Renfrewshire Council

Work continues to create the appropriate working environment for our Renfrewshire HSCP (1st floor), Justice Social Work (ground floor), Child Care Social Work (lower ground), and their respective business support colleagues who relocated from Abbey House at the end of last year.

Due to the nature of their work and their bespoke requirements for family rooms, confidential and safe spaces, meeting rooms and storage space, a considerable amount of work was required to prepare the spaces and we expect the work to be completed this Summer.

In the meantime, our Justice Social Work colleagues have been given sole use of the Atrium Meeting room, and this room is no longer available to book.

Abbey House is now closed and has been handed back to the landlord, as part of a wider review of all properties (owned or leased) by the Council to assess and identify opportunities to reduce our portfolio. This will ensure we can continue to invest in the right properties that meet the needs of our employees, communities, and partners.

Given the reduction in available meeting rooms, as a result of the moves, work is ongoing to identify where we can build additional rooms across the building, in order to meet the demand.

We are currently working with our Children's Services colleagues to agree how they can utilise their space on 3rd floor south, and recently upgraded their desks and furniture, using the equipment we removed from Abbey House. This is in line with our ambition to recycle existing equipment and furniture where at all possible.

Once complete, we will turn our attention to 2nd floor south, where our Chief Executive and Finance colleagues are based, and initial discussions have already taken place to understand each team's requirement.

You may have seen the recent press coverage regarding new tenants moving into Renfrewshire House. Though we are in discussions with other public sector organisations about potential relocation to the building, no decisions have been made at this stage. If, and when a decision is made, you will hear directly from us. 

Parking at Renfrewshire House

Following discussions with the Corporate Management Team (CMT), work is underway to re-introduce a car parking charge following its previous suspension during the pandemic. Each service will be allocated permits based on the number of staff/desks at Renfrewshire House.

Permits will cost £30, every four weeks, for Renfrewshire House and £20 for Saucel Crescent Car Park. An Expression of Interest form will be shared in the coming weeks to understand demand. Should demand outstrip supply, each service will be expected to undertake a ballot for the spaces.

Essential works have now started in Renfrewshire House car park, leading to a reduced number of spaces and changes to the traffic flow in the car park. These works are expected to last until April, and we will keep you updated on progress.

Abbey Place car park

We are continuing to receive regular complaints from our neighbours in Abbey Place, about council colleagues parking in their spaces. This is a private car park, and residents are currently exploring options, including Penalty Charge Notices, clamps, and stickers.

Additionally, if anyone is found to be parking here moving forward, then consideration will be given to disciplinary action.

If the car park at Renfrewshire House is full, one nearby alternative is Saucel Crescent Car Park. It has 65 spaces, is a short walk (behind Abbey Chemist building) from Renfrewshire House, and for the time being parking here (Monday to Friday) is free of charge for all council employees.

Next steps

In the coming months we'll continue to monitor the usage of Renfrewshire House, to ensure teams are using their dedicated space, and if not, whether this can be used by other teams who are regularly working out of the building.

We are also looking at the usage of other council buildings which will align with the strategic property review, and we'll continue to keep you up to date as we progress.

Published on Tuesday 27 February 2024