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First minister opens new headquarters
Home > News and Events > News - release archive > 2008 > February
Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond has officially opened Renfrewshire Council's modernised headquarters.
Renfrewshire House accommodates 1,400 council staff as well as serving as a base for Renfrewshire Community Health Partnership.
Renfrewshire House accommodates 1,400 council staff as well as serving as a base for Renfrewshire Community Health Partnership.
First minister Alex Salmond said: "The Scottish Government's historic concordat with COSLA marks a new relationship between central and local government, driven by a shared desire to provide the best public services for the people of Scotland."
"Visiting Paisley today, it is clear that Renfrewshire Council is fully committed to achieving this goal. The development of its new headquarters, Renfrewshire House, has been designed around the needs of local taxpayers. The modern customer contact centre and the joint working of council and health staff means better, simpler and more efficient services – benefiting the local community and the local economy."
"This new building fits the purpose of the council – to deliver first class public services in Renfrewshire."
Renfrewshire Council leader Derek Mackay believes the headquarters project will boost the regeneration of Paisley town centre as well as improving partnership working and customer service.
"Renfrewshire House is a new home for public service and local democracy in Renfrewshire and I'm delighted that the first minister is marking this occasion with us" said Councillor Mackay.
"This is an exciting time for local government in general and for Renfrewshire Council in particular. We've got a programme of policies in place to give our customers greater say in how services are planned and delivered. Those policies have seen Renfrewshire lead the way on decentralising decision-making, establishing a scrutiny and petitions committee, and listening to business."
"Renfrewshire House provides a modern environment to offer the public easier and simpler access to public services. And by retaining our headquarters on the existing Cotton Street site we have kept the spending power of 1,400 employees in Paisley. That's important for the council's continuing efforts to regenerate Paisley town centre. There will be further economic spin-offs through a residential and retail redevelopment on other parts of the site."
David Martin, chief executive of Renfrewshire Council, said: "In Renfrewshire House we now have an energy efficient building which also enables new ways of working - particularly with our colleagues from Renfrewshire Community Health Partnership who are based here."
"The most striking design feature of the headquarters is certainly our customer service centre and it's already proved very popular. That has allowed us to offer a genuine 'one-stop' approach – from the simplest enquiry to the most complex transaction."
"Renfrewshire is committed to delivering the highest standards of service and we now have a facility which is a major asset in achieving that for our staff and our customers."
David Leese, director of Renfrewshire Community Health Partnership, said: "All of us at Renfrewshire Community Health Partnership are delighted with the excellent facilities. We look forward to further developing our joint working for the benefit of the community we serve."
"We are very proud of the team of professionals who work here and more widely in Renfrewshire CHP. Many of our team will use this building and many more will see it as a symbol of how we are developing as an organisation and in our partnership with the council."
Renfrewshire House has been developed on the site of the existing council headquarters in Cotton Street, Paisley. The two office blocks, known as the North and South Buildings, were built in the early 1970's.
One of the existing headquarters buildings, the South Building, has been refurbished and extended to create Renfrewshire House.
There will be a residential and retail development on the adjoining site of the former North Building.
Press release: Tuesday 5 February 2008
