Renfrewshire Council

Council budget 2021 to 2022

Key facts, budget investments including tackling inequalities and helping people most affected by the pandemic, enjoying the great outdoors, school and nursery building, social care and business boost.

The Council's 2021 to 2022 budget delivers a Council Tax freeze, providing households with some certainty at a time of financial challenge for many.

It supports Renfrewshire's recovery and renewal from the profound impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and continues significant capital investment when our economy needs it most, creating jobs, boosting growth, enabling town centre recovery and improving our digital connectivity, roads and paths.

Its focus remains on supporting inclusive economic growth, in local communities and in supporting the most vulnerable people in Renfrewshire.

Here's how our budget will be invested in Renfrewshire in 2021 to 2022.

Key facts

  • £449.8million budget
  • Council Tax freeze for 2021/22
  • Continuing the £443.5million capital investment programme
  • £2.7million to tackle inequalities and support people most affected by the Coronavirus pandemic
  • £2.5million investments to improve enjoyment and safety of outdoor spaces and enhance school facilities.
  • £1.7million of savings to support this budget
  • 2% inflationary increase in service charges
  • Confirmed Scottish Government grant of £351.2million

You can also download a  financial summary of our spending for 2021 to 2022 [175KB] .

Budget investments

Tackling inequalities and helping people most affected by the pandemic

Adding to targeted investment tackling poverty and changing the lives of people impacted by alcohol and drugs, we are investing £2.7million of combined Council and Scottish Government funding to tackle inequalities and support people in our communities most affected by the pandemic.

This funding will be targeted over the coming months, supporting our action plan developed collaboratively with our communities on what matters most to them, providing financial support and advice, access to digital services, physical and mental wellbeing and helping children, young people and families. 

Initial priorities include:

  • £250,000 additional funding for children and young people's mental health, with a focus on addressing trauma
  • £200,000 to extend the hugely successful Imagination Library book gifting pilot to all 2 to 5-year-old children in Renfrewshire
  • £180,000 for Who Cares? Scotland to support care experienced young people over the next three years
  • £200,000 in a specialist team to support and advocate for vulnerable private sector tenants, as temporary legal protections from eviction end
  • £100,000 to Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau to provide independent employment and redundancy rights advice when the furlough scheme closes
  • £100,000 further funding for the Discretionary Housing Payment fund to help people with housing costs
  • £30,000 to provide additional support to young carers, including respite care during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Enjoying the great outdoors

£2.3million in combined Council investment and a Cycling Walking Safer Streets grant will make improvements to ensure everyone can enjoy Renfrewshire's great outdoor spaces safely. 

This will see enhancements to Council-owned play areas, better walking routes at Clyde Muirshiel and the Gleniffer Braes and paths cleared in urban areas. 

It will also support studies to reduce traffic and promote safer walking within rural Renfrewshire villages.

School and nursery buildings

There is £750,000 funding for more school and nursery facility improvements, enabling a £2.4million two-year investment by the end of March 2022. 

This will see schools and nurseries benefit from playground and internal improvements, complementing significant ongoing investment to deliver .

School children and families will also see the benefits of £250,000 for safe road crossing facilities as part of improving safer walking routes to schools and nurseries.

Social care

Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) will benefit from £2.3million of additional recurring resources to protect and enhance adult social care services and continue implementation of the Carers Act. 

We are also supporting the Health and Social Care Partnership and social care providers to secure the Living Wage for all care staff helping Renfrewshire residents.

Business boost

Local businesses, shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs have faced immense pressure and challenge over the last 12 months.

Adding to the many Council and Scottish Government supports in place for Renfrewshire businesses, £100,000 will be used to create a grant scheme refunding licensed premises for license costs when they have been required by law to close.

We will also establish an incentive scheme supporting hot food businesses to move to bio-degradable packaging, building on the many actions under way to enhance the environment and tackle climate change.