Major new development set for Paisley

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A major residential and commercial development is set to be created in Paisley town centre.

Plans have been announced to develop 117 flats in four apartment blocks with associated car parking spaces and 890 square metres of commercial space at ground floor level.

The proposals are being taken forward as part of the redevelopment of the headquarters of Renfrewshire Council. Currently the council HQ occupies two office blocks in Cotton Street, Paisley. Later this year, the 4500 council staff located there will begin the move into a refurbished £13.5million headquarters on the site of the existing south block.

Having found that repairs to the 1970’s built headquarters buildings would have cost between £18 and £20 million, Renfrewshire Council opted to refurbish and expand one of its HQ blocks. The move will bring about a modern working environment for staff and be more accessible for customers. A customer service centre will provide a ‘one stop shop’ approach to deliver council services.

Renfrewshire Council has now completed a tendering process for the disposal of land currently occupied by the north building section of the HQ. Councillors accepted the proposal from Westpoint Homes Ltd which is now the preferred bidder for the acquisition and redevelopment of the site.

Subject to contracts being concluded and planning permission being granted, the site will be made available to the developer in 2008.

Councillor John Kenny, who has the general management remit at Renfrewshire Council, said, “We were particularly keen to secure a high quality development given the importance of the the town centre location. The refurbished council HQ will deliver better customer service. Alongside that, the programme has created this option for development which will contribute to the regeneration of Paisley. All the presentations to the council’s HQ selection panel were of a high calibre. The proposal from Westpoint should enhance the area and compliment the council’s substantial investment in our headquarters programme.”

Press release 30 June 2006