Renfrewshire Council

Due to launch at the end of April, the survey will ask local people to give their views on Renfrewshire as a place to live, what the Council is doing well, where improvements can be made and what communities believe should be prioritised moving forward. 

A representative sample of residents will be invited to take part in a telephone survey allowing key data to be collected, as well as focus groups and an online survey to ensure all residents and key community partners have the chance to put forward their views. 

It forms part of a drive to involve local communities in decision-making and outline a transparent process around budget setting in Renfrewshire - raising awareness of the fact that the majority of the Council's funding is already ringfenced to services like schools and social care and council tax only makes up approximately 20% of the total council budget. 

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: "In these challenging times, it has never been more important for us to listen to the priorities of local people and ensure we continue to provide the high-quality services they need. 

"Following on from making the largest-ever investment in our roads and schools in this year's budget, we want to speak with communities throughout the year and hear more about the services they use and what they feel is most important.  

"This will put communities at the heart of our decision making and give people the chance to help us shape our decisions for next year's budget." 

This renewed approach to community participation follows the largest-ever investment in schools and roads as part of the 2025/26 budget, with up to £170million invested over future years to reshape, refurbish and rebuild schools across Renfrewshire and a £90million investment in roads, pathways and infrastructure. 

There was also a continued focus on creating a fairer Renfrewshire to help people with the cost of living, further funding to help improve attainment and the local environment, support for town centre regeneration, and provision for adult social care. 

For more information on how the council sets its budget, investments set to take place in 2025/26, and next steps for the resident's survey, visit our budget section of the website. 

Published on Tuesday 1 April 2025.