paisley)
  • Thurshcraigs area (Paisley)
  • Ferguslie/ Broomlands area (Paisley)
  • Springbank Road area  (Paisley)
  • Moorpark (Renfrew) 
  • Howwood Road Area (Johnstone)

Last year, council housing staff carried out an in-depth consultation with affected residents, tenants and owners to find out their views on the initial plans. 

Overall, 72% of tenants asked broadly agreed with the plans, and in four of the areas plans have been changed in line with their feedback. 

Residents were also asked their views on their neighbourhood as a place to live, with the feedback being used to develop a plan for each area that will consider issues such as health and wellbeing, travel, outdoor areas, and access to services.  

Members of the Communities, Housing and Planning board have now agreed to give officers the authority to move forward with the programme. 

Cllr Marie McGurk, convener of the board, said: "These updated proposals set out a hugely ambitious, positive and forward-thinking vision for the future of council housing in Renfrewshire and we are delighted members have agreed to proceed with them.

"The work will transform the look and quality of council housing and the common areas around them, while making them more energy-efficient, reducing fuel bills for residents, and contributing to the area’s wider climate-change targets.

"But what sets this programme apart is that it’s about so much more than investing in bricks and mortar – it’s about working with residents to consider all the factors that help make an area a great place to live and work with them to create neighbourhoods they can be proud of.

"I want to thank every resident who took the time to respond to the consultation – nobody knows our neighbourhoods better than the people living in them, so your feedback was really important to us, and allowed us to reshape the plans in line with what you told us.

"I’d also like to recognise the staff from our housing team for their efforts to speak to as many people as possible during the consultation, despite the restrictions placed on them by the pandemic.

"We will be back in touch with affected residents in the coming weeks to set out what the plans will mean for them, and will stay in close contact over the months and years ahead as the plans move forward."

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The plans will see around 500 new social-rented homes across six of the eight areas and Council staff will now move forward with the technical work required to assess each site for newbuild housing. 

The updated proposals can be viewed HERE