It’s wall been worth it

Housing staff celebrate year-long bid to boost west end

A regeneration project designed to boost the environment in Paisley’s west end has been hailed a triumph.

The West End Transformation Project from Paisley Housing Association has reached the end of its year-long lifespan.

The association is looking back on what has been the organisation’s biggest-ever drive to improve the environment.

To mark the end of the initiative, Paisley Housing Association staff gathered at a striking example of the project – the recently-unveiled mural at

Castle Street.

Dubbed The Young Poet, the amazing artwork was completed by well-known artist Mark Worst and transformed a tenement gable-end.

A key aim of the project was to improve tenement back courts so they could become places where people can benefit from improved facilities, such as new lawns, better railings and tidier bin shelters.

The association secured funding from the Scottish Government ’ s Aspir ing Communities Fund to undertake the project and establish an employability and trainingfocused landscaping team to deliver it.

Leading the project for Paisley Housing Association was coordinator Duncan Clelland, who said the work had been a first for the association in terms of commitment, sheer scale of improvements achieved over a limited time and value for money.

It also provided valuable training to a team of apprentices.

Duncan said: “The initiative had a number of vital components.

“Firstly, we were able to deliver the regeneration project in the west end – an area often overlooked– by building partnerships and delivering real change.

“We worked closely with residents of Blue Triangle Housing Association in Paisley delivering a much- used back garden.

“Secondly, we worked closely with residents to deliver back court improvements and, thirdly, we also sought to improve the public realm with a stunning new mural.

“Lastly, we worked closely with Invest in Renfrewshire to recruit and train a team of landscaping apprentices to deliver the work.

“We are extremely grateful to the Aspiring Communities Fund, without which none of the work would have been possible.”

Project supervisor Chris Turner delivered the training to the team of apprentices.

He said: “The range of skills gained by the apprentices has been very impressive.”

Kathleen McCutcheon, chief executive of Paisley Housing Association, said: “The association can look back on this project with a great sense of achievement.

“We have delivered significant improvements for our tenants and it continues our longer term environmental strategy.

“We look forward to rolling out environmental improvements across our housing stock.”