Renfrewshire Council

Happy New Year and for those who have had time off, a warm welcome back. I hope you all managed a break and some well-deserved rest over the festive period. My thanks to colleagues who continued to provide essential services our communities rely on throughout the period. Your hard work and commitment are appreciated and valued.

Looking at the year ahead, we have an exciting and ambitious programme to deliver and while the financial challenges remain, there is much to be optimistic about in Renfrewshire. Similar to all public organisations, we face a number of common challenges. There is a greater demand for our services, a changing population and significant financial pressures. We're working to help set our budget for 2025-26 which will help us continue to care for those most in need, support our communities and continue to invest in our place, for everyone who lives, works and learns here.

Housing

Our housing teams are implementing a new management system to continually improve how we deliver our housing services and there's considerable investment being made this year in our council housing stock.

Net Zero

There's a renewed focus on helping Renfrewshire get to net zero with teams developing innovative heating projects for our buildings and council housing, and a campaign to encourage residents to recycle more. We're developing a transport strategy to help reduce carbon emissions and agree travel priorities over the next 10 years while looking closely at how we work as an organisation to make our own contribution to protecting our climate. This includes how we can all travel more sustainably where possible. We will be carrying out a staff travel survey in the next few weeks, so please give us your views to help shape our approach.

Renfrew Bridge & Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland

Our connections to Yoker, Clydebank and the wider City Region will reach an historic milestone this Spring with the opening of Renfrew Bridge, which is now in final testing stages. In addition to the new bridge, the project will create additional connecting roads, cycling and walking routes and links with public transport. I look forward to the seeing the benefits of this major investment which will provide better access to leisure and employment opportunities on both sides of the river - not least at our Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) based next to Glasgow Airport.

It also promises to be an exciting year at AMIDS as we expect significant investment into the district through new funding and developments, private sector businesses choosing to locate there and the continued advancement of our industry-leading innovation centres - National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre.

AMIDS is, and will continue to be, transformational for Renfrewshire and places us at the forefront of manufacturing innovation in Scotland and beyond. If you aren't already aware of the work ongoing there, take some time to read more about it on the council website (renfrewshire.gov.uk) or get in touch with the City Deal team to find out how you, or your service, can be involved.

Our Learning Estate

We also continue to invest in and modernise our learning estate and work continues in 2025 with construction well advanced on the new Paisley Grammar School Community Campus (renfrewshire.gov.uk) due to open next year. Building work will also start later this year on the new primary school in Dargavel, while plans to extend Park Mains High School are also moving forward. 

Councillors have agreed our ambitious Learning Estate Strategy, setting out how we will approach developing our long-term plans to deliver a wide-ranging transformation of Renfrewshire schools in the years ahead. This year we will establish where the next phase of that investment will be targeted, as we commit to providing our children and young people with the best possible start in life.

Last year saw a series of positive inspection reports - for individual schools and nurseries, as well as our services for children at the risk of harm - and I expect 2025 will bring more recognition of the great work being done by our education and social work teams across the area.

Before Christmas I touched on a recent visit to Williamsburgh Primary School and wanted to share some footage of the day:

Senior Leadership Team

You may be aware of some further changes in our senior leadership team. Christine Laverty, Chief Officer of Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership is moving to Edinburgh to lead their HSCP as Chief Officer. Securing this role in one of the biggest and most challenging HSCP areas in Scotland again reflects the calibre of sought after talent we have here in Renfrewshire. We will of course get the opportunity to thank Christine for her fantastic contribution before she leaves Renfrewshire in early Spring, and I am working with NHS colleagues on recruitment arrangements for Christine's successor.

As confirmed in December, Louisa Mahon has now joined the Glasgow Commonwealth Games team and Lucy Adamson will take up the interim role as Acting Head of Marketing, Communications and Events.

Living Our Values

I would also like to spotlight some colleagues I recently nominated for living our values. Great collaborative work from our People & Organisational Development and Internal Comms teams to identify and support our own unpaid working carers which was recognised by Carers Positive, with three nominations and a brilliant award win. Well done to Fiona Sinclair, Ian Whyte and Lauren Cunningham on your collective efforts to developing information, peer support and awareness of our help and additional leave for colleagues with caring responsibilities (renfrewshire.gov.uk).

Health and wellbeing

It's important all employees are aware of the support we offer - whether that's seeking advice for your physical, mental or financial wellbeing, or in your own personal development and learning journeys. There are many people across our organisation with the skills and training to listen and signpost to information and opportunities, so if you're looking for some help, don't hesitate to take that next step (renfrewshire.gov.uk).

Best wishes

Alan

Published Friday 17 January 2025