Community and neighbourhood issues

Erskine Arts' Book Club and Mini Library will be open every Monday from 6pm to 8pm, from 2 November 2026 to 22 March 2027 (excluding 2 weeks at Christmas).

You can come along and get a warm drink, snack, and enjoy some quality time with others to read, discuss, catch-up, or borrow books. 

The Book Club will meet once per month with regular catch-ups via WhatsApp and email.

The library will be available Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm, if you fancy grabbing or donating books.

Erskine Arts will have a sign up sheet if you fancy the book club. It's drop-in, so no need to book ahead of time.

If you have any questions or would like more information, email wellbeing@erskinearts.co.uk. 

• Email info@erskinearts.co.uk

Enforcement

Police Scotland will enforce the rules in any approved zones. Breaking the rules could lead to a fine or prosecution.

Renfrewshire Council's current position

Renfrewshire Council has agreed to use firework control zone powers.

To date, no requests received have met the criteria.  

A firework control zone (FCZ) is a defined geographical area in which it is illegal to use fireworks on private domestic property.  

The Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 introduced a discretionary power for councils to designate firework control zones, where there is evidence that this can resolve a problem.

Zones are designed to reduce harm caused by fireworks, such as:

• noise and disruption
• distress to animals
• impact on vulnerable people
• anti-social behaviour
• environmental damage.

Residents and community groups can apply to have a zone in their area.

Zones must be evidence-based, limited solely to areas, dates and times where it can make a difference, and subject to an extensive consultation process outlined in the Guidance on Firework control zones for Local Authorities (Scottish Government).

Renfrewshire Council is responsible for establishing zones after an application has been accepted.

Breaches of an established zone are enforced by Police Scotland.

You can apply if you're part of a:

• community group (with at least 25 signatures)
• welfare or support organisation
• Community Council
• Local Partnership Area.

A firework control zone can:

• ban fireworks in gardens and private spaces
• let communities request zones
• apply rules to specific areas and times
• help tackle social problems
• make illegal use a criminal offence.

A firework control zone cannot:

• ban organised public displays, such as weddings or council events
• stop shops from selling fireworks
• cover large areas, like whole towns
• stop bonfires or noise from travelling
• be used as a quick fix or first option.

What to include in your request

Your request should explain:

• what the problem is (things such as noise, safety, animal distress)
• where the zone should be
• when it should start and end.

Apply for a firework control zone

Email us on at RCSP@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you want a paper version of the application form. 

Applications are open from Monday 16 November 2026 to Sunday 31 January 2027.

When to apply

Applications will open from Monday 16 November 2026 to Sunday 31 January 2027.

We'll review your application within 4 weeks. 

If it can proceed to the next stage, we'll ask you for supporting evidence.

The evidence you provide must be provable. 

You can read details about what is considered as relevant evidence in the Guidance on Firework control zones for Local Authorities (Scottish Government).

Stages of review

The stages of the review process are:

1. Review panel - in early March, a team from the council and partner organisations will look at all evidenced requests. If your request is rejected, you'll get feedback - and you won't be able to reapply for the same area for 12 months.
2. Consultation - if your request is accepted, we'll run a public consultation from late April to late July. We'll ask people who live or work in the area, nearby communities, and relevant organisations for their views.
3. Decision - we'll publish the final decision by 15 August. If approved, the zone will come into force by 15 October.

Travelling during bad weather

If you must travel during bad weather, make sure you:

• keep up to date with the latest weather forecasts, and check them a day or more in advance
• consider alternative routes and modes of transport in case your preferred route is unavailable
• allow extra time for your journey
• tell someone your destination and when you expect to arrive
• ensure your mobile phone is charged before you set off
• wear clothes that are appropriate for the weather.

Public transport

Check for public transport disruptions before you start your journey (Traveline Scotland website).

Walking or cycling

When cycling or walking, wear clothes that ensure you’re visible to road users. Your clothes should be light, bright and reflective. 

You should also wear clothes that are appropriate for the weather.

If cycling, consider treaded tyres for slippery surfaces. Regularly give your bike a routine maintenance check.

Driving

Before travelling by car during bad weather, make sure you:

• check the latest traffic updates (Traffic Scotland website)
• ensure your tyres are at the correct pressure and are in good condition
• check that your bulbs are all clean and working
• keep your washer levels topped up and have checked that your wiper blades are working
• check your fuel, brake fluid, anti-freeze, water and oil levels
• check the terms of your breakdown cover – if you do not have breakdown cover, you should look into getting this
• pack an emergency car kit.

Emergency car kits should include:

• a torch
• spare batteries
• a change of clothes and shoes
• a blanket
• long-lasting food and water
• a first aid kit
• battery jump leads
• a map
• an ice scraper, de-icer, towel and snow shovel.

Read the information on this page to help prepare for travel during bad weather and make sure you stay safe.

Power cuts

Power cuts could happen at any time.

Read these tips to help you prepare for a power cut and loss of other utilities (Ready Scotland website).

Phone 105, now your power provider, if you have an unexpected power cut.

Read these tips on what to do during a power cut (Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website).

Planned power cuts

Planned power cuts could last for several hours. This ensures power providers share the power supply fairly with their customers. Power providers will usually let you know if to expect a planned power cut, but this might not be possible during an emergency.

Loss of water

Check if there are any water outages in your area (Scottish Water website) if you lose your water supply.

Contact Scottish Water (Scottish Water website) if you need to speak to someone about it.

Loss of gas

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

It’s important to be prepared in case your home ever has a loss of utilities.

Read the information on this page to help prepare for a loss of your power, water or gas supply.

What you can do in your community

Emergencies affect people in different ways. They disrupt people's lives and can affect the way people cope. When living in a community, it’s a good idea to think about the people in your surrounding area.

You could:

• keep a list of phone numbers of vulnerable neighbours and relatives
• visit older neighbours and ensure that they have what they need and know that you’re there if they need support
• offer to help with shopping or any other essential tasks
• if there is ice or snow, clear it from pathways around your home and your neighbour's home
• encourage younger people to help older generations.
• All work done by the community should be safe and appropriate. We do not expect anyone to take unnecessary risks during an emergency.

Community Risk Register

A Community Risk Register helps inform the public of a range of potentially disruptive events to the local area based on current risk assessments.

If a particular risk is on your community’s register, it does not necessarily mean that the risk will happen.

Find the Community Risk Register for your area (Fire Scotland website).

Community Resilience Plan

A Community Resilience Plan is a way for your community to come together to think about what it could do to:

• be prepared for an emergency
• assist the emergency services during an emergency.

Local people will be key to getting information around communities during an emergency.

Learn more about community resilience (Ready Scotland website).

British Red Cross emergency apps

The British Red Cross has free apps available to help you prepare for emergencies.

Browse emergency apps on the British Red Cross website.

The resources, knowledge and networks of local communities can be very helpful during an emergency.

The emergency services may be unable to assist or reach the scene of an emergency immediately. If this happens, the initial response may depend on the local community.

This is not about doing the job of the emergency services. It’s about supporting your community and those in it by preparing and using the skills and knowledge within the community.

Read the information on this page to help prepare your community for emergencies.

How to prepare your business for an emergency

Your business could be severely affected by an emergency.

Taking the time now to consider how you would cope will better equip your response to an incident.

For example, have you planned how you would carry on your core business if your premises were affected by a fire or a flood?

To help your response to an emergency, you can:

• prepare a business grab bag
• create a business continuity plan.

Business continuity planning

1 in 5 organisations suffer a major disruption every year.

80% of businesses affected by a major incident – that do not have business continuity planning arrangements in place – either close within 18 months or never re-open.

Business continuity planning will help you to understand and manage the risks to the everyday risks faced by your organisation. 

It will help you prepare for emergencies or disruptions by planning different ways of working that enable you to continue to deliver key functions.

View our business continuity planning leaflet to help you assess your current business continuity planning arrangements. It also has ideas to improve the resilience of your business.

Cyber security and information assurance

Companies or individuals who initiate active attacks on others may do so for a range of reasons, such as to breach national security or to take part in acts of terrorism, crime, or industrial espionage.  

To protect against such attacks, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) advises businesses to consider the following questions and to keep these under constant review:

• who would want access to your information, and how could they acquire it
• how could they benefit from its use
• can they sell it, amend it or prevent staff or customers from accessing it
• how damaging would loss of data be, and how would it affect your operations?

Carelessness is the cause of many cyber failures – for example, failure to encrypt a USB stick or when staff ignore corporate procedures regarding external emails.

Here are some steps you can take to ensure the safety of your information and to minimise the risks of a successful cyber-attack:

• keep track of authorised and unauthorised devices and software
• organise both hardware and software on laptops, workstations and servers
• continually review vulnerability assessments
• install defences against harmful software
• introduce and promote training for staff
• limit and control network ports
• control use of desktops – for example, using strong passwords that follow known standards
• keep detailed logs identifying the location, malicious software deployed, and activity of the machine affected
• control access to facilities, information and systems on a need-to-know basis
• monitor staff accounts appropriately
• establish data loss prevention techniques
• embed incident response plans to protect your organisation’s reputation
• maintain a secure network
• reinforce staff messages around vigilance – for example, only opening emails from trusted senders and reporting breaches of security.

More information

Here are some non-council resources on preparing your business for emergencies:

• business continuity in an emergency (Ready Scotland website)
• the Business Continuity Institute website
• the National Cyber Security Centre website
• the Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland website.

It’s important to be prepared for a range of emergencies that could affect your business, including:

• physical emergencies, such as fire or flood
• cyber emergencies, including cyber attacks.

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

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
• sleeping bags or duvets
• bottled water and tinned food
• 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 prepare for a range of emergencies that could include:

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

Read the information on this page and download our household emergency planning booklet 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).