Tackling inequality and poverty
COUNCIL LEADER IAIN NICOLSON
We recently set our budget for the forthcoming year and again have delivered positively for our communities — despite the significant financial challenges that the council is facing.
We’ve set out the council’s plans to deliver on the commitment made to tackle inequality and poverty as we support communities to recover and thrive following the pandemic — with my SNP administration choosing to freeze council tax at the current rates to ease the pressure on homes across Renfrewshire.
We will invest £5 million in our roads and pavements in the next year, recognising how important this is to local people, and more than 1,200 homes will benefit from a £41m investment in council housing this year.
A further £700,000 has been committed to support our £5m Fairer Renfrewshire programme supporting vulnerable local residents through Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau’s welfare rights service, the Scottish Welfare Fund, and ROAR — Connections for Life.
Signalling a decade of additional investment in the cultural sector, £200,000 will be added to existing resources to create a £1m package of support for local artists and cultural organisations over the next three years, and we will also make a contribution to the development of a heritage trail at Oakshaw in Paisley.
Community halls will again receive more investment with an additional £130,000 for refurbishments and repairs, while our successful Retail Improvement Fund will be boosted again with £70,000 to make improvements to shopfront and premises, and an additional £4m to confirm the construction of a new Thorn Primary School in Johnstone.
These investments come in the face of increased energy bills, fuel costs, goods, and staffing costs, but I believe our balanced budget manages to protect our essential services and supports households in Renfrewshire throughout the forthcoming year.
I was pleased to see the launch of our Town Centre Premises grant last week as we try to ensure ground-floor town centre premises are in productive use as it can transform the perception of our town centres.
We all want to see businesses thriving in our town centres and this funding is a great step in encouraging small-to-medium businesses to relocate to town centres and to encourage owners to put forward their premises for tenancy.
The grant can help pay for premises improvements, rent payments and more to help the businesses establish themselves, so please visit the council’s website if this is something that your business could take advantage of.
It was great to see the designs for the play park upgrades that will be carried out this year as we invest more than £750,000 this year in our multi-year investment plan.
In Paisley, Netherhill Road, South Candren Village Green and Jenny’s Well will be transformed as we continue to recognise the importance of outdoor play for children and families, and I can’t wait see these works delivered.
The Big Spring Clean is back once again, this time running throughout March and April, and I would encourage everyone to get involved in a litter pick if they can — it’s making a huge difference to our local environment as we work together with communities.
We can provide equipment, support and collect the rubbish at the end of the pick, so visit the council website for more information or join the more than 5,000-strong community of Team Up to Clean Up volunteers on Facebook.