Renfrewshire sets housing priorities for 2008-2009

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A below-inflation rent increase, new customer service centres and a £10.6million improvement and modernisation programme for council houses are the key points in Renfrewshire Council's housing budget for 2008-2009.

Councillor Brian Lawson, Renfrewshire Council's housing spokesperson, said: "We are committed to keeping rents as affordable as possible for our tenants and are proposing a 2.5% increase for the coming year – below the rate of inflation."

"Council tenants and local residents can look forward to big improvements in customer service as we extend the range of customer services, including housing services currently available at neighbourhood offices, at key points across Renfrewshire. This will give tenants and customers wider access to multi-skilled customer service advisers who can offer one-stop access to a wide range of council services."

Building on the success of its flagship customer services centre at its Paisley headquarters, Renfrewshire Council plans to set up another two centres in Johnstone and Renfrew.

In smaller communities, satellite customer service points will be set up at specified times in libraries and community centres and there will be similar services offered on mobile libraries.

Added Councillor Lawson: "Our 13,000 tenants can also look forward to a £10.6million capital investment programme. We are continuing to put Renfrewshire's case to the Scottish Government for the substantial investment needed to deliver the standard of housing our tenants deserve."

"While the process of assessing Renfrewshire's business case for that investment continues, we are taking forward the maximum investment that we can make given our available resources."

Renfrewshire's housing investment for 2008-2009 includes:

• £2.3m for new kitchens
• £1m for central heating improvements to address fuel poverty
• £1m for rewiring and electrical upgrades
• £1.25m for roof improvements
• £500,000 for elderly and disabled adaptations

"Consulting with and listening to our tenants has helped us shape these proposals and we intend to strengthen that community engagement in the coming year," said Councillor Lawson.

"The council's new Local Area Committees which will be set up later this year will give tenants and communities more chance to influence how services are delivered in their area. At the same time, we are increasing the budget for the well-established neighbourhood housing forums to £367,000, reflecting our commitment to give tenants and communities significant resources that they can decide how best to spend in their neighbourhoods."

Press release: Friday 15 February 2008