Renfrewshire residents have their say on local priorities

Thousands of Renfrewshire residents have shared their views on living in the area and their priorities for local services. 

More than 2,000 local people took part in the Renfrewshire Council commissioned resident research which took place between May and August this year.  

It was developed to inform council budget planning and decision-making and measure perceptions and satisfaction with Council services. 

Research work included individual interviews and follow up focus groups to get greater insight, alongside a publicly available survey. 

Now the full research findings have been published in the engagement and consultation section of the council website and are being shared with participants and presented in a report to the Council’s Leadership Board to be considered by councillors on Wednesday 3 December 2025. 

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “I want to say thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in our resident research.   

“Your views, ideas and feedback on what matters most to you about living in Renfrewshire are hugely important and will be carefully considered over the coming months as we look at our budget and future financial planning. 

“The full findings are available now on our website and are an important part of our continuous commitment to listen to Renfrewshire residents and shape services to meet their needs.” 

Key interview findings show: 

• people rate Renfrewshire highly as a place to live and are proud of their own their neighbourhood 
• more than half of responses agree the Council provides high quality services and does the best with the money available 
• parks, gardens and open spaces are the most used services each month, followed by Household Waste Recycling Centres and sport and leisure facilities 
• satisfaction is highest with schools and nurseries, children’s play areas, parks, gardens and open spaces and libraries 
• to help balance its budget, the council should prioritise making better use of its buildings, deliver services in new ways and target resource to places and people with the greatest need 
• supporting older and vulnerable people, children and families and maintaining roads, open and public spaces are among the most essential priorities. 

The survey also used Scottish Household Survey questions to benchmark the Council’s performance nationally, with the results providing a more representative picture across Renfrewshire and most feedback more positive than the Scottish average. 

Interviews also highlighted areas for improvement, with less positive feedback on the council listening before taking decisions and reduced satisfaction with some core services, while investing in net zero measures were considered a less immediate priority. 

All the feedback and insight from the interviews, survey responses and focus groups will be considered as part of our continuous performance scrutiny and improvement planning. 

The resident research is part of work to improve the council’s dialogue with local people and a refreshed approach to community consultation and engagement. 

Councillor Nicolson added: “Just as households are facing increasing costs, we face tough financial challenges to balance the council budget, remain financially sustainable for the future and provide best value for the essential services so many people rely on. 

“These findings offer a strong foundation for our future financial planning and areas for improvement so we can support local priorities, enhance engagement with our communities and target our resources to those in need, making the greatest difference possible.”