Renfrewshire Council has become a founding member of the Scottish Local Government Partnership (SLGP).
The decision was agreed at a meeting of Renfrewshire Council (on Monday 23 March).
Renfrewshire will formally join the SLGP on 1 April joining Aberdeen City, Glasgow City and South Lanarkshire councils.
Renfrewshire Council Leader Mark Macmillan believes the new partnership will ‘bring a new and distinctive approach to the challenges facing local government.’
Councillor Macmillan said: “In joining the new partnership, Renfrewshire intends to be at the forefront in shaping the future of our public services.
“We are joining a partnership which will provide a distinctive, responsive and powerful voice for our communities and for local government in general.
“Renfrewshire has shown it is willing to stand up for our community and take forward new approaches on key issues such as regeneration and tackling poverty.
“We will continue and develop that work on the national stage alongside like-minded councils.
“The new partnership has already been in contact with the Scottish Government and the trades unions and we will continue to take forward dialogue with other organisations.
“The four councils involved in the SLGP – Glasgow, Aberdeen City and South Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire – represent a quarter of the population of Scotland and almost half of Scotland’s economic output measured by Gross Value Added (GVA). The partnership area includes the oil industry, Glasgow Airport, and one of the countries biggest and most innovative regeneration programmes – the £1.13 billion City Deal programme.
“We are central to our communities and our economy and we will reflect that strength in our discussions with government, businesses and partner organisations.”