86% of residents think Renfrewshire is a good place to live. 
Planning and Transport
Home > About Renfrewshire > About the Council > External Audit > Best Value Audit
“The department of planning and transport provides effective regeneration activities through an integrated approach to planning, economic development and transport.”
Our department of planning and transport involves planning, economic development and roads services working to regenerate the area and create sustainable employment opportunities.Our planning service is highlighted in the audit for its approach to major developments such as Renfrew Riverside. By co-ordinating the various development proposals involved in a ‘master plan’, the service can take account of the views of landowners, potential developers and the Council and ensure that the infrastructure is in place to sustain communities.
In the case of Renfrew Riverside, planning consent for major residential or leisure developments on the Braehead site, such as the Xscape entertainment centre, are accompanied with new proposals to revitalise Renfrew town centre, including improved pedestrian links, townscape enhancements and new employment and business opportunities.
The economic development service works to attract investment and stimulate growth in Renfrewshire by helping long term unemployed people into sustainable employment and sustaining an appropriately skilled workforce. This might involve helping residents to compete for jobs by providing employability training or it might be a case of removing barriers to work by assisting with transport or childcare cost. 428 people were placed in training or further education in 2004/05, exceeding the target of 300, and 747 people were assisted into jobs through employment initiatives compared to a target of 450.
The audit also reports on the work of our roads service to introduce a new roads asset management system to meet Scottish Executive targets for roads maintenance. The new system will enable roads maintenance to be prioritised so that the worst roads are treated first. The Council has also put in place an £8 million programme to improve roads.
