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Major investment in Renfrewshire’s schools and roads will be delivered in coming years, as set out in Renfrewshire Council’s budget for 2025-26 agreed by councillors today (Thursday 27 February 2025).
The £571.512million budget sets out plans to make the largest-ever, long-term investments in Renfrewshire’s roads and pathways and school learning estate, as well as a continued focus on creating a fairer Renfrewshire to help people with the cost of living.
Targeted investment will unlock up to £170million over future years for major investment in Renfrewshire schools in support of the learning estate strategy, and a further £700,000 for existing school pitches will benefit pupils and communities.
Councillors also agreed to make the largest-ever sustained investment in the roads network with £90million across the next 10 years as part of a continued drive to improve roads and footways.
There was also £450,000 for the Fairer Renfrewshire programme which continues to tackle inequality and poverty and will see the £50 winter school clothing payment to eligible children continue, as well as delivering a further Winter Connections programme and a summer school holiday programme which provides activities and a healthy meal for children and young people.
To support attainment, every child aged 2 to 5 will continue to get a free book every month from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and permanent funding is now in place for the award-winning Team Up to Clean Up environmental campaign. And £5.594 million will be directed to Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership to support adult social care.
Councillor John Shaw, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board, said:
“This is a budget which is ambitious for Renfrewshire and focuses on the things communities tell us matter to them most, with fairness and wellbeing at its heart.
“With prudent financial management, we are now able to deliver a budget that allows for longer term planning and will unlock major capital investment in our schools and our roads and will invest in the places where people come together.
“Recent years have seen unprecedented challenges for public services and like many households, we have had to deal with increasing costs. There is increasing demand on our services, and we want to ensure our spending benefits all our communities and reaches those most in need.
“By taking these decisions, we are able to make investments to support our communities, invest in the places where we live and encourage economic growth.”
The budget also set out funding for community and neighbourhood improvements, including a community environment team, money for parks and open spaces, and £80,000 for the refurbishment of the Robertson Park pond in Renfrew.
Town centre and village investments include £800,000 to develop appropriate council land and buildings to make them more attractive for community ownership and £100,000 will support development of local place plans.
Some £500,000 will help unlock town centre regeneration projects which may have stalled and £50,000 will fund three popular funds covering villages, retail improvement and historic buildings.
Funding of £150,000 will support the council’s successful events team to work with the local community to develop and deliver a calendar of cultural events for the area’s five main town centres and further investment was made in festive lighting and infrastructure.
Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said:
“We continue to navigate extremely challenging times for local authorities, but we have set a budget that delivers for our communities, protects vital services and ensures the Council remains on a sound financial footing.
“I’m delighted we’ve been able to make the largest-ever investments in our roads and schools by taking a longer-term, strategic approach.
“Communities will see the benefit of these investments in the short and long-term as we continue to create a fairer Renfrewshire which people want to live, work, visit and invest in.”
Councillors also agreed a 9.5% rise in Council Tax rates to help fund investments and meet rising costs, as well as a 5% inflationary increase in fees and service charges.
