Paisley town centre has successfully retained its Purple Flag status following an application for interim renewal.
Purple Flag is a town and city centre award – similar to the Blue Flag for beaches – which aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 5.00pm and 5.00am.
The award is seen as the benchmark for good night time destinations – areas awarded the Purple Flag are recognised for providing a vibrant and diverse mix of dining, entertainment and culture while promoting the safety and well-being of visitors and local residents.
Recent projects have included the Paisley Purple Flag Student Discount card. More than 60 Paisley First BID businesses have signed up to offer special deals to students in the town with the Purple Flag Student Discount Card accepted at all participating outlets which display the Purple Flag sticker.
Chairman of Paisley First, Ian Henderson, said: “This is a great achievement for all those involved in promoting Paisley as a great place to live, work, study and visit. “It’s important now that we continue to work together so that when it’s time for the full renewal later this year, and the assessors visit the town centre again, they can see great things happening in our vibrant town centre.”
Councillor Marie McGurk, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board, said: “The interim renewal of our Purple Flag status is a fantastic boost for Paisley and recognises that the area continues to be a safe, exciting destination for a night out.
“We are working diligently with our partners to ensure that Paisley continues to offer a diverse range of establishments for people to enjoy, as well as ensuring they are able to travel home safely at the end of their night.
“Paisley’s night time economy is thriving and we look forward to the assessors returning later in the year as part of the full renewal process.”
Purple Flag status was achieved at the beginning of 2017 following an application developed by Paisley First, with partners Renfrewshire Council, Paisley Pubwatch, Police Scotland, Renfrewshire Cabs, Scotrail, Paisley and West Community Council and the Paisley Street Pastors. The town’s Purple Flag is on display at the town’s County Square.
