Planning and land

There are 3 steps to help resolve issues with your address not being recognised.

1. If you’re having problems choosing your address for deliveries or with utilities providers, tell us by email addressenquiries@renfrewshire.gov.uk. We'll attempt to resolve the problem and tell delivery and utility companies.
2. Apply to have your address formally confirmed by us so that other organisations can recognise it.
3. Request that your property has its address changed, such as the addition or change of a name.

You need to be the resident at the address having the issues.

You can apply to have your address formally confirmed by us so that other organisations can recognise it.

You can request that your property has its address changed, such as the addition or change of a name.

What you cannot use it for

This service is for an existing property only.

If your property is being created from a new-build, merger or sub-division, and requires an official address, see [ request street naming and numbering for new developments. ]

Step 1: problem with your address

If you're having problems choosing your address for deliveries or with utilities providers, we'll attempt to resolve the problem and tell delivery and utility companies.

Tell us by email addressenquiries@renfrewshire.gov.uk   

Step 2: official confirmation of your existing property's address

You can apply to have your address formally confirmed by us so that other organisations can recognise it.

It costs £84 to confirm an address.

Apply online:

Confirmation of existing property address 

Step 3: request an address change

You can request that your property has its address changed, such as the addition or change of a name.

It costs £84 to change a property name or number.

Apply online:

Change of property name or number

After you've submitted your request for an official confirmation of your existing property's address, we'll contact you with details of how to make a payment and what we'll do next.

After you've submitted your request for a change of property name or number, we'll contact you with details of how to make a payment if you did not do this during your application.

We aim to acknowledge an application or request within 5 working days. Completion of the service will vary depending on the type of query or request, but in all circumstances we'll try to resolve it as soon as possible.

All changes to property numbers or names and to street names will follow the Street Naming and Numbering Protocol.

We'll only change street names or numbers where there is a clear and unavoidable need to resolve confusion or an error.

There’s no cost for the first step where we attempt to resolve issues you have in selecting your address for deliveries and with utilities providers.

It costs £84 to have your address formally confirmed by us.

It costs £84 to change a property name or number.

As a developer you need to make an application to have new street names or property numbers allocated when work starts on site.

You need to be the developer or agent working on behalf of the developer.

If you’re creating property as a new-build, merger or sub-division you’ll need to request an official address so that the property is recognised by emergency services, public utility companies and Royal Mail.

What you cannot use it for

This service is for new developments only. If you’re having problems with an existing address, find out how to make an enquiry about your address or request an address change.

You'll need to provide:

• approved planning and building warrant permissions
• plans showing the layout of the development.

The plans that you upload should:

• be in electronic format, preferably PDF files
• clearly identify all new streets and properties being created
• be for each floor with new properties, so that for flats or sub-divided properties you can get a separate address for each unit.

You can also include suggestions for street names.

Apply for street naming and numbering  

We aim to acknowledge an application or request within 5 working days. Completion of the service will vary depending on the type of query or request, but in all circumstances, we'll try to resolve it as soon as possible.

If you do not make a payment when you completed the form you need to make the payment before we allocate new addresses.

Once all new addresses have been allocated and approved, we'll send details to people and organisations who need to keep up-to-date records, such as the emergency services, public utility companies and Royal Mail.

All street names and property numbers will follow the Street Naming and Numbering Protocol.

It costs £199.50 for each new street name.

The cost for each new property depends on how many properties you are building.

The Town Centre Regeneration Fund is a grant to help bring vacant, underused or derelict properties in Renfrewshire’s town centres back into use.

Specifically, it’s for where redevelopment of a significant local building or site has stalled because:

• there is a funding gap
• the cost of construction work or supplies has gone up
• restoring older buildings is complex and can require specialist skills
• economic downturns or shifts in demand can impact a project’s viability.

To qualify for funding, you must have legal ownership of the property or site, or a long-term leasehold interest (a minimum 10 years).

Your property must be:

• located in a town centre in Renfrewshire
• currently vacant, underused, or derelict
• of strategic importance including, for example, has heritage value, is prominent, or has high visibility
• potential to stimulate wider regeneration and growth in the locality.

There must be no outstanding legal disputes or legal issues with the premises or site that would delay redevelopment.

The Town Centre Regeneration Fund is provided as Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) under the UK Subsidy Control Act 2022, and applicants may be required to confirm that total MFA received does not exceed £315,000 over the current and previous 2 financial years.

To be eligible for the Town Centre Regeneration Fund, applicants who are employers must be Fair Work First employers. Read more guidance on Fair Work First (gov.scot PDF). 

Your project proposal must aim to bring the property or site back into viable and productive use.

This could include commercial, cultural, community, residential, or mixed-use developments, providing they comply with the relevant planning policies.

The grant should be used for a substantive programme of works which might include:

• preparatory works
  • site clearance or demolition of non-heritage structures
  • temporary works to stabilise or secure a building
  • asbestos removal or treatment of contaminated land.
  • essential structural repairs to make the building safe or usable
• physical works
  • roof repairs or replacements
  • external fabric repairs, including windows, masonry, or facades
  • internal adaptations or refurbishments to change how the place will be used
• heritage and conservation works
  • restoration of historically significant architectural features
  • work to comply with conservation or listed building consents
  • sensitive adaptations to allow modern use while retaining heritage value
• accessibility and compliance  
  • improvements to meet building regulations like fire safety, accessibility, or energy efficiency
  • installation of ramps, lifts, or accessible toilets
• project management and oversight
  • reasonable project management or contract administration costs. 

What you cannot use it for

You cannot use the funding for:

• buying or renting land or property
• marketing and promotional costs
• general maintenance not linked to redevelopment
• VAT (unless it is non-recoverable)
• feasibility studies and option appraisals
• professional fees relating to design for example the costs for architects, engineers, surveyors, or planning consultants
• planning application and building consent fees.

Information you need to provide

Your proposal should show how it will:

• contribute to local economic growth – for example, job creation or increased footfall
• enhance the vitality and attractiveness of the town centre or local area
• encourage sustainable neighbourhoods, sustainable links, or enhancements to greenspace
• align with local regeneration strategies and community priorities.

You need to have:

• a deliverable project with detailed designs that are fully costed
• a robust and realistic delivery plan and timeline, which can begin within 12 months of you getting the grant
• the relevant planning or building warrant permissions or confirmation that you intend to apply for consents.

You need to provide evidence:

• of any market failure which has prevented redevelopment to date
• of actions taken so far to try to bring the building back into reuse
• that without public sector intervention, the project cannot go ahead due to a funding gap or issues affecting commercial viability, such as high remediation costs related to contamination, high land values, or construction costs.

You must explain how you will use the funding, including:

• a detailed breakdown of costs which will be covered by the grant
• how the amount you ask for is proportionate to the overall costs and impact
• how the project will demonstrate best value for money if it receives funding.

We'll review premises and sites in each town centre, produce a list of priority target buildings and engage with property owners and interested parties to make them aware of the fund.

Expression of Interest (EOI) form

You do not need to be designated as a priority building to make an application – we will accept EOIs from any town centre properties that meet the eligibility criteria.  

Once we have your EOI, officers will engage with you to discuss the regeneration plans and assess whether these align with the investment criteria of the fund. EOI applications will be formerly scored by officers.  

Funding will be offered on a first come first served basis to applicants who meet the minimum scoring requirement.  

If we think your project aligns with the aims of the fund, we’ll work with you to determine how much funding you need and if it represents best value for money for the fund.

If you’d like more information about grants from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund, email us at regenerationandplace@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

If your Expression of Interest application is successful

If you are invited to make a full Town Centre Regeneration Fund application, you will be asked to provide the following:

• detailed specification of works, including technical drawings
• description of how the project will be managed - and who the design team are - including an outline of the strategy for the appointment of contractor(s)
• detailed budget showing income and expenditure, including contingencies
• detailed timeline for implementation of works, including timeline for securing any necessary consents
• risk register, listing project risks and mitigation strategies
• a copy of your Business Plan or equivalent (if applicable), including an explanation of how the proposed project helps fulfil it
• an explanation of how the project meets the 4 TCF outcomes:
  • how will your project contribute to local economic growth – for example, job creation or increased footfall (250 words)
  • how will your project enhance the vitality and attractiveness of the town centre or local area (250 words)
  • how will your project encourage sustainable neighbourhoods, sustainable links, or enhancements to greenspace (250 words)
  • how will your project align with local regeneration strategies and community priorities (250 words).

How we make a decision

We’ll prioritise projects that preserve or sensitively adapt heritage or listed structures or have a prominent location within a town centre.

We’ll also prioritise projects that can:

• match fund or co-invest from the private sector or other public sources
• attract additional economic activity or investment due to the funding you’re awarded.

Provisional approval  

If we approve your application on principle, we'll make a provisional offer setting out the:

• conditions of the grant
• potential amount of money you could get. 

Conditions of the grant

We cannot award the grant until you've met all the conditions of the offer.

Before any grant funding is released, you must have:

• all the relevant planning permissions or building consent, in line with the approved grant scheme
• a project delivery team in place including a main contractor, project manager and other key people for the project
• enough money to be able to pay contractors in full before they start any work.

How we pay the grant

We’ll pay the grant as works have been completed to a satisfactory standard, following an inspection by us, and you have sent us:

• proof of payment to the contractor by bank or building society transfer (BACS)
• the receipted invoice from the contractor or contractors doing the work
• evidence of all necessary planning permissions or building consent, or written confirmation that these are not needed.

We'll make the payments to your nominated bank or building society account.  

We cannot award the grant for cash payments to suppliers or contractors.  

We can make interim / stage payments in arrears towards the project. This will not be more than 90% of your grant. If you need a building warrant for the work, we will pay the final 10% of the grant when we get a completion certificate from you.

If you’d like more information about grants from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund, email us at regenerationandplace@renfrewshire.gov.uk.