Community and neighbourhood issues

Emergency supplies at home

You should aim to keep a range of supplies that can meet essential household needs for at least 3 days.

These could include:

• radio (and spare batteries) or wind-up radio
• torch (and spare batteries)
• candles and matches
• first aid kit
• details of local radio station frequencies
• copies of important documents, such as insurance policies and your household emergency plan
• bottled water and long-lasting, ready-to-eat food with a tin opener
• pet food, if needed
• spare keys to your house and vehicle
• spare glasses or contact lenses
• toiletries and prescription medicine (including for pets)
• pen and paper, penknife, and whistle
• wellies and waterproof clothing.

Additional checks to protect your home

Make sure you have household insurance that meets your needs and that you store important documents safely.

Familiarise yourself with the location of all your utility stop cocks in case you need to disconnect your water, electricity or gas supply.

If you or a member of your family has a specific health or medical problem that requires a permanent utility supply of water, gas or electricity, contact your supplier to register these details.

If you must evacuate your home

You should prepare a 'grab bag' with the items listed below ready in case you need to evacuate. 

You might need this at short notice, so you should keep the bag in a place that’s easy to reach.

Include these items in your grab bag:

• any medication you might need
• glasses or contact lenses
• first aid kit
• essential keys including house and car
• cash, credit and debit cards
• passport and any other important documents
• a change of clothing, footwear and sleeping attire
• washing, shaving and sanitary supplies
• any special items for babies, children, elderly and disabled people
• a torch, very small radio, and batteries
• mobile phone and charger
• supply of appropriate food and water
• bottle and can openers.

Make a household emergency plan

A household emergency plan is easy to make and can help you prepare for an emergency. 

Include these items in your household emergency plan:

• an emergency contact – someone who has agreed to contact you in the event of an emergency to ensure you’re okay
• important contact numbers and details – such as schools, carers, childminders, vets, workplaces, doctors, utility suppliers and any other important contact details
• meeting place details in case you and your family need to meet at a safe and suitable place – you should identify a place close to your home, and another that is further away, and ensure that everyone knows these locations
• contact details for your friends and any vulnerable people that live nearby – so you can check on them if it’s safe to do so
• any arrangements for emergencies that occur while you’re on holiday.

You should create more specific plans if you live or work near potentially dangerous places such as chemical plants or flood-prone areas.

It’s important to be prepared for a range of emergencies that could include:

• staying at home for an extended period
• evacuating your home.

Read the information on this page to ensure you’ve prepared your home for emergencies.

Snow and ice

Gritting

Read our full guide on gritting in winter weather, which covers:

• what roads and footpaths we'll grit
• how to find and use grit bins
• how to report a road that needs clearing
• and more.

Supporting those around you

If you're worried about a relative or elderly neighbour, get advice by:

• phoning us on 0300 300 0300
• phoning the Age UK helpline on 0800 678 1602 (8am to 7pm every day).

If you're concerned that the person may have hypothermia, phone 111 to contact NHS 24.

Get more tips on preparing for and coping with the winter months (Ready Scotland website).

Flooding

Report blocked drains or severe flooding

Report a blocked drain or flooding issue online.

If it’s an emergency, phone us on 0300 300 0380.

Find out if you live in a flood risk area

Find out if you live in a flood risk area (SEPA website). Enter your postcode to see a map showing flood risk in your area.

To get flood updates, you can:

• sign up for flood updates (SEPA website)
• check with Floodline by phoning 0345 988 1188.

Check expected flooding in the next three days (SEPA website).

How to prepare for flooding

Get information about preparing for flooding on the Ready Scotland website.

The information includes:

• how to prepare a food plan and family emergency kit
• steps to take to prepare your home for flooding
• what you need to remember during a flooding incident.

Our priorities during a flooding incident

Our priority at the council is to act immediately on any threat or danger to life. We work closely with the emergency services in sharing our resources.

We’ll have teams on site at known hotspots to clear standing water and clear overwhelmed drains.

We may have teams working to take down dangerous trees if the flooding is accompanied by gale force winds.

Evacuation from an area (by us or emergency services) is done only when absolutely necessary. In the event of evacuation, we’ll set up a rest centre close by to accommodate you.

How to recover from a flooding incident

Get information about recovering from flooding on the Ready Scotland website.

The information includes:

• steps to take before attempting to re-enter your home
• tips on who to contact for help
• resources for those affected by flooding.

Frozen pipes

Avoid frozen or burst pipes

Ensuring pipes and water tanks are insulated is an easy, affordable way to protect your home from winter weather.

Find out how to protect your pipes from freezing and bursting (Scottish Water website).

If your pipes freeze or burst:

• turn off the stop valve immediately – this is usually located under the sink or close to the hot water system
• turn on all cold taps to drain the system – do not turn on hot taps, as this can cause the hot water cylinder to collapse
• flush all toilets – collect water in the bath for washing and flushing the toilet, if needed
• switch off the central heating and immersion heater.

Ensure that you have a number for a registered plumber if your pipes do freeze or burst.

If the issue is with a burst water main, phone Scottish Water on 0345 601 8855.

If you live in a council home

Find out more about preventing frozen pipes or reporting a burst pipe.

If you live in a council home, find out how to report a housing repair.

Fallen trees

Phone us on 0300 300 0380 to report a fallen tree.

As a council, we’re prepared to deal with winter or severe weather before, during and after it happens. This is to ensure that we keep you safe and moving throughout the winter period.

Read the information on this page to ensure you’re prepared for:

• snow and ice
• flooding
• frozen pipes
• fallen trees.

Check UK weather warnings (Met Office website).

Emergencies 

Phone 999.

Non-emergencies

Phone 101 to contact the police in an urgent situation that is not an emergency.

Medical help and advice

Phone 111 to contact NHS 24 for urgent but not life-threatening medical help and advice.

Emergency Alerts

Emergency Alerts is a UK Government service that will warn you if there's a danger to life nearby.

In an emergency, your mobile phone or tablet will receive an alert with advice about how to stay safe.

You may get alerts about severe flooding, fires or extreme weather.

Learn more about Emergency Alerts on the UK Government website.

Flooding

Phone us on 0300 300 0380 to report an emergency flooding issue.

Report a blocked drain or non-emergency flooding issue online. 

Power cuts

Phone 105 to report a power cut.

To contact Scottish Power directly, phone them on 0800 092 9290.

If there are exposed cables or damaged equipment, that’s an emergency – phone 999.

Learn more about preparing for and dealing with a power cut (Power Cut 105 website).

Gas emergencies

Phone 0800 111 999 to report a gas emergency to the National Gas Emergency Service.

Water issues

To report a water issue to Scottish Water:

• phone 0800 077 8778
• report a water issue online (Scottish Water website).

Council services

Phone us on 0300 300 0380 to report another emergency.

If you live in a council home, find out how to report a housing repair.

This is a list of phone numbers and other contact details for different types of urgent situations.

A statutory nuisance is noise, smoke, smells, fumes, dust, artificial light, water, insects, animals, or other problems from an industrial, trade or business premises that are a nuisance or a risk to public health, as defined in the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

It includes:

• the state of premises
• smoke emitted from premises
• fumes or gases emitted from premises
• dust, steam, smell, or other effluvia arising on industrial, trade or business premises
• an accumulation or deposit
• any water covering land or land covered with water
• animals
• any insects emanating from premises
• artificial light emitted from premises or a stationary object
• noise emitted from premises
• noise from a vehicle, machinery, or equipment in a road
• any other matter declared by any enactment to be a statutory nuisance.

You can make a complaint about something you think is a statutory nuisance. 
 

Before you make a statutory nuisance complaint, it would help if you can tell us:

• what type of nuisance it is (noise, emissions, light, pollution, animals etc.)
• where it is, such as the address of the building, premises, or site
• how long it has been an issue, when you first noticed it, or how often it happens
• the names of any people involved
• any other details or description of the issue, such as flooding, smells, or sounds.

You can also send us photos or videos if you have them.
 

If you think you’re affected by a statutory nuisance, contact us by: 

• email e-prot.es@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• phone 0300 300 0300.

We’ll investigate your complaint to determine if it’s a statutory nuisance, as defined in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 on legislation.gov.uk. 

We’ll initially see if it can be resolved informally.

If we need to take formal action, we’ll issue an abatement notice to the person responsible. This is an official notice to stop, restrict, or fix the issue.

It’s an offence to not comply with an abatement notice, and this could result in the person responsible getting a fine or being reported to the Prosecutor Fiscal.

If they do not stop the nuisance within a specified timescale, we can issue them with a fine.

The fines are:

• £150 if it’s in a home, residential property, garden, yard, garage, or outhouse
• Up to £400 if it’s on a commercial, industrial, or other business premises.

If we must carry out works to stop the nuisance, the person responsible will have to pay the costs, as well as a fee of £176.25, or 12.5% of the costs if this is higher.

We’ll keep you updated with the progress of your complaint and let you know if we’re taking enforcement action to resolve the issue. 

Winter Connections is a network of local places and spaces where people can connect with others in their community this winter. 

It encourages people to come together this winter to take part in activities that will improve health and wellbeing, reduce isolation and provide people with advice and support if they need it.

The events and activities are free, in every neighbourhood and everyone is welcome. 

We're also working with people and organisations hosting Winter Connections events and spaces to help people get extra information and support if they need it.

If you’re a local group or organisation who can offer a community venue, run an activity, or would like to open up your existing activity, get in touch with us to become a Winter Connections host. 

What we’ll do for you:

• We'll give you a toolkit with information and materials, including information on local help and support available for residents.
• We'll promote your event or activity as part of the Winter Connections programme.
• We'll offer you support and advice around how to offer inclusive and safe environments.
• We'll connect community venues with groups who can offer activities and connect activities with venues.

We can offer some funding to support the costs.

The fund is open to voluntary and community organisations that have a constitution and a bank account. Funding is not available for applications to support individuals.

Your organisation can apply for projects that support wellbeing and reduce isolation over the winter period of 2025 to 2026.

We want Winter Connections activities to be available in every neighbourhood in Renfrewshire, available at different times and for residents of all ages. This may affect how we decide and allocate the funding.

You can use the grant to develop new projects or to expand existing activities where people can come together.

Examples of projects that can be funded include:

• a new cooking project where ingredients are provided
• projects that bring people from different backgrounds together, such as different cultures or age groups
• tablet or device classes for older people
• projects supporting people living with mental illness
• lunch clubs
• crafting or 'making' activities
• classes with a focus on physical activity
• classes which provide and show how to install simple energy efficiency measures.

The fund can be used towards costs like:

• equipment
• food
• energy costs
• renting a space for the activity
• cleaning
• costs for additional staff for the activities or events.

Projects and activities should be:

• open, free and easy to access (this can be open to all within a particular age or targeted group)
• inclusive, welcoming, respectful and safe
• willing to connect people to other services and support
• able to offer warm drinks, snacks or food along with activities, where possible.

You cannot use it for:

• one-off activities, like an open or fun day
• anything that charges people to take part
• events to raise funds for other charities
• costs for activities that have already taken place
• projects where no activities will take place.

Even though many organisations will be closed over Christmas, we welcome applications that will run activities during the festive period.

We have £75,000 of funding available for the Winter Connections programme. The fund opens on Monday 22 September 2025.

Local community and voluntary organisations based in Renfrewshire can apply for a grant of up to £2,000.

If you’re co-ordinating several events in partnership with a range of local groups (for example, as a bigger community venue), we may be able to offer a larger award. Email Andrena Faulkner at andrena.faulkner@renfrewshire.gov.uk to discuss this.

Your application should describe:

• the specific activity your organisation wants to host
• how it meets the needs of the local community
• how it meets the Winter Connections principles to make sure the programme is inclusive, safe, and stigma-free.

We recommend you apply as soon as you can, as there may be a high demand for this funding.

Conditions of the grant

If you’re awarded funding, you must accept and comply with Renfrewshire Council's standard grant terms and conditions. 

When you’ve used the funding, you'll need to report back to us on the impact the project has had. 

We’ll promote projects which receive funding from us as part of the Renfrewshire Winter Connections programme. When you are promoting your own project or activity, you'll also need to make clear your project is part of the Winter Connections programme.

In addition to complying with the council’s grant terms and conditions, organisations should consider the Scottish Government’s Fair Work First Guidance (gov.scot website). The current guidance stipulates that from 1 July 2023 all organisation receiving public sector grants should be paying staff at least the Real Living Wage and providing effective channels for employee voice.

Apply for the Winter Connections Fund

If you cannot apply online, or if you need a paper copy or support to apply, email Andrena Faulkner at andrena.faulkner@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

Winter Connections funding for this year has now closed.

How we decide who gets funding

A panel of staff from Renfrewshire Council, Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and Engage Renfrewshire will review and make a decision on each application. We may get in touch with you for further information about your project before making a decision.

We will award the grants from mid-October. The fund will remain open until all the funding has been allocated.

If you're awarded funding

If you've applied, make sure you have ready:

• a copy of your organisation's constitution
• a recent bank statement and
• a copy of your accounts or an income and expenditure statement.

If your application is successful, we will contact you if we do not already have a recent copy of these documents on file. This means we can process and award the funding promptly.

If you are awarded funding from the grant, you must use it by the end of March 2026.

If you’d like more information on the priorities of Winter Connections or to find out about other funding, email Andrena Faulkner at andrena.faulkner@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

Who it's for

Everyone is welcome at our Winter Connections spaces. This includes families with children, young people, adults, over 60s, and everyone in between.

Winter Connections events held during the winter months of 2025 and early 2026 have finished.

Winter Connections is a programme of events and activities across Renfrewshire that are open to everyone.

Winter Connections is built on relationships, places and communities that already exist.

Our spaces are open, free and easy to access. The events and activities are about feeling good and having fun.

Our hosts will provide inclusive, welcoming, respectful, and safe places.

We have separate information available if you'd like to apply for funding to be a Winter Connections host.

Antisocial behaviour is acting or behaving in a way that causes alarm or distress to a person in another household.

It can include:

• noise
• shouting, swearing or fighting
• intimidation, threats or harassment
• abusive behaviour, verbal abuse or name calling
• dumping rubbish
• drug use or drug dealing
• animal problems
• damage to property, vandalism or graffiti.

If the issue is with a neighbour, speaking with them may help resolve the issue without us being involved. Make sure you feel comfortable approaching them and are not putting yourself or them at risk.

You can get advice from Citizens Advice Scotland about resolving neighbour disputes, including noise, antisocial behaviour, boundary and garden disputes or damage and repairs. 

You can also look at getting independent legal advice (Citizens Advice Scotland website).

We also have a free mediation service that can help you resolve difficulties with your neighbours.

Remember to always keep yourself safe. 

Antisocial behaviour in a public place

Contact our community support wardens on 0300 300 0380 (option 1) or contact Police Scotland online or phone 101 to report antisocial behaviour in a public place including:

• an ongoing disturbance
• drug misuse or suspected drug dealing
• other criminal activity.

The Council have no powers to deal with the smell of drugs on a premises.

Call 999 if it's an emergency.

Noise

If you:

• have an issue with noise from a domestic premises, including excessive TV noise, dog barking or persistent DIY.
• are disturbed by burglar alarms or industrial and commercial noise.

Find out what you can do about noise nuisance.

Use of domestic CCTV systems

We don't have any legal enforcement powers in relation to the use of CCTV in a domestic setting. 

You can find out more about the use of domestic CCTV systems (Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) website).

If you're a private homeowner

You can contact our community support wardens on 0300 300 0380 (option 1) or email wardens.es@renfrewshire.gov.uk 

If you're a council tenant

Report antisocial behaviour in a domestic property to your local housing officer.

Call 0300 300 0222 and choose the option for your local housing team or email:

• johnstone.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• paisley.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• renfrew.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

Your local housing officer will try to improve the situation, which may include or speaking with you neighbours. 

You may also be given access to an antisocial behaviour app, to help you log what is happening and when it takes place.

If this doesn't resolve the issue, the local housing officer will escalate it to our Antisocial Behaviour Investigation Team.

Outside of office hours, contact our community support wardens on 0300 300 0380 and select option 1 or email wardens.es@renfrewshire.gov.uk. 

If you're a housing association tenant

If you are a housing association tenant, contact your housing association in the first instance.

If you're a private tenant

You should speak to your landlord.

If your landlord can't help, you can contact our community support wardens on 0300 300 0380 and select option 1 or email wardens.es@renfrewshire.gov.uk 

We'll investigate your complaint and if we consider it antisocial behaviour, we will work with your neighbour to change their behaviour. 

If other methods, like speaking to the people involved or mediation have not worked or if the person does not change their behaviour, we may take legal action, such as applying for an Antisocial Behaviour Order (ASBO).

You can remain anonymous when reporting antisocial behaviour, but this limits our options to resolve the issue.

Neighbourhood Watch Scotland

Neighbourhood Watch Scotland brings local people together to address crime and other community safety issues.

Neighbourhood Watch groups often liaise with the local police, the local authority and other agencies. 

Find out more about setting up a Neighbourhood Watch, or check if there's already one where you live, on the Neighbourhood Watch Scotland website.

If you don't have a Neighbourhood Watch, you can sign up for email alerts about issues affecting your area. You'll get advice on what to do and a point of contact for reporting the issue.

If you have a problem with domestic noise, you can make a complaint to our Noise Enforcement Team.

If it's noise from children

Everyday noise from play or family life involving children is not antisocial behaviour and is classed as normal living noise.

In certain circumstances involving excessive noise, we may investigate the complaint.

If you have concerns about the welfare of a child or young person you can get more information and advice on our child protection page.

If it's dogs barking

What you can do about dog barking, taking legal action, what happens at a court hearing.

If it's a burglar alarm

Complaints are regularly received about noise from burglar alarms. Let the council and police know who holds a key for your alarm system. 

This can be done by filling out a burglar alarm notification form and sending completed copies to environmental services and Police Scotland. 

This will allow us to contact the key holder and have the alarm checked.

If it's industrial or commercial noise

Noise from industrial or commercial premises, such as construction sites, pubs and clubs or mobile food outlets, is a .

To report noise from an industrial or commercial premises, contact our Environmental Improvements Team.

You can call the Noise Enforcement Team on 077 6898 8186 from:

• 8.45am to 4.45pm, Mondays to Thursdays
• 8.45am to 3.55pm on Fridays.

Outside these hours you can call Police Scotland on 101 about noise complaints.

An officer will investigate your complaint and, where noise is caused by antisocial behaviour and is found to exceed permitted levels, the perpetrator may be issued with a warning notice under the Antisocial Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004.

Failure to comply with a warning notice may result in a £100 fixed penalty notice being issued.