Agenda Document Pack - Communities and Housing Policy Board - 31/10/2023
Renfrewshire Council · 31 October 2023
Back to Communities and Housing Policy Board — 31 October 2023 and its agenda
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Notice of Meeting and Agenda Communities and Housing Policy Board Date Time Venue Tuesday, 31 October 2023 13:00 Council Chambers (Renfrewshire), Council Headquarters, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1AN MARK CONAGHAN Head of Corporate Governance Membership Councillor Marie McGurk (Convener): Councillor Robert Innes (Vice Convener): Councillor Jacqueline Cameron: Councillor Carolann Davidson: Councillor Gillian Graham: Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes: Councillor Alec Leishman: Councillor Mags MacLaren: Councillor Colin McCulloch: Councillor Janis McDonald: Councillor Cathy McEwan: Councillor Jamie McGuire: Councillor Iain McMillan: Councillor John McNaughtan: Councillor Emma Rodden: Hybrid Meeting Please note that this meeting is scheduled to be held in the Council Chambers. However, it is a hybrid meeting and arrangements have been made for members to join the meeting remotely should they wish. Further Information This is a meeting which is open to members of the public. A copy of the agenda and reports for this meeting will be available for inspection prior to the meeting at the Customer Service Centre, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley and online at http://renfrewshire.cmis.uk.com/renfrewshire/CouncilandBoards.aspx For further information, please email democratic-services@renfrewshire.gov.uk Members of the Press and Public Members of the press and public wishing to attend the meeting should report to the customer service centre where they will be met and directed to the meeting.
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Webcasting of Meeting This meeting will be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site – at the start of the meeting the Convener will confirm if all or part of the meeting is being filmed. To find the webcast please navigate to https://renfrewshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home
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Apologies Apologies from members. Declarations of Interest and Transparency Statements Members are asked to declare an interest or make a transparency statement in any item(s) on the agenda and to provide a brief explanation of the nature of the interest or the transparency statement. 1 Police and Fire & Rescue Services Scrutiny Sub- committee Minute of meeting of the Police and Fire & Rescue Services Scrutiny Sub-committee held on 22 August 2023. 1 - 6 2 General Services Revenue, Housing Revenue Account and Capital Budget Monitoring Report by Director of Finance & Resources. 7 - 16 3 Community Funding applications Report by Chief Executive. 17 - 24 4 Environment, Housing and Infrastructure - Service Improvement Plan 2023/26 Mid-Year Monitoring Report Report by Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure. 25 - 62 5 Service Update Report Report by Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure. 63 - 72 6 Renfrewshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024/29 Report by Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure. 73 - 110 7 Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy 2023/28 Report by Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure. 111 - 236 8 Regulation of Social Housing - Assurance Statement Report by Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure. 237 - 270
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9 Annual Housing Performance Benchmarking Report 2022/23 Report by Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure. 271 - 286 10 Community Learning and Development Strategy 2021/24 – Year 2 Progress Update Report by Chief Executive. 287 - 316 11 Community Justice Update and Annual Return 2022/23 Report by Head of Childcare and Criminal Justice. 317 - 336 12 Summer of Fun – evaluation Report by Chief Excutive. 337 - 380 13 Renfrewshire’s Local Air Quality Management Update – 2023 Air Quality Annual Progress Report Report by Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure. 381 - 454 14 Consultation on Licensing of Activities Involving Animals Report by Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure. 455 - 470
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Minute of Meeting Police and Fire & Rescue Scrutiny Sub-Committee Date Time Venue Tuesday, 22 August 2023 15:00 Council Chambers (Renfrewshire), Council Headquarters, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1AN Present: Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, Councillor Robert Innes, Councillor Alec Leishman, Councillor Marie McGurk, Councillor Iain McMillan Chair Councillor McGurk, Convener, presided. In Attendance G Hannah, Head of Climate, Public Protection and Roads; F Wilson, Serious Organised Crime & Trading Standards Manager (both Environment, Housing and Infrastructure); K O’Neill, Democratic Services Officer, J Barron and D Cunningham both Committee Services Officers, D Pole and J Mclean both End User Technicians (all Finance & Resources). Also in Attendance L Waddell, Chief Superintendent, W Graham, Area Commander, A Maclean. Detective Inspector, and R Jackson, Sergeant (all Police Scotland); and D McCarrey, Area Commander and P Storrie, Group Manager (both Scottish Fire & Rescue Service). Webcasting of Meeting Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Convener intimated that this meeting of the Sub-committee would be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast on the Council’s internet site. Declarations of Interest and Transparency Statements There were no declarations of interest or transparency statements intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting. Item 1 CHPB311023 Page 1 of 470
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Order of Business In terms of Standing Order 16, the Convener intimated that she proposed to alter the order of business to facilitate the conduct of the meeting by considering item 4 of the agenda Cybercrime Investigations before item 1 Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE): Acquisitive Crime Strategy 2023-2028 of the agenda. Page 2 of 470
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1 Cybercrime Investigations A MacLean, Detective Inspector and R Jackson, Sergeant, gave presentations on Cybercrime which provided statistical information on the increase in the numbers and categories of this form of crime. Police Scotland had a department which was created specifically to deal with these types of crime and the challenges faced in policing these crimes were highlighted. The Prevention Partners and Community Wellbeing Division was based in three locations across Scotland. The Cybercrime Harm Prevention Team, which included two civilian officers, worked closely with partners across Scotland to provide cybercrime prevention support, resilience and mitigation guidance. The Unit collaborated with various government organisations and included Education Scotland through GLOW network to raise awareness of child online safety and monitored cybercrime landscape to identify emerging threats. National data for Scotland was provided together with the types of threats domestically and to businesses involved. Police forces across the United Kingdom were working collaboratively to address these crimes and communicated with law enforcements agencies across the world. DECIDED: That the presentation be noted. 2 Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE): Acquisitive Crime Strategy 2023-2028 There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure relative to the Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE). Police Scotland, with their partners across industry, the regulatory landscape and third sector, had formed SPAACE to provide strategic focus to preventative activities. The partners brought a range of expertise to tackle the problem, with the joint aim of reducing the risks communities faced from acquisitive crime, and the associated financial loss. Acquisitive crime was defined as any type of crime whereby the perpetrator sought to derive material gain from the crime. Anyone could be a victim of acquisitive crime, which included fraud, housebreaking, doorstep crime, fuel thefts and theft of plant machinery. SPAACE had now launched the first “Acquisitive Crime Strategy 2023/28”, attached at Appendix 1 of the report, which recognised that the key to success in tackling this growing area of criminality was in a collaborative approach. DECIDED: That it be noted that Trading Standards and the Community Safety Partnership welcomed and would commit to supporting the Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE) Strategy 2023/28, as attached as Appendix 1 to the report. Page 3 of 470
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3 Police Scotland - Quarterly Performance Report There was submitted a report by the Area Commander, Police Scotland, relative to service performance and activities in the Renfrewshire area during the period 1 April to 30 June 2023. The report summarised the key performance indicators and provided statistics relating to the specific key objectives detailed in Renfrewshire Policing Priorities 2023/26 and Police Scotland’s Policing Priorities 2022/23. The report provided updates in relation to Renfrewshire Policing Priorities 2023/26 of violence, disorder and anti-social behaviour; protecting vulnerable people; acquisitive and cyber/digital crime; serious and organised crime; road safety and road crime. Overall violent crime had increased by 6.2% on the previous year. Overall crimes of dishonesty had increased by 24.6%, with common theft, fraud and shoplifting (three of the highest volume acquisitive crimes) all on the rise. Of the crimes tagged with the ‘cybercrime’ marker recorded in the current reporting year 41% were acquisitive crimes, most commonly online frauds. Intelligence led policing resulted in 52 drugs detections in the current year, a rise of 24 on the previous reporting year. In Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Division, serious and organised criminals were deprived of £808,553 in cash and assets through use of the Proceeds of Crime Act an increase of 184% on the previous year. One Serious and Organised Crime Group (SOCG) principal member and 29 SOCG associates were arrested in the current reporting year. Overall, road casualties had increased by three on the previous year to a total of 30. The detection rate for offences relating to motor vehicles was 85.2%. Drink and drug driving offences had reduced by 23.2% on the previous year, to a total of 43 offences. In the period April 23 to June 2023, there were 193 recorded missing persons incidents, a significant decrease on the same period 2022/23. All but one missing person was found alive. The decrease was most evident in missing persons reported involving younger people, with the incidents involving people aged under 20 years falling by 32.7% year on year. In Renfrewshire, over 65% of missing people were traced within 24 hours of being reported as missing, with this proportion rising to approximately 84% being traced within two days. DECIDED: That the report be noted. 4 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service - Quarterly Performance Report - Qtr 1 There was submitted a report by the Group Manager, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) relative to SFRS performance and local fire and rescue service plan priorities in the Renfrewshire area during period 1 April to 30 June 2023. The report provided updates in relation to Renfrewshire activity, accidental dwelling fires and casualties, unintentional injury and harm, deliberate fire setting, non- Page 4 of 470
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domestic fire safety and unwanted fire alarm signals. Accidental Dwelling Fires had increased by 3% (one incident) on the same period in 2022/23. One dwelling fire casualty, for this reporting period was recorded. Non-fire casualties had increased by 3 from the same period last year with a total of 31 casualties, of which 16 (52%) were as a result of road traffic collisions. Deliberate fire setting had decreased by 27% (59 incidents) from Q1 in 2022/23. The report also provided information on Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals (UFAS) which had shown an increase of 4% (9 incidents) on the same period of the previous year, a breakdown of the number of incidents, categories and where these occurred was also provided. It was anticipated that the implementation of Scottish Fire & Rescue Service’s UFAS Strategy would see a reduction in the next reporting period. DECIDED: That the contents of the report be noted. 5 Local Issues In answer to questions raised Police Scotland re-assured members that there had been no impact on the policing provided in the Johnstone area while the recent world cycling championships were being held in Glasgow and that officers who would normally have been on their rest day had covered this event. Police Scotland advised that they were aware and were dealing with the issue of frequent speeding incidents in Renfrew together with the noise associated with this. Members were advised that incidences of this type should be emailed to the Community Policing mailbox. In answer to a question raised about the protests at Erskine Muthu Hotel, Police Scotland advised there had been no further issues although the protests were still ongoing. In relation to the ongoing problem with vandalism at the skate park located adjacent to the Onyx in Linwood members were advised that there had been increased Police presence to attempt to address the situation which was preventing young people using the facility. DECIDED: That the information provided be noted. Page 5 of 470
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0 To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 31 October 2023 Report by: Director of Finance and Resources Heading: General Services Revenue, Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and Capital Budget Monitoring as at 15 September 2023 1. Summary of Financial Position 1.1. The projected outturn at 31 March 2024 for all services reporting to the Communities and Housing Policy Board, including the Housing Revenue Account, is an overspend position of (£0.005m) (0.0%) against the revised budget for the year. This can be further analysed as a projected underspend in General Services activities of (£0.005m) and a break-even position in the HRA. 1.2. The projected capital outturn at 31 March 2024 for projects reported to the Communities and Housing Policy Board is a break-even position against the revised budget of £21.495m for the year. 1.3. This is summarised over the relevant services in the table below and further analysis is provided in the appendices. Table 1: Revenue Division / Department Revised Annual Budget £000 Projected Outturn £000 Budget Variance £000 Budget Variance % Housing Revenue Account (HRA) 0 0 0 0% Housing – General Services (Not HRA) 4,682 4,682 0 0% Communities and Public Protection 6,047 6,052 (5) (0.1%) Criminal Justice 3,190 3,190 0 0% Board Total – Revenue 13,919 13,924 (5) 0.0% Item 2 CHPB311023 Page 7 of 470
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1 Table 2: Capital Division / Department Revised Annual Budget £000 Projected Outturn £000 Budget Variance £000 Budget Variance % Housing Revenue Account (HRA) 20,378 20,378 0 0% Other Housing PSHG 1,117 1,117 0 0% Board Total – Capital 21,495 21,495 0 0% 2. Recommendations Members are requested to: 2.1. Note the projected Revenue outturn position detailed in Table 1 above 2.2. Note the projected Capital outturn position detailed in Table 2 above; and 2.3. Approve the budget adjustments detailed at sections 4 and 6. 3. Revenue 3.1. The Revenue Budget Monitoring Statement at Appendix 1 identifies a projected overspend of (£0.005m) (0.0% of total budget) for all services reporting to this Policy Board. Detailed division service reports can also be found here, along with an explanation of each significant projected variance. 3.2. The projected outturn is based on information currently available, and assumptions made by service budget holders. Projections are subject to continuous review, and any changes will be detailed in future reports to the Board. 3.3. The main reason for the projected outturn positions are indicated below the Appendix tables, showing both the subjective analysis (what the budget is spent on) and the objective analysis (which division is spending the budget). 3.4. The projected overspend of (£0.005m), is due to a small overspend in employee costs within the Community Learning & Development Service. 4. Revenue Budget Adjustments 4.1. Members are requested to note, from Appendix 1, budget adjustments totalling £0.239m have been processed since the budget was approved in March 2023. The most significant adjustment being: (£0.205m) – Transfer to Private Sector Housing Reserve from General Services to support future investment priorities. Page 8 of 470
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2 5. Communities and Housing Services Capital 5.1. The Capital Investment Programme 2023/24 to 2027/28 was approved by the Council on 2 March 2023. For Communities and Housing Services the approved capital spend for 2023/24 is £30.795m. 5.2. The Capital Monitoring report at Appendix 2 indicates net budget adjustments in the approved capital programme for Communities and Housing Services of (£9.300m), as explained in 6.1 below. 6. Capital Budget Adjustments 6.1. Since the last report on the 22 August 2023, budget changes within HRA capital projects totalling £9.300m have arisen, which reflect the following: Budget carried forward into 2024/25 from 2023/24 of (£8.960m) due to timing in works being started: o External Improvements Framework Year 1 (£3.000m) o Architectural Design Fees (£1.000m) o Regeneration and Renewal programme (£4.610m) o Gallowhill Council House New Build (£0.350m) Budget decrease of (£0.340m) due to fee reduction: o Multi Storey Flats General (£0.140m) o Housing Investment Team Fees (£0.200m) ___________________________________________________________________ Page 9 of 470
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3 Implications of this report 1. Financial – The projected budget outturn position for Communities and Housing Services Revenue budget is an overspend of (£0.005m) (0.0% of total budget). Income and expenditure in all services within the department will continue to be monitored closely for the rest of the financial year and, where necessary, steps will be taken to mitigate any significant overspend. The projected outturn position for Communities and Housing Services’ Capital budget is break-even. The Capital programme will continue to be monitored closely for the rest of the financial year and, where necessary, steps will be taken to mitigate any significant overspend. Any changes to current projections in either Revenue or Capital budgets will be reported to the Board as early as possible, along with an explanation for the movement. 2. HR and Organisational Development None directly arising from this report. 3. Community/Council Planning None directly arising from this report. 4. Legal None directly arising from this report. 5. Property/Assets Capital projects will result in new build Council housing stock and improvements to existing stock. 6. Information Technology None directly arising from this report. 7. Equality and Human Rights None directly arising from this report. 8. Health and Safety None directly arising from this report. 9. Procurement None directly arising from this report. 10. Risk The potential risk that the Council will overspend its approved budget for the year will be managed at a Council-wide level by the Chief Executive and Directors. Page 10 of 470
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4 11. Privacy Impact None directly arising from this report. 12. 13. Cosla Policy Position N/a. Climate Risk None directly arising from this report. __________________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers Housing Revenue Account Budget & Rent Levels 2023/24 and Housing Capital Investment Plan 2023/24 to 2027/28, Council, 2 March 2023; Non-housing Capital Investment Programme, Prudential Framework and Treasury Management Strategy, and Capital Strategy 2023/24 – 2027/28, Council, 2 March 2023. ___________________________________________________________________ Authors: John Kilpatrick, Finance Business Partner Linsey Mcgregor, Capital Accountant Page 11 of 470
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Appendix 1 Objective Summary Annual Budget at Period 3 Budget Adjustments Revised Annual Budget at Period 6 Projected Outturn Previous Projected Outturn Variance Movement £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 % £000 Housing Revenue Account (HRA) 0 0 0 0 0 0.0% 0 0 Housing - General Services (Not HRA) 4,906 (224) 4,682 4,682 0 0.0% 0 0 Communities and Public Protection (including Regulatory Services) 6,062 (15) 6,047 6,052 (5) (0.1%) 343 (348) Criminal Justice 3,190 0 3,190 3,190 0 0.0% 0 0 NET EXPENDITURE 14,158 (239) 13,919 13,924 (5) 0.0% 343 (348) Objective Heading Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Housing - General Services (Not HRA) Communities and Public Protection Criminal Justice RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING STATEMENT 2023/24 1 April 2023 to 15 September 2023 Budget Variance (Adverse) or Favourable POLICY BOARD : COMMUNITIES AND HOUSING - All SERVICES A projected underspend in employee costs is due to the timing of recruitment of vacancies within the service. Property costs are projected to overspend, reflecting ongoing demands for repair and maintenance provision, particularly in void properties. Transfer payments continue to forecast an overspend, owing to the impact of repairs pressures on void rent loss, as well as additional Council Tax costs for these properties. These overspends are expected to be offset by additional interest income due to higher than budgeted interest rates. Overall, the HRA is therefore still projected to break-even at year-end. Key Reasons for Projected Variance There is a continuing increased demand for homelessness accommodation, impacting on rental costs, Council Tax and furniture for temporary accommodation units. The forecasted overspends are expected to be offset by additional rental income received in relation to these units. All budget lines are being closely monitored with an aim to mitigate the overspends anticipated as a result of these demand pressures. This area is projecting a small overspend within the Community Learning & Development service. Following the recent restructure, the Head of Service is developing plans to use the previously identified underspend to fund one-off pressures this year, and reviewing the overall budget with Finance to both ensure it is appropriately allocated going forward and to identify any savings opportunities. No significant projected year end variances to report. Page 12 of 470
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Appendix 1 Subjective Summary Annual Budget at Period 3 Budget Adjustments Revised Annual Budget at Period 6 Projected Outturn Previous Projected Outturn Variance Movement £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 % £000 £000 Employees 12,379 (182) 12,197 12,249 (52) (0.4%) 135 (187) Premises Related 1,990 (45) 1,945 2,239 (294) (15.1%) (227) (67) Transport Related 170 1 171 206 (35) (20.3%) (27) (8) Supplies and Services 3,241 53 3,294 3,449 (155) (4.7%) 38 (193) Third Party Payments 87 0 87 89 (2) (2.3%) 3 (5) Transfer Payments 2,635 (194) 2,441 2,509 (68) (2.8%) (44) (24) Support Services 56 (2) 54 13 41 76.6% 28 13 Depreciation and Impairment Losses (23) 0 (23) (18) (5) (21.7%) (5) 0 GROSS EXPENDITURE 20,535 (369) 20,166 20,735 (569) (2.8%) (101) (470) Income (6,377) 130 (6,247) (6,811) 564 9.0% 444 122 NET EXPENDITURE 14,158 (239) 13,919 13,924 (5) 0.0% 343 (348) RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING STATEMENT 2023/24 1 April 2023 to 15 September 2023 POLICY BOARD : COMMUNITIES AND HOUSING - GENERAL SERVICES (excluding HRA) Budget Variance (Adverse) or Favourable Page 13 of 470
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Appendix 1 Subjective Summary Annual Budget at Period 3 Budget Adjustments Revised Annual Budget at Period 6 Projected Outturn Previous Projected Outturn Movement £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 % £000 £000 Employees 11,007 91 11,098 10,839 259 2.3% 290 (31) Premises Related 20,397 (109) 20,288 21,589 (1,301) (6.4%) (925) (376) Transport Related 103 0 103 51 52 50.5% 52 0 Supplies and Services 792 (59) 733 683 50 6.8% (54) 104 Third Party Payments 49 0 49 49 0 0.0% (88) 88 Transfer Payments 4,190 209 4,399 5,139 (740) (16.8%) (479) (261) Support Services 2,492 0 2,492 2,500 (8) (0.3%) 45 (53) Depreciation and Impairment Losses 19,089 0 19,089 19,089 0 0.0% 0 0 GROSS EXPENDITURE 58,119 132 58,251 59,938 (1,687) (2.9%) (1,158) (529) Income (58,119) (132) (58,251) (59,938) 1,687 2.9% 1,158 529 NET EXPENDITURE 0 0 0 0 0 0.0% 0 0 Budget Variance (Adverse) or Favourable RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING STATEMENT 2023/24 POLICY BOARD : COMMUNITIES, HOUSING AND PLANNING SERVICES - Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Only 1 April 2023 to 15 September 2023 Page 14 of 470
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Appendix 2 Prior Years Annual Budget Budget Revised Projected Expenditure at P3 Adjustments Budget Outturn Total Approved Projected to 31/03/2023 2023-24 2023-24 2023-24 Budget Outurn Project Title to 31-Mar-27 to 31-Mar-27 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 HOUSING(HRA) Improvements To Existing Properties 0 13,390 (3,140) 10,250 10,250 0 0% 113,885 113,885 0 0% Regeneration 7,045 9,378 (4,610) 4,768 4,768 0 0% 106,953 106,953 0 0% Other Assets 0 1,815 0 1,815 1,815 0 0% 12,500 12,500 0 0% Non Property Expenditure 0 1,550 (1,000) 550 550 0 0% 1,550 1,550 0 0% Council House New Build 41,358 1,680 (350) 1,330 1,330 0 0% 74,599 74,599 0 0% Professional Fees 0 1,865 (200) 1,665 1,665 0 0% 9,415 9,415 0 0% Total Housing(HRA) Programme 48,403 29,678 (9,300) 20,378 20,378 0 0% 318,902 318,902 0 0% HOUSING(PSHG) Private Sector Housing Grant Programme 0 1,117 0 1,117 1,117 0 0% 1,117 1,117 0 0% Total Housing(PSHG) Programme 0 1,117 0 1,117 1,117 0 0% 1,117 1,117 0 0% TOTAL COMMUNITIES, HOUSING & PLANNING BOARD 48,403 30,795 (9,300) 21,495 21,495 0 0% 320,019 320,019 0 0% *Rolling programmes have a prior year year expenditure of £0 as the expenditure is not directly linked from one year to the next as a singular project. RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL CAPITAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY 1st April to 15th September 2023 POLICY BOARD: COMMUNITES & HOUSING Current Year 2023-24 Full Programme - All years Budget Variance (Adverse) or Favourable Budget Variance (Adverse) or Favourable Page 15 of 470
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Board On: 31st October 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Head of Policy and Partnerships - Chief Executive’s Service ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Community Funding Applications ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Members of the board will be aware that regular papers are submitted to the Communities and Housing Board in relation to a variety of community funds administered by the Council. These have historically included the Greenspaces Fund, Villages Investment Fund and Community Empowerment Fund. In September 2023, Leadership Board approved the guidance for a significant tranche of further funding to be made available for allocation through the Sustainable Communities Fund, with recommendations on applications to be considered my members of this board. 1.2 All of these funds are administered through the Policy and Partnerships service, and it is proposed that going forward all applications and funding information is provided through one single Community Funding board paper to the Communities and Housing Board each cycle to strengthen oversight of funding applications and information on awards for elected members. 1.3 This paper represents the first of these funding update papers and provides information relating to the: • Greenspaces, Parks and Play Areas Fund • Villages Investment Fund • Sustainable Communities Fund 1.4 The establishment of the Sustainable Communities Fund was agreed by Council in March 2023, with the remaining monies from the Community Empowerment Fund and Climate Change Action Fund to create a single, easy-to-access funding route. Available funding has been boosted by an allocation of £650,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, giving total overall funding of approximately £1.5m (capital and Item 3 CHPB311023 Page 17 of 470
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revenue funding). Section 3 of this paper provides further information on the fund and how it will operate for members of the board. 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that members of the Leadership Board: • Note the information provided on the launch of the Sustainable Communities Fund and that recommendations in relation to funding awards will be submitted to this board for consideration; • Note the Greenspaces/Villages Investment funding awards made under delegated authority provided to the Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure to approve applications under the value of £5,000 as detailed in Appendix 1; • Agree to allocate an additional £3,400 of funding from the Villages Investment Fund in order to meet the final funding package agreed with Kilbarchan Community Council for the installation of seating, as detailed in Section 5 of this report; • Agree proposals for officers to explore the potential introduction of the school focused Litter Lotto programme in partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful, with £7,000 to be allocated from Greenspaces funding subject to final due diligence checks being completed by officers. 3. Sustainable Communities Fund 3.1 In March 2023, Council agreed to combine the remaining monies from the Community Empowerment Fund and Climate Change Action Fund to create a single, easy-to-access Sustainable Communities Fund. This funding was further boosted by an allocation of £650,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Communities and Place, for the support and improvement of community assets and infrastructure. The total funding pot which is available to be allocated through the Sustainable Communities Fund applications is therefore £1.496m. 3.2 The new Sustainable Communities Fund will strengthen work within communities to identify opportunities for land and assets within local areas to develop deliverable and sustainable local projects which benefit those who live there – connecting people through regenerated local spaces and tackling inequality through community collaboration. It is part of a series of initiatives which promote community collaboration and better wellbeing, providing for a greener future. 3.3 It is anticipated that eligible projects will support and develop community capacity, enhance local natural spaces that support health and wellbeing, promote community wealth building approaches, deliver place-based investments to improve community spaces and support the implementation of small scale and strategic climate projects. 3.4 A tiered model of funding will operate to ensure different sized projects, at different stages of development can be supported. The three streams are: • a funding stream for awards up to 10k • Funding applications to develop the project or organisation with a value between £10k and £25k Page 18 of 470
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• Larger capital grants of up to 100k 3.5 In exceptional circumstances, grants exceeding these values may be considered for transformational projects which align with local plans, or where it may be appropriate to be used as match funding for larger, phased projects. 3.6 The Sustainable Communities Fund is an open funding call which comprises both capital and revenue funding and which will remain open until at least 31st March 2025 or until all funding is fully committed, with applications being evaluated on a quarterly basis, with submission deadlines for each evaluation clearly set out within the guidance approved. Applications will be assessed through a rigorous process against the criteria set out in the fund guidance which is available here. 3.7 Following approval of the fund guidance by Leadership Board on 20 September, fund materials and communications were developed, with the fund subsequently opening to applications w/c 9 October 2023. Further updates and recommendations in relation to funding awards will be presented to future meetings of the Communities and Housing Board. 4. Greenspaces, Parks and Play Areas Fund 4.1 The Green Spaces, Parks and Play Areas Fund has supported 56 community projects since October 2018. As highlighted to members in previous update papers to board, remaining Greenspaces funding has been divided into three streams: • General funding available to fund greenspace, parks and play areas improvements. • Funding to support school developments. • Funding to support Team Up to Clean Up developments. 4.2 Since the last update to board in August 2023, two Green Spaces projects totalling £9,650 have been approved under delegated authority by the Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure in relation to the following organisations: • Ralston Community Council (£4,650) • West End Growing Grounds (£5,000) Team Up to Clean Up Fund – Litter Lotto 4.3 The Team Up to Clean Up project has ringfenced funds from Green Spaces offering support for volunteers. An ongoing challenge noted by volunteers is the level of lunchtime litter from secondary pupils. Litter Lotto, in partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful, have created an app offering pupils prizes and incentives for binning their litter. 4.4 Pupils submit a photograph of themselves binning litter and upload onto the app. Winners are chosen at random or tied into a theme e.g. novel way to use a bin, happiest pupil etc. Smaller monthly prizes for pupils from each school are proposed, with a larger, end of term larger prize available for a pupil from the school topping the litter league table. Page 19 of 470
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4.5 Discussions are underway with Children’s Services and Legal Services to ensure all appropriate checks and safeguarding measures are in place before participation in the project can be confirmed. The project is already underway in South Ayrshire and will soon be live in Glasgow. 4.6 The package offered, including £1,800 of prize money over 12 months, costs £7,000. Litter Lotto have carried out case studies and have found litter is reduced in areas of concentration by at least 41%. Zones will be set out at each of Renfrewshire’s high schools, from the school to the popular local take aways. 4.7 Partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful and Litter Lotto demonstrates Team Up to Clean Up’s commitment to reducing litter and delivering behavioural change. Secondary school pupils have long been a target audience for engagement with novel approaches required. 5. Villages Investment Fund 5.1 The Villages Investment Fund has supported delivery of 61 community projects committing £640,000 of the total £940,000 fund. This includes an additional £200,000 of funding allocated in the Council budget in March 2023. 5.2 Since the last update to board in August 2023, two Village Investment Fund projects, totalling £3,300, have been approved under delegated authority by the Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure: • Kilbarchan Community Council (£800) • Kilbarchan Primary School Parent Council (£2,500) 5.3 Officers continue to engage with organisations that have received funding to support the implementation of projects across Renfrewshire from the Villages Investment Fund. Elderslie Community Council – Outdoor Gym 5.4 The Villages Investment Fund has supported Elderslie Community Council’s Outdoor Gym, which was installed in August. Social media posts offer evidence the gym is being enjoyed by the village. Page 20 of 470
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Kilbarchan Community Council 5.5 In 2020 funding of £50,000 was allocated to Kilbarchan Community Council for equipment for the local public park. In line with the criteria for Villages Investment Funding, each applicant is asked to demonstrate that external funding has been sought to supplement the Council funding provided for a specific project. It was initially agreed that £3,400 of external funding would be accessed to support the project delivery by the community council. 5.6 During recent discussions with the community council to finalise the funding package, the significant work that had been undertaken to raise other sources of funding to provide and install 4 new benches as a result of the Villages Investment Funding award was recognised. Three of these are memorial benches commemorating the memory of local villagers. The fourth is an ornate bench celebrating the village’s heritage, with an outline of a weaver, Steeple Hall, and Habbie Simpson, featured in intricate detail. The Community Council has requested that the external funding raised for these, £3,400, be considered ‘in kind’ external funding towards the overall funding package to support the park project. 5.7 It is recommended by officers that funding of £3,400 is therefore allocated from the Villages Investment Fund to close off the final funding package that is required to deliver the project. Houston Play Park Group 5.8 Houston Play Park Group are expecting a new park, funded by both Green Spaces and the Villages Improvement Fund, to be installed later in November 2023. A further update will be provided on completion. Pending applications 5.9 Officers are currently working with organisations in relation to the following potential applications: • Lochwinnoch Community Development Trust play area fencing. • Lochwinnoch Community Development Trust – Lochwinnoch Online • LEAP Lochwinnoch – Feel Good Festival • Langbank Swing Park Regeneration Group – Play Park surfacing. • Elderslie Community Council – Community Garden & Allotment • Inchinnan Development Trust – Tree lopping Teucheen Woods 5.10 Reports will be brought back for the consideration of the Board in relation to these projects at future meetings of the Communities and Housing Policy Board. Implications of the Report 1. Financial – The report provides detail on 5 applications which have been approved under delegated authority provided to the Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Page 21 of 470
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(£3,300 allocated from the Villages Investment Fund and £9650 Greenspaces funding). The report recommends the allocation of a further £3,400 to Kilbarchan Community Council from the Villages Investment Fund as part of the finalisation of the project funding, with £7000 proposed to be allocated from Greenspaces – Team Up development funding, to support the launch of the Litter Lotto Project. 2. HR & Organisational Development – none 3. Community/Council Planning – Community funding streams support the delivery of the Community Plan by ensuring that Renfrewshire is thriving, well, fair and safe for people who live, work in and visit Renfrewshire. 4. Legal - none. 5. Property/Assets – none. 6. Information Technology – none. 7. Equality and Human Rights - the Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report because it is for noting only. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health and Safety – none. 9. Procurement – none. 10. Risk – none. 11. Privacy Impact – none. 12. COSLA Policy Position – none. 13. Climate Risk – none to highlight at present. The launch of the Sustainable Communities Fund will allow for funding recommendations to be brought to support small scale and strategic community projects which support our NetZero priorities. Appendix 1: Approvals under delegated authority since August 2023. ___________________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers: None Author: Laura McIntyre, Head of Policy and Partnerships. Page 22 of 470
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Appendix 1 Approvals under delegated authority since August 2023 Green Spaces, Parks and Play Areas Project Funding proposed External Funding (or other Council funding) Ralston Community Council – resurfacing section of play park £4,650 n/a West End Growing Grounds Association – Tree Lopping £5,000 n/a Villages Investment Fund Project Funding proposed External Funding (or other Council funding) Kilbarchan Community Council – PA System for events £800 n/a Kilbarchan Primary School Parent Council – line marking for playground £2,500 n/a Available and Committed Funds Funding Allocated Budget Committed Budget Available Budget Greenspaces, Parks, and Play Areas £1,205,000 £1,185,000 £20,000 Green Spaces – Allocated School Fund £35,000 £10,000 £25,000 Green Space – Allocated Team Up Fund £40,000 £12,000 £28,000 Village Investment Fund £920,000 £640,000 £280,000 Staffing costs £220,000 £220,000 £0 Total £2,420,000 £2,067,000 £353,000 Page 23 of 470
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 31 October 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Services - Service Improvement Plan 2023-26 Mid-Year Monitoring Report ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 The Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Services Service Improvement Plan 2023-26 was approved by the Communities and Housing Policy Board on 16 May 2023. The plan sets out the priorities for the development of the service over a three-year period. 1.2 The Service Improvement Plan is part of a suite of documents which describe the strategic direction of the Service and the Council, and also includes the Council Plan, Community Plan, Risk Management Plan and the Workforce Plan. 1.3 The Service Improvement Plan sets out the actions which will ensure continuous improvement across the service and the performance indicators which ensure the impact can be measured. These reflect the priority themes of the new Council Plan which was approved by Council on 29 September 2022. 1.4 This report contains details of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Services performance and achievements over the period 1 April 2023 to 30 September 2023. The main purpose of the report is to provide: • details of the key achievements of the service over the period; • an update on changes made to the action plan and scorecard to reflect the new Council Plan themes; • a progress update on implementing the action plan linked to the 2023-26 Service Improvement Plan; • an assessment of performance in relation to the service scorecard of core performance indicators; and • an overview of priorities for the service over the next six months. Item 4 CHPB311023 Page 25 of 470
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1.5 Over the past six months, the service has made good progress in delivering positive outcomes for Renfrewshire and its residents. This includes through the actions within the Service Improvement Plan and also other areas of activity which did not form part of the Service Improvement Plan actions which have subsequently arisen over the first six months of 2023/24. 1.6 To complement the six-monthly update on the Service Improvement Plan, a Service Update report will be presented to each cycle of the Communities and Housing Policy Board. This report will provide an overview of key service activities, an operational performance update on the services and key projects and updates on any other relevant changes to service areas covered within the remit of the Board. 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Communities and Housing Policy Board: 2.1 Note the contents of this report, including updated performance information and progress to date on delivering the actions contained within the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Services - Service Improvement Plan. 3. Background 3.1 The new service of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure came into effect at the beginning of April 2023, bringing together colleagues in Housing Services and Public Protection together with the teams in what was Environment and Infrastructure. 3.2 The Service Improvement Plan is a comprehensive statement of the outcomes the service aims to achieve, and the actions it will take to achieve these. It fits within the wider planning framework of the Council by taking account of Community Planning themes and Council priorities as set out in the new Council Plan. It enables elected members to have oversight of developments within the service and to consider and develop policy options which reflect customer need and resource availability. 3.3 The Service Improvement Plan also provides a mechanism by which elected members can evaluate the performance of the service. The appendix to the plan contains an action plan and performance indicators against which progress can be measured. This mid-year monitoring report provides an update on progress against the 2023-26 plan. 3.4 Section 4 of this report provides a note on the new Council Plan to cover the term of this administration. Section 5 gives details of service activity and achievements over the period April-September 2023. Section 6 discusses actions delayed or cancelled since the Service Improvement Plan was Page 26 of 470
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approved. Section 7 provides a narrative on performance against the scorecard included as appendix 1. And section 8 of the report highlights the main priorities of the service over the next six months. 3.5 An outturn report detailing full-year performance will be brought before this board in spring 2024. 4. New Council Plan 4.1 In September 2022, Council approved a new Council Plan, which sets out our strategic priorities under five themes – Place, Economy, Fair, Green, Living our Values. It also has a cross-cutting theme reflecting the importance of delivering the best possible start for children in Renfrewshire. 4.2 The Council Plan recognises the financial challenge that Renfrewshire, like all local authorities, currently faces. Despite the scale of the challenge, Council remains committed to building on the many strengths of our communities and our resources, and delivering strong universal services that support everyone to live well and embrace opportunities. 4.3 The scale of the challenge has been set out for elected members and the public through a series of reports to Council, and officers will continue to provide regular updates in this way. In order to address this, Council agreed in June 2022 to a portfolio of financial sustainability work to be delivered alongside the main transformation programme and reviews undertaken by individual services. The outcomes of this work will be reflected in future Service Improvement Plans as well as the Council Plan. 4.4 The direction of the Council over the next five years will be driven by our five key themes: • We will encourage kind and connected communities where citizens take pride in the place they live • We will support a strong and flexible local economy • We want Renfrewshire to be a fair place, where people feel safe, supported and empowered • We will work towards a greener future • As an organisation, we will be driven by our values, to be fair, helpful, collaborative and value learning. 4.5 Cutting across all of this is our wish for all of Renfrewshire’s children to have loving, happy lives where everyone can enjoy the same opportunities and where wellbeing is nurtured. 4.6 In the Service Improvement Plan presented to this Board in May 2023, actions and performance indicators were set out under 4 broad themes, namely Place, People, Sustainability and Living our Values. In order to keep Service Page 27 of 470
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Improvement Plans aligned with the Council Plan, actions and performance indicators have been re-allocated to the appropriate key theme within the new Council plan (as set out in section 4.4 above). The full update on all actions and performance indicators is attached as appendix 1 below. 5. Service Update and Key Achievements April-September 2023 Housing Services • The £100m Housing Led Regeneration and Renewal programme will deliver modern, high quality, energy efficient, affordable Council housing and programmes for each of the 8 areas in phase 1 have been prepared and implementation has started, with milestones for demolition, new build and investment in homes being retained. The Housing-led Regeneration and Renewal Programme for Renfrewshire – Year 2 Update report highlighting all activities to date and including revised detailed timescales for delivery was presented to the Communities and Housing Policy Board on 22 August 2023. Neighbourhood Renewal Groups were launched in two of the eight Areas – Auchentorlie and the Howard Street Area – and will now be rolled out programme-wide. • The construction of 101 new homes at Tannahill (at least 94 for social rent and up to seven Shared Equity) is complete – all tenants have moved in, and the Shared Equity properties are now being transferred to their new owners. • The development of 39 new Council homes at Auchengreoch Road, Johnstone, was shortlisted for a Scottish Homes Award. • Tenants Support Fund policy developed and operational process in place to support tenants experiencing financial hardship. • We have implemented improvements to our Sheltered Housing and Health & Wellbeing service with new posts now filled, and a broader range of initiatives in place, including those for Ukrainian Displaced Persons. • A revised Housing Asset Management Strategy is currently at draft stage. The content of the final strategy is subject to amendment pending the outcome of the Scottish Government review on EESSH2. Renfrewshire Council will contribute to the consultation which is in its early stages. • All known transit sites have been visited, and advice and support has been offered to the Gypsy/Traveller community. • Upscaling of the Housing First approach has continued, with the number of people benefitting from this ‘wraparound’ support at any one time reaching 75, an increase from 13 in 2019. Page 28 of 470
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Public Protection • The Trading Standards & Licensing Team have visited a number of premises in Paisley in relation to Operation CECE; a national partnership project between HMRC and Trading Standards services. Illicit tobacco and non-complaint “vape” products were removed from sale and signed over for destruction. The total amount of revenue lost to local businesses had items not been seized would have been approx. £10,242.80 and tobacco duty at 16.5%. This is also £10,242.80 of criminal profit which has been removed from circulation, with disruption caused to the criminal supply chain. • The Prevent legislation places a duty on specified authorities under the Counterterrorism and Security Act 2015, in exercise of their functions, to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. Local Authorities are expected to ensure frontline staff have a good understanding of Prevent and are aware of available processes to deal with any individual who is vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. During the last 6 months we have been working closely with our colleagues within Police Scotland to raise awareness around Prevent (Notice Check Share) training including awareness around Counter Terrorism and what that looks like from an international, nationally, and local picture. • In light of the cost-of-living crisis, the Trading Standards team have been focussing on a number of projects aimed at ensuring residents are getting what they pay for. Pricing is being checked at Supermarkets, and petrol pumps across Renfrewshire have all been checked for accuracy. • The sale and supply of tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Products (NVPs) continues to be of concern across Scotland. Officers recently actioned intelligence received as part of Operation CECE; a UK-wide operation to target the illicit trade in tobacco and retrieved around £10,000 worth of product from 6 premises in Paisley. Officers have also conducted an enhanced inspection programme in shops around High Schools to ensure they are aware of their responsibilities, particularly around the increasingly popular disposable NVPs. Non-compliant/unsafe product has been removed from the market, with some products being analysed as containing 3-6 times the amount of permitted nicotine. • The action plan for the Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy provides an update on each of the actions detailed in the plan. There has been positive progress with 13 of the 16 actions being completed so far. The other 3 actions are ongoing with progress being made in each area, albeit 2 of the actions are longer term IT based solutions. Page 29 of 470
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6. Areas where actions have been delayed or cancelled 6.1 The only action where there has been no progress has been in relation to the new duties which may form a future Housing Bill following the Scottish Government’s Prevention of Homelessness Duties consultation. This action will be progressed once there is confirmation of any new duties being introduced. 6.2 We continue to deliver energy efficient investment projects to existing standards and are ready to programme future projects in line with the outcome of the Scottish Government review of the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing post-2020 (EESSH2). The consultation is expected to commence in October; however, it is likely that a final agreed standard will not be in place until April 2024. 7. Progress against performance measures 7.1 Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Services has 19 performance indicators in its current scorecard. Of these, 14 are reported quarterly and 3 are reported annually. In addition to these, there are also three ‘data only’ indicators which do not have targets. This report contains data pertaining to Quarter 1 (Q1) and Quarter 2 (Q2) for reference, annual figures for 2022/23. 7.2 The following indicators show areas which are currently performing better than their respective targets; • Percentage of rent loss due to voids – Q2 is 1.47% against target of 1.8%. and Q2 last year was 1.95% so improvement compared to same period last year. • Average time from household presenting as homeless to completion of duty – Q2 figure is 21.8 weeks against target of 26 weeks. Performance compares well against other local authorities as well, despite emerging housing pressures. • Average time taken to re-let properties – Q2 is 49 days against target of 53. Although Q2 has increased since Q1 (43.12 days) there has been an increase in the number of properties let in this quarter and performance still remains below target. • Average time to complete non-emergency repairs – Q2 has a figure of 7.8 days against target of 15. Up from 7.5 in Q1 but remains below target and compares favourably to benchmarking peers. 7.3 The following Performance indicators are showing as areas which are not on target. o At the end of September gross rent arrears (all tenants) as a percentage of rent due for the reporting year stood at 9.19%, which is higher than the target of 7.5%. However, although currently the level of rent arrears is higher than target, performance continues to improve in both current and former tenant rent collection in line with collection rates at this point in the financial year – at Q2 position in 2022/23, arrears Page 30 of 470
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was standing at 10.07%. Reducing rent arrears continues to be a priority including supporting tenants and targeting those in need of assistance to maximise their income and through the Tenant Support Fund. 8. Priorities over the next six months Housing Services • Housing Services will continue to support the Ukrainian refugee programmes, the Asylum Dispersal programme and the other programmes in place to assist refugees including helping them find settled accommodation. The situation in relation to these programmes is being closely monitored by local officers and partners. In Renfrewshire we have begun to see Afghan nationals present for support to our housing support and homelessness services, which combined with other wider pressures and resettlement and asylum programmes, is increasingly challenging for services to manage. • Support the decommissioning of the Welcome Hub at Glasgow Airport for Ukrainian Displaced people before the end of the year. • Housing Services will manage any requirements resulting from the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government which was published in September 2023. Within this, there is one Bill relating to Housing which will be introduced during the 2023/24 parliamentary session. The Bill will help to deliver our New Deal for Tenants and some other aspects of Housing to 2040 by creating powers for the introduction of longer-term rent controls. The Bill will also create new tenants’ rights and introduce new duties aimed at the prevention of homelessness. • We will continue to deliver the key outputs from the 5th year of Renfrewshire’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan. • We will simplify access to specialist income advice for Council Tenants experiencing financial issues in order to maximise entitlement to benefits and other financial /household assistance schemes. • We will work to improve connections with services involved in the delivery of estate management related activity in and around the Council’s Housing stock to improve conditions on Council Estates. • The new Tenant Participation Strategy takes account of the changing context we are working in and the opportunities that we have to modernise and enhance our approach to customer engagement. Officers are now implementing the action plan and reviewing its progress on a six-monthly basis. • Void management is an area of high priority for improvement across the service. We are currently working with external consultant Savills to carry out an end-to-end review of processes and will be developing an action plan for improvement in conjunction with colleagues in all teams involved in the void process. Page 31 of 470
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• Our Housing Investment team are currently working with our external contractor, in various areas in Johnstone, Renfrew, Villages, Linwood and Paisley delivering a range of work programmes comprising of full externals programme, Solar PV, window and loft insulation programme and a window replacement programme. A total of 1,025 properties are at various stages of the process from planning to delivery. Our Housing Asset Management team are working on designs for a further circa 1,000 properties in preparation for programmes for the next financial year. • The key priorities for the Regeneration and Development team include: Regeneration – • Continue to progress the setting-up of Neighbourhood Renewal Groups, • Complete the Investment Pilot Project at 74 Seedhill Road and begin work on the remainder of Auchentorlie, and • Complete pre-contract work on the first demolitions at Springbank/Mossvale and Waverley Road; Development – • Complete defects rectification at Bishopton and Johnstone Castle, • Complete the handover of shared equity properties at Tannahill, • Obtain grant finance and let Design-and-Build contracts for newbuild at Ferguslie/Broomlands Phase 1 (Carbrook Street), Gallowhill and Howwood Road Area Phase 1 (Cochrane Castle Primary site); and Service Improvement – • Hold a Council-Wide Forum, • Publish an issue of The People’s News, and • Submit the Annual Assurance Statement to the Scottish Housing Regulator. Public Protection • Continue to support the wider council response to the refugee and resettlement programmes including the property checks for “Homes for Ukraine” private and Super Sponsorship schemes. • Civil Contingencies Service continues to support all services across the council ensuring that they have in place robust arrangements for continued delivery of essential services in the event of significant incidents such as disruptive weather or widespread power outage. This currently has a focus on specific preparedness for the upcoming winter period. • Work has been ongoing across the service to develop refreshed Business Continuity Plans. The Heads of Service are responsible for the plans and refreshed drafts have been developed in liaison with the Head of Housing, Head of Climate, Public Protection & Roads, the Head of Operations & Service Development, and the Head of Facilities & Property Management. These plans are currently undergoing testing and Page 32 of 470
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validation to ensure they are robust and work will continue to ensure all plans are ready to be mobilised if and when required. • October and November is the major supply period for fireworks for personal use. Trading Standards will continue to register the storage and supply of these products, via around 20 retailers throughout Renfrewshire. Registrations cannot be refused except in the case of prior storage breaches, or underage sales. This work feeds into Operation MOONBEAM, which is a partnership initiative between Trading Standards, Community Safety, Police Scotland and Scottish Fire & Rescue to minimis disorder around bonfires and unregulated fireworks displays. • Trading Standards have initiated a number of projects around the safety of Halloween and Christmas novelty products. These are annual projects, co-ordinated across the West of Scotland and which usually yield a high number of failures. Implications of the Report 1. Financial – The Service Improvement Plan highlights resourcing pressures arising from increasing demand for services and the current financial environment. 2. HR & Organisational Development – The Service Improvement Plan also highlights workforce development and wellbeing considerations. 3. Community/Council Planning – The report details a range of activities which reflect Council and Community Planning themes and a direct link to the delivery of the Council Plan. 4. Legal – none. 5. Property/Assets – none. 6. Information Technology – Service developments relating to information technology are key enablers of service improvement and modernisation and support service-level and corporate objectives. 7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – none. Page 33 of 470
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9. Procurement – none. 10. Risk – Risks related to the delivery and management of services are regularly monitored and included in Renfrewshire Council’s Corporate and Strategic Risk Registers. 11. Privacy Impact – none. 12. COSLA Policy Position – none. 13. Climate Change – A section of the actions and performance indicators within the SIP covers the ‘Green’ theme of Renfrewshire’s Council Plan which highlights activities across the Council to tackle climate change. ___________________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers: Communities and Housing Policy Board, May 2023, Agenda item 4: “Environment, Housing and Infrastructure – Service Improvement Plan 2023/26” ___________________________________________________________________ Author Gordon McNeil, Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Email: gordon.mcneil@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 34 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Services Service Improvement Plan 2023- 2026 Six monthly progress update October 2023 Communities and Housing Policy Board Page 35 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Welcome to our six-monthly update • This update reflects on the first six months of our Service Improvement Plan, highlighting areas where we are already making progress and some areas we want to focus on more, perhaps because performance isn’t moving in the direction we anticipated or because of other pressures or factors that makes this even more of a priority for us. • The following pages shine a spotlight on some great projects or practice and highlight areas where we’d like to improve or develop further. At a service level, there is a stronger focus on some of the Council Plan Strategic Outcomes than others. Towards the end of this document, you’ll find a full update against all the actions and performance indicators we use to measure progress. • We report on 19 performance indicators, 5 which are reported annually and 14 reported quarterly. In addition to these, there are three ‘data only’ indicators which do not have targets. This report contains data pertaining to Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 of 2023/24 with annual figures referring to 2022/23. Page 36 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level About us This update covers the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure service areas within the remit of the Communities and Housing Policy Board. These are: Housing Services Responsibilities include: • Managing and investing in our housing stock of approx. 12,200 properties • Providing services to Council tenants, alongside housing advice and support • Assisting homeless people and those threatened with homelessness • Ensuring people have safe and healthy places to live Public Protection Responsibilities include: • Regulatory and Public Protection services including partnership working with police, fire and other multiagency partners • Helping to keep people safe through the Community Safety Hub • Safeguarding the public and protecting consumers through Trading Standards and Environmental Health Civil Contingencies Responsibilities include: • Providing support to all services across the Council to ensure they have robust arrangements in place for the continued delivery of essential services in the event of significant incidents such as disruptive weather or widespread power outage. • Civil Contingencies service has provided emergency planning for Renfrewshire, and on behalf of East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and West Dunbartonshire council areas Page 37 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Council Plan Place Green We are currently on target for 49% of lets to go to homeless applicants under the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan. RSL’s been requested to increase number / proportion of lets. The number of service users supported via Housing First approach has been upscaled to 75 at any one time from 13 at Year 1 of RRTP. The Housing-led Regeneration and Renewal Programme for Renfrewshire –Year 2 Update report, highlighting all the activities to date, including revised detailed timescales for delivery was presented to the CAHS Board in August 2023. Neighbourhood Renewal Groups were launched in two of the eight Areas –Auchentorlieand the Howard Street Area –and will now be rolled out programme wide. Whilst below target, performance has improved with regards to the percentage of homes meeting the EESSH2020 standard. Ongoing difficulties within the construction industry have caused some delays in works being completed. Landlords have until December 2025 to comply with EESSH1. Page 38 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Place: Working together to enhance wellbeing across communities Achievements: • The construction of 101 new homes at Tannahill(at least 94 for social rent and up to seven Shared Equity) is nearly complete –all tenants have moved in and the Shared Equity properties are now being transferred to their new owners. • The development of 39 new Council homes at AuchengreochRoad, Johnstone, was shortlisted for a Scottish Homes Award. Priorities and areas for improvement • Housing Services will manage any requirements resulting from Housing Bill which will be introduced during the 2023/24 Parliamentary Session, as part of the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government. The Bill will help to deliver our New Deal for Tenants and some other aspects of Housing to 2040 by creating powers for the introduction of longer-term rent controls. The Bill will also create new tenants’ rights and introduce new duties aimed at the prevention of homelessness. • We will continue to deliver the key outputs from the 5th year of Renfrewshire’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan. • We will work to improve connections with services involved in the delivery of estate management related activity in and around the Council’s Housing stock to improve conditions on Council Estates. • Housing pressures –managing homeless lets to meet targets 93.77% of repairs were completed within target As we continue to deliver year 5 of the RRTP, the number of service users supported via Housing First approach has been upscaled to 75 at any one time from 13 in Year 1 of the RRTP We continue to deliver the Housing –led Regeneration and Renewal Programme. We are in the process of acquiring private properties and continue to reach agreements with property owners. Page 39 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Place: Working together to enhance wellbeing across communities Achievements Priorities and areas for improvement In partnership with Licencing, we have been undertaking inspections of Short Term Let properties which require to be licenced under new legislative requirements. Positive progress is being made with the Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy, with 13 of the 16 actions being completed so far. We have successfully secured regulatory compliance with planning conditions and statutory contaminated guidance land for our major planning applications and infrastructure programmes including City Deal projects. As the deadline of October 1st 2023 has passed, we will be focussing on conducting Short Term Let inspections for existing hosts to ensure they meet licencing requirements. We will revise the Air Quality Action Plan, following the publication of updated Scottish Government statutory guidance as we continue to improve air quality across Renfrewshire. We will continue to ensure all regulated Private Water Supplies are sampled and risk assessed to ensure water consumed within higher risk premises is safe for consumers. Page 40 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Fair: nurturing bright, happy and healthy futures for all Achievements: • Renfrewshire Councils Tenant’s Support Fund was approved by Board in August 2023 and aims to assist Council tenants experiencing acute financial hardship and finding it challenging o keep up to date with payments of rent. Priorities and Areas for Improvement • Simplify access to specialist income advice for Council Tenants experiencing financial issues in order to maximise entitlement to benefits and other financial / household assistance schemes. • Support the decommissioning of the Welcome Hub at Glasgow Airport for Ukrainian Displaced people before the end of the year We have visited all known transit sites and offered advice and support to the Gypsy/Traveller community. Accommodation and support has been offered in line with Ukrainian and Afghan programmes. Housing options advice offered to former asylum seekers. Despite the increase in homelessness, the average time from household presenting as homeless to completion of duty has remained better than target at 21.80 weeks, however this is becoming more difficult to maintain. Page 41 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Fair: nurturing bright, happy and healthy futures for all Achievements Priorities and areas for improvement Continue to support the wider council response to the refugee and resettlement programmesincluding the property checks for “Homes for Ukraine” private and Super Sponsorship schemes.During the last 6 months we have been working closely with our colleagues within Police Scotland to raise awareness around PREVENT (Notice Check Share) training including awareness around Counter Terrorism and what that looks like from an international, nationally, and local picture. Delivery of pest control services has been supported by taking on an Invest Trainee which ensures there is minimal reliance on the use of external contractors. October and November is the major supply period for fireworks for personal use. Trading Standards will continue to register the storage and supply of these products, via around 20 retailers throughout Renfrewshire. Registrations cannot be refused except in the case of prior storage breaches, or underage sales. This work feeds into Operation MOONBEAM, which is a partnership initiative between Trading Standards, Community Safety, Police Scotland and Scottish Fire & Rescue to minimise disorder around bonfires and unregulated fireworks displays. Page 42 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Economy: building an inclusive, green and resilient economy Achievements Trading Standards have initiated a number of projects around the safety of Halloween and Christmas novelty products. These are annual projects, co-ordinated across the West of Scotland and which usually yield a high number of failures. The total revenue lost to local businesses had illicit tobacco and vapes not been seized would have been approx. £10,242.80 and tobacco duty at 16.5%. This is also £10,242.80 of criminal profit which has been removed from circulation, with disruption caused to the criminal supply chain. We visited premises in Paisley to remove illicit tobacco and non-compliant vape products from sale and signed them over for destruction. We have also conducted an inspection programme in shops around High Schools. Some product removed from the market have been found to contain 3-6 times the amount of permitted nicotine. In light of the cost of living crisis, the Trading Standards team have been focusing on projects aimed at ensuring residents are getting what they pay for. Pricing is being checked at Supermarkets, and petrol pumps across Renfrewshire have all been checked for accuracy. Priorities and Areas for Improvement Page 43 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Green: leading Renfrewshire to Net Zero Achievements: • Our New Build Housing Zero Carbon Innovation Project with John Gilbert Architects and the University of Strathclyde –to evolve a theoretically net zero carbon standard newbuild housing specification for future Council developments –was shortlisted for a UK-wide Municipal Journal Award. Priorities and areas for improvement • The council’s programme of EICR checks and smoke detector upgrades has been significantly affected by difficulties facing the construction industry. Work is ongoing to achieve full compliance with EICR and detectors, including a programme of forced access visits. • Our Housing Investment team are currently working with our external contractor, in various areas in Johnstone, Renfrew, Villages, Linwood and Paisley delivering a range of work programmes comprising of full externals programme, Solar PV, window and loft insulation programme and a window replacement programme. A total of 1,025 properties are at various stages of the process from planning to delivery. Our Housing Asset Management team are working on designs for a further circa 1,000 properties in preparation for programmes for the next financial year. 68.31% of properties are now compliant with the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (against a target of 100%) EESSH2020 Standard compliance is 85.07% in 2022/23 -up from 78.4% in 2021/22 In our efforts to support the local economy to work towards net zero, Trading Standards and Licencing have been working with local businesses in or linked to the green energy sector with advice visits planned for later this year. Page 44 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Priorities and areas for improvement Living our Values: making a difference together Right for Renfrewshire is likely to have significant resource issues across the team(s) within Environmental Health and ensuring services continue to be delivered, meeting minimum standards will require to be prioritised. The Civil Contingencies Service continues to support all services across the council ensuring that they have in place robust arrangements for continued delivery of essential services in the event of significant incidents such as disruptive weather or widespread power outage through refreshed Business Continuity Plans for each service area. Void management is an area of high priority for improvement across the service. We are currently working with external consultant Savills to carry out an end to end review of processes and will be developing an action plan for improvement in conjunction with colleagues in all teams involved in the void process. Page 45 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Actions and indicators October 2023 Page 46 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan–Place What we will do Due Date Status Progress Update Assess the use of Litter Control Areas across Renfrewshire – to identify sites and land ownership. 31 March 2024 Litter Control Areas are no longer seen as appropriate means of addressing local litter issues. In line with other local authorities, it is not proposed that these will be utilised within Renfrewshire. We are aware that Keep Scotland Beautiful are considering potential alternatives Implementation of the Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy 31 March 2025 The Renfrewshire ASB Strategy 2022-2025 was developed with a range of statutory, voluntary and community partners whilst taking account of the legislative requirements set out in the Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2004. The Action Plan reflects improvements that were identified during the review and will be used as the basis for continuous improvement across the partnership. The action plan for the ASB Strategy provides an update on each of the actions detailed in the plan. There has been positive progress with 13 of the 16 actions being completed so far. The other 3 actions are ongoing with progress being made in each area, albeit 2 of the actions are longer term IT based solutions. Deliver the key outputs from the 5th year of Renfrewshire’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP) and ensure the supply of temporary accommodation and lets meets the national and local increase in homelessness. 31 March 2024 Currently on target for 49% of lets to go to homeless applicants. RSL’s been requested to increase number / proportion of lets. Number of service users supported via Housing First approach has been upscaled to 75 at any one time from 13 at Year 1 of RRTP. Deliver any new duties, with partners, in relation to prevention of homelessness 31 March 2024 New duties are now scheduled to be included in a Housing Bill being presented in October 2023. Page 47 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan –Place What we will do Due Date Status Progress Update Implement revised Housing Asset Management Strategy 31 March 2024 The Strategy is currently in draft stage. The content of the final strategy is subject to amendment pending the outcome of the Scottish Government review on EESSH2. Renfrewshire Council will contribute to the consultation which is in its early stages. Progress Renfrewshire’s Housing-led Regeneration and Renewal Programme 31 March 2031 (Council Plan) 31 March 2025 Programme for each area prepared and implementation started, with milestones for demolition, new build and investment in homes being retained. In terms of the acquisition of private properties across the eight regeneration areas, 89 have been identified and of those, 66 have already been valued. Agreement has been reached with owners of 38 of these 66 properties and 25 of the 38 have now been acquired by the Council. As part of the new Department, Officers will work together to review the delivery and turnaround of void properties across Renfrewshire to minimise times, wherever possible, to allow properties to be re-let. 31 March 2024 Void management is an area of high priority for improvement. We are working with external consultant Savills to carry out an end to end review of processes and will be developing an action plan for improvement in conjunction with colleagues in Building Services and Housing neighbourhood teams. Page 48 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan –Place Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 Q1 Q2 Explanation of performance Value Target Target Value Target Value Target Private Water Supplies – 100% of type A supplies risk assessed and sampled 100% 100% 100% Not measured for quarters Not measured for quarters This is an annual target and the work to risk assess/update the risk assessments for private water supplies will be undertaken throughout the year. Air Quality - Annual average PM10 value across all continuous monitoring sites 14.2ug/m3 18ug/m3 18ug/m3 Not measured for quarters Not measured for quarters This is an annual indicator which relies on data collected throughout the year being averaged. Air Quality - average nitrogen dioxide value of monitoring sites, within AQMA(s) exceeding limits 0ug/m3 40ug/m3 40ug/m3 Not measured for quarters Not measured for quarters There were no exceedances of the annual average nitrogen dioxide limit at any site within Renfrewshire Percentage of Overall Repairs Completed Within Target (Housing Services) 93.43% 95% 95% 90.35% 95% 93.77% 95% Although below target performance has improved over the previous quarter. Average length of time taken to complete non-emergency repairs (days) (Housing Services) 6.1 days 15 days 15 days 7.5 days 15 days 7.8 days 15 days Although the average time to complete non-emergency repairs has dipped slightly but remains better than the target and compares favourably to our benchmarking peers,. Page 49 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan –Economy What we will do Due Date Status Progress Update Provide employment, training and apprenticeship opportunities for identified groups of young people in Renfrewshire. 31 March 2024 One Officer undertaking the training has now left Renfrewshire Council. The remaining two Officers have been undertaking licensing enforcement duties. This is a new function for the team, so the focus is on training Officers for this new activity. The Trading Standards qualification element will be revisited in the next financial year. Complete the review of animal licence conditions across all licences 31 March 2024 Work to review the animal licensing conditions is ongoing with this having been completed for some types of licences where legislative changes have modernised conditions Deliver The Business Regulation Service Plan 31 March 2024 Performance is on target. Page 50 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan –Fair What we will do Due Date Status Progress Update Liaise with Gypsy/Travellers who are staying in Transit Sites 31 March 2024 All known transit sites visited, and advice / assistance offered. Reducing inequalities by ensuring proactive regulatory activities are targeted where they can support the wellbeing or financial security of citizens 31 March 2024 The Trading Standards Team have been working on projects throughout this financial year which will have an impact on wellbeing or financial security. These include targeted interventions to remove illicit tobacco or non-compliant “vape” products from the marketplace, a supermarket pricing project, checking the weight of pre-packed foods in stores and checking every petrol pump to ensure they are measuring correctly. Work with partners on national Serious Organised Crime and CONTEST (Prevent) agendas 31 March 2024 Renfrewshire Community Protection PREVENT Steering Group continue to drive the CONTEST duty with active members. In 2022 Renfrewshire embedded a Prevent strategy which is part of the overall UK counter-terrorism strategy, (CONTEST). The Counter Terrorism & Security Act 2015 places a duty on local authorities to support the Prevent strategy and to take steps to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by having due regard to stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism – to “prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. Work with our colleagues within Police Scotland continues to deliver the SOC agenda focusing on the SMASTA. Deliver the Action Plan outcomes outlined in the Tenant Participation Strategy 2022‐2027 31 March 2027 Officers are now implementing the action plan and reviewing its progress on a six- monthly basis. Page 51 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan –Fair What we will do Due Date Status Progress Update Ensure effective participation and support for all refugee programmes. 31 March 2024 Accommodation and support offered in line with Ukrainian and Afghan programmes. Housing options advice offered to former asylum seekers. Fully implement the improvements to our Sheltered Housing and Health & Wellbeing service. 31 March 2024 New posts filled, and broader range of initiatives in place, including those for Ukrainian Displaced Persons. Ensure proposed Protect Duty is delivered across the Council After UK legislation has been enacted In December 2022 the Home Secretary set out the foundational policy for the Protect Duty in Parliament, known as Martyn’s Law. These proposals will place a requirement on those responsible for certain locations to consider the threat from terrorism and implement appropriate and proportionate mitigation measures. The legislation will ensure parties are prepared, ready to respond and know what to do in the event of an attack. Legislation for the proposed duty will be brought forward as soon as parliamentary time allows. Martyn’s Law will extend to and apply across the whole of the United Kingdom. Page 52 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan –Fair Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 Q1 2023/24 Q2 2023/24 Explanation of performance Value Target Target Value Target Value Target Average time from household presenting themselves as homeless to completion of duty (number of weeks) 21.74 26 26 21.43 26 21.80 26 Performance remains very positive and compares well against other local authorities, despite the emerging housing crisis. We anticipate this figure may increase in Q3 and Q4 Page 53 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan –Greener What we will do Due Date Status Progress Update Supporting the local economy towards Net Zero; ensuring proper and informed consumer choice, both through effective advice and regulation. 31 March 2024 Trading Standards & Licensing have gathered information on local businesses in or linked to the green energy sector and advice visits are planned for later this year. A meeting with Communications is planned to ensure relevant messaging is included in the corporate communications calendar. Deliver the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing post-2020 (EESSH2) milestones. (The Scottish Government is reviewing EESSHH2 to strengthen and realign he standard with the target for net zero heat in houses from 2040, as set out in the Climate Change Update, the Heat in Buildings Strategy, and the Housing to 2040 Route Map – whilst the review is underway, the Scottish Housing Regulator will continue to gather data on EESSH1 compliance) 31 March 2024 We continue to deliver energy efficient investment projects to existing standards and are ready to programme future projects in line with the outcome of the Scottish Government review. A contract is already in place for retrofit designers who are working on designs that are expected to meet the new standard, so we are ready to implement as soon as the Scottish Government give the go ahead to proceed. Page 54 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan –Greener Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 Q1 2023/24 Q2 2023/24 Explanation of performance Value Target Target Value Target Value Target Percentage of Council housing stock which meets the Scottish Housing Quality Standard 68.31% 100% 100% Not measured for quarters Not measured for quarters In 2021/22 two new elements were included in the calculation of this PI for the first time and since then compliance with 5 yearly EICR checks, and the new smoke and heat detector standard are included in the calculation of SHQS compliance. The council’s programme of EICR checks and smoke detector upgrades has been significantly affected by difficulties facing the construction industry. Work is ongoing to achieve full compliance with EICR and detectors, including a programme of forced access visits. EESSH failures are also part of the SHQS score which also impacts the overall SHQS pass rate. Landlords have until December 2025 to comply with EESSH1. . Percentage of homes meeting the EESSH 2020 standard 85.07% 95% 95% Not measured for quarters Not measured for quarters Whilst below target, performance has improved. Ongoing difficulties within the construction industry have caused some delays in works being completed. Landlords have until December 2025 to comply with EESSH1. Page 55 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan –Living Our Values What we will do Due Date Status Progress Update Embed new approaches to staff communication and engagement across all areas of the service 31 March 2024 Staff Away Days conducted in June and October have established new approaches to communicating and engaging with all managers across E,H&I. Feedback from these Away Days has been used to progress and resolve some of the issues that managers face in delivering services. Links with Corporate Services like Communications, Marketing and HR will be invaluable to the continues success. Ensure robust and up to date business continuity arrangements are in place 31 March 2024 Work has been ongoing with service managers to develop refreshed Business Continuity Plans. These plans are currently undergoing testing and validation to ensure they are robust. Embed the enquiry systems for public and elected members across Environment, Housing & Infrastructure services 31 March 2024 There has been progress made in terms of being able to report on the performance of Elected Member enquiries for EHI and this can now be done in a more joined up way. The recording and monitoring of these enquiries are continuing as they were and progress on a more joined up approach has been held up due to delays in introduction of new structure for Service Development. Review Health & Safety and Risk Assessments 31 March 2024 An ongoing review and revision of the risk assessments across services is underway. Risk Assessments are being reviewed in line with an overarching approach to ensure staff have access to one source for the majority of tasks undertaken in specific job roles. Ensure robust financial monitoring 31 March 2024 The Senior Leadership Team and service managers continue to meet on a period by period basis with finance colleagues to monitor budgets and to ensure the service is provided with the most up to date information to ensure robust financial systems are in place to support the service. Page 56 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan –Living Our Values What we will do Due Date Status Progress Update Review and maintain continuous improvement frameworks 31 March 2024 Infrastructure & Service Development services have been successfully re-accredited through strategic review for the next three years of accreditation to the ISO9001 Quality Management Systems standard. Support the Council in developing New Ways of Working (Council Plan) 31 March 2024 A lot of work and preparation on the New Ways of Working has been undertaken with an initial focus on Renfrewshire House as the Council headquarters. This has included setting up cross service Operational and Strategic Groups. Officers procured a space planner to assist with the design of offices and work will be undertaken in the final 6 months of 23/24 to relocate and join teams, add meeting/collaboration space and look to relocate staff from Abbey House into Renfrewshire House. Pilots of sound proof pods, new ICT meeting equipment, head phones and break out areas have been undertaken and reviewed. The work has been undertaken to give the flexibility for staff to continue to work in a hybrid model (wherever possible) and therefore rationalise the number of desks for each team. Work has also been undertaken to understand leases and assess if other organisations e.g. RVJB could be located in Renfrewshire House. EH&I will work towards keeping The Promise 31 March 2024 Service Areas have been liaising with the Council's Promise lead officer to ensure the service is supporting The Promise. Page 57 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan –Living Our Values Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 Q1 2023/24 Q2 2023/24 Explanation of performance Value Target Target Value Target Value Target Training – Percentage of staff training undertaken in relation to qualifications 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% One Officer undertaking the training has now left Renfrewshire Council. The remaining two Officers have been undertaking licensing enforcement duties. This is a new function for the Team so the focus is on training Officers for this new activity. The Trading Standards qualification element will be revisited in the next financial year. Total Percentage of frontline (stage 1) complaints responded to within 5 days* 59% 85% 85% 88% 85% 89% 85% In Q2, 2700 complaints were received with 2409 responded too within timescales. Total Percentage of investigation (stage 2) complaints responded to within 20 days* 78% 85% 85% 95% 85% 94.8% 85% In Q2, 116 complaints were received with 114 responded too within timescales. *Complaint indicators are service wide indicators. Figures for 2022/23 relate to Communities and Housing Services. Figures for Q1 and Q2 of 2023/24 relate to E,H&I as a whole and are also reported within the SIP reports being presented to the Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board and the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board at their respective November meetings. Page 58 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan –Living Our Values Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 Q1 2023/24 Q2 2023/24 Explanation of performance Value Target Target Value Target Value Target Gross rent arrears (all tenants) as at 31 March each year as a percentage of rent due for the reporting year. 9.28% 7.5% 7.5% 8.52% 7.5% 9.19% 7.5% Rent arrears have reduced in quarter 1 compared to the year-end outcome, however, remains above target. Performance continues to improve in both current and former tenant rent collection in line with collection rates at this point in the financial year – Q2 position in 22/23 was 10.07%. Supporting tenants experiencing difficulty paying rent due, continues to be a priority. The process developed alongside rent collection activity to implement the Tenant’s Support Fund and maximise Income Advice for Council Tenants; approved as part of the budget process this year will commence in quarter 3 and target those in need of assistance. Recovery action will continue for those who are able to pay and do not, with eviction remaining the ultimate sanction only after all other routes of recovery have been exhausted. Rent collected as percentage of total rent due in the reporting year. 100% 98% 98% 96.2% 98% 98.45% 98% Performance is consistent in line with collection rate in previous years – Q2 position in 22/23 was 96.36%. Average length of time taken to re-let properties in the last year (in days) 60.59 53 53 43.12 53 49 53 Average days to let have increased this quarter, however, remain below target. On a positive –there has been an increase in the number of properties let in this quarter when compared to Q1. Page 59 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan –Living Our Values Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 Q1 2023/24 Q2 2023/24 Explanation of performance Value Target Target Value Target Value Target Percentage of rent loss due to voids 1.86% 1.8% 1.8% 1.47% 1.8% 1.47% 1.8% Performance in this area is consistent with Q1 and demonstrates improvement when compared to Q2 last year where figure was 1.95%. Number of workdays lost through sickness absence per full time equivalent (FTE) employee (cumulative) This is a new service with no previous data*. TBC 3.5 TBC TBC TBC * As reported to the Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Board in August 2023 (Agenda item 5) Page 60 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Delivering the Service Improvement Plan –Data Only Indicators Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 Q1 2023/24 Q2 2023/24 Explanation of performance Value Value Value Enhanced Enforcement of Private Rented Sector - no. of investigations 62 18 16 Investigation numbers are complaint led and appear consistent with last year’s details, in terms of projected numbers for the year. Enhanced Enforcement of Private Rented Sector - no. of reports to First Tier Tribunal 3 2 0 Referrals to the First Tier Tribunal are undertaken at a point when a landlord either fails to engage or undertake repairs and can often be several months after opening an investigation. Cases are currently at various stages of investigation, and some may progress to a referral to the First Tier Tribunal. Enhanced Enforcement of Private Rented Sector - no. of RPNs issued 268 12 58 The number of Rent Penalty Notices issued relate to landlords who have not made an application to renew their registration as a private landlord and the numbers will vary on a month by month/annual basis. Page 61 of 470
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level EHI Service Improvement Plan Six monthly progress update October 2023 For more information, please contact: douglas.morrison@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 62 of 470
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 31 October 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Service Update Report ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 This report provides an overview of key service activities, an operational performance update on the services and key projects and updates on any other relevant changes to service areas covered within the remit of this Board. 1.2 This is the first Service Update Report which has been presented to the Communities and Housing Policy Board and, moving forward, an update will be presented to each cycle of the Board. 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Communities and Housing Policy Board 2.1 Note the contents of this report. Updates for Communities and Housing Policy Board 3. Housing Services 3.1 Housing-Led Regeneration and Development 3.1.1 As reported to the Board at its meeting of 22 August 2023, good progress continues to be made on the rehousing of Council tenants and the acquisition of privately-owned homes in order to progress demolition. Table 1 below illustrates the situation as of 2 October 2023. 3.1.2 Good progress is also being made where re-housing of Council tenants is required to facilitate demolition. Table 1 below illustrates the situation as of 2nd October 2023. Rehousing of tenants from properties approved for demolition Item 5 CHPB311023 Page 63 of 470
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in the Auchentorlie area is now complete. Priority for re-housing is currently being given to tenants on a phased basis in the Howard Street Area, Springbank/Mossvale, Thrushcraigs and Waverley Road. It is envisaged that rehousing priority for the Howwood Road Area and Ferguslie/Broomlands will be applied on a phased basis as each phase of newbuild nears completion. Table 1 3.1.3 A Procurement Strategy has been put in place using CITB guidelines on community benefits. This includes a highly defined and locality-based approach to maximising community benefits leveraged to the overall programme. The contract with MP Group, of which the improvement projects will form a part, is already delivering community benefits – for every £3m of expenditure, the contractor provides six work placements, participation in two industry awareness events and donations of goods and/or services to social enterprises or community initiatives to a value of at least £2,000, as well as engagement with local businesses as potential suppliers or sub-contractors. A Neighbourhood Renewal Group for each regeneration area will be involved in setting out specific benefits to be delivered as part of each new contract, for example the contracts for newbuild housing at Ferguslie/Broomlands Phase 2, Howwood Road Area Phase 2, Springbank/Mossvale and Thrushcraigs. 3.1.4 Tenders have been received in respect of two of the newbuild projects – Howwood Road Area Phase 1 (the former Cochrane Castle Primary School site) and Ferguslie/Broomlands Phase 1 (the former Carbrook Street Nursery site). Applications for grant finance have been made to the Scottish Government and it is intended to seek approval to let Design-and-Build contracts from the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board at a future board. 3.2 Other Development 3.2.1 A tender has been received in respect of the newbuild project at Gallowhill. An application for grant finance has been made to the Scottish Government and it is intended to seek approval to let a Design-and-Build contract from the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board at a future board. 3.3 Housing Services 3.3.1 Supporting tenants having trouble paying rent due, continues to be a priority. The process developed alongside rent collection activity to implement the Tenant’s Support Fund and maximise Income Advice for Council Tenants; Page 64 of 470
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approved as part of the budget process this year commenced in October 2023 and targets those in need of assistance. 3.3.2 Joint work continues with the Council’s Benefits and Advice service to ensure Council Tenants in need of assistance have access to specialist income advisors. New Advice staff have been going through specialist training and targeted advice is now being offered, take up information related to specialist advice and numbers of referrals for Tenants Support fund will be available for future boards through the Service Update Report. 3.3.3 The challenges within the supply chain related to empty properties and works required still exist. This is a priority across Environment, Housing and Infrastructure and an end-to-end review is ongoing involving all teams who contribute to the process of preparing an empty house for reletting. The letting team continue to focus on meeting needs and managing the waiting list to match available properties as quickly as possible. At the end of September, the void rent loss figure was 1.48% compared to 1.95% at the same point last year. 3.3.4 Housing officers continue to attend the Daily Tasking meeting. Working with partners, the Daily Tasking process remains central to understanding and responding to incidents of anti‐social behaviour in and around our estates. 3.4 Homelessness 3.4.1 There has been a 12% increase in homeless applications in Renfrewshire in the 2 years 2021/22 – 2022/23, in line with the national trend, and there are signs that there is likely to be a further increase this year. Over 75% of all homeless applications are from single person households, therefore demand is very much for 1-bedroom properties. 3.4.2 Whilst the pressure on the demand for social rented housing and temporary accommodation is significant and growing, there have still been some positive, effective measures in tackling homelessness in Renfrewshire: • the upscaling of the Housing First approach has continued, with the number of people benefitting from this form of ‘wraparound’ support at any one time reaching 75 – increasing from 13 at the commencement of our Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan in 2019. • The deployment of Resettlement Officers and joint working between Homeless Services and the Housing Support team has had a positive impact on tenancy sustainment levels, with the proportion of homeless applicants who sustain their Council tenancy for at least 12 months increasing from 80% in 2019/20 to 92% in 2022/23 • the proportion of those who experience repeat homelessness (present as homeless more than once within 12 months) has reduced from just under 10% in 2019/20 to under 5% in 2022/23. • The Council is on schedule to meet the target of 49% of lets of general stock to homeless applicants in 2023/24, and it has been stressed to RSL’s that there is a need for the number and proportion of lets by them to homeless applicants to increase in order to help address the growing housing pressures locally. Page 65 of 470
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3.5 Housing Support 3.5.1 The demand for housing support has significantly increased, as would be expected at a time of a cost-of-living crisis and growth in homelessness. 3.5.2 Housing support focusses on helping people to manage their homes and enabling them to remain or become independent at home and in their communities and can be directed towards people who are facing homelessness; experiencing addictions; older people; those with mental health problems; those living with a disability; domestic abuse victims and so on. 3.6 Sheltered Housing 3.6.1 A new operational management structure is now in place following the lessons learned during COVID lockdowns and recovery period on the importance of ensuring our sheltered housing service remains resilient and can support the 310 tenants living in the 10 sheltered complexes across Renfrewshire owned and managed by the Council. 3.7 Housing Asset and Investment 3.7.1 Our Repairs and Maintenance Teams continue to respond to tenants reporting dampness and mould problems. New processes have been introduced to ensure that officers have the right resources in place and sufficient time to carry out inspections. Where appropriate, tenants are provided with advice from officers, both verbally and in the form of a leaflet, on how to prevent mould and condensation. All cases reported are recorded with outcomes monitored. Severe cases are referred to our specialist rotworks contractor and we have recently piloted some new methods of disinfection of severe cases of mould. Since April, 107 surveys have been carried out by repairs and maintenance officers and of these 22 have been passed to our specialist rotworks contractor. We are continuing to review processes in line with best practice and this will help to inform the strategy document that will be prepared within the next quarter. 3.7.2 We are currently reviewing all council buildings for the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) as part of their construction. While the likelihood of RAAC being identified in any domestic properties is low, as a precautionary measure we have conducted a desktop analysis of all our council properties and are now reviewing those which have been identified as having the potential for RAAC to have been used as part of their construction. This includes two houses, 44 flat blocks, nine shops or shop blocks and two office locations. 97% of the inspections have been completed and to date no RAAC has been found, work will continue on this over the coming weeks and months with the board kept updated in progress. 3.7.3 Our Housing Investment team are currently working with our external contractor, in various areas in Johnstone, Renfrew, Villages, Linwood and Paisley delivering a range of work programmes comprising of full externals programme, Solar PV, window and loft insulation programme and a window replacement programme. A total of 1,025 properties are at various stages of the process from planning to delivery. Our Housing Asset Management team Page 66 of 470
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are working on designs for a further circa 1,000 properties in preparation for programmes for the next financial year. 3.7.4 As noted in paragraph 3.3.3 above, void management is an area of high priority for improvement across the service. We are currently working with external consultant Savills to carry out an end-to-end review of processes and will be developing an action plan for improvement in conjunction with colleagues in all teams involved in the void process. 4. Public Protection 4.1 Protect Duty (Martyn’s Law) 4.1.1 The PROTECT Duty (known as Martyn’s Law) is pending UK wide legislation that will place a requirement on those responsible for certain publicly accessible locations to consider the threat from terrorism and implement appropriate and proportionate mitigation measures. 4.1.2 Pre-legislative scrutiny has been conducted by the UK Parliament Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) and this has provided an assessment of the legislation in its current state and will develop as the legislation goes through the parliamentary process. 4.2 Firework Control Zones 4.2.1 The use of fireworks in Scotland has been subject to Scottish Government consultation since March 2019, after growing public concern about matters such as safety, noise and animal welfare. This is a complicated legislative area, as the sale of fireworks is reserved to Westminster, while the use of fireworks is a devolved matter. 4.2.2 After extensive consultation, and the convening of an expert sub group, the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 was passed by the Scottish Parliament received Royal Assent in August 2022. Controls such as restriction on the sale and supply, are being phased in slowly, with regulatory and economic impact being carefully considered at each stage. 4.2.3 The most recently enacted provision is for Local Authorities to consider the use of “Fireworks Control Zones”. Fireworks Control Zones would be small, evidence-based areas, set up and maintained by the Local Authority, but enforced by Police Scotland; in which the unplanned use of Fireworks in any area is banned. This is a discretionary power, and Local Authorities must “have regard to” the Scottish Government guidance in relation to the use of these Zones if they choose to proceed. 4.2.4 The guidance will ensure that the power is applied fairly and consistently, as the implementation of a Zone will restrict the rights of our citizens in their own homes. Zones must be evidence-based, limited to where they will have an impact, and subject to robust consultation to ensure that the rights of individuals, workers and businesses are considered. These will be of most benefit in bolstering powers in areas where there are annual public order disturbances. There are no such areas currently identified in Renfrewshire. 4.2.5 Renfrewshire Council have convened a short-life task group to review the provisions. A policy position will be agreed and reported back to a future Board for approval, and an appropriate service will be identified to lead on any Page 67 of 470
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Council position. Relevant partners – particularly Police Scotland and Scottish Fire & Rescue Services will be involved at the earliest possible opportunity, to ensure any decisions are well-founded, sustainable and deliverable, for the people of Renfrewshire. 4.3 Food Law 4.3.1 The Food Law inspection programme is on track to meet the requirements of the Code of Practice. Current compliance shows that compliance with food law is currently 99%. 4.3.2 Officers are working with Food Standards Scotland on a Fraud case relating to Kebab meat. This is a National, cross border investigation and involves suppliers in the Renfrewshire area. 4.4 Health and Safety 4.4.1 The Health and Safety interventions programme is continuing with visits being carried out in terms of Gas/Electrical Safety, Swimming pools and spas, warehousing and safety at visitor attractions. 4.4.2 Officers are currently preparing a report to the procurator fiscal in relation to an accident where an employee fell from a ladder and sustained multiple fractures. 4.5 Communicable Diseases 4.5.1 There has been a marked rise in the number of communicable disease investigations with referrals from NHS up 65% as compared to same period in the previous year. This is in part, due to foreign travel acquired infection and is comparable with figures reported across the whole country. 4.6 Short Term Let Licensing 4.6.1 The deadline for applications from hosts to obtain a statutory licence passed on 30 September 2023 and Officers within the team are currently involved in the inspection of secondary letting premises to ensure compliance with licence conditions, in advance of the application being determined. Whilst not inspecting home sharing/home letting property, licence applications are being reviewed to ensure these will satisfy licence conditions, based on the information provided in support of the application. At this stage it is unclear how many operators exist within Renfrewshire; however, additional work will commence shortly to identify potential short term let operators who have failed to apply for a licence. 4.7 Air Quality 4.7.1 Officers have completed the Council’s Annual Progress Report for 2023, reporting on monitoring activity during the 2022 calendar year. This is outlined in a separate report presented to the Board today. Air quality is continuing to show an improving trend across monitoring locations and there have been no exceedances of statutory air quality objectives during 2022. 5. Community Development Page 68 of 470
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5.1 Team Up to clean Up 5.1.1 Spotless September, a Team Up to Clean Up flagship event, brings new members to the Campaign. It offers an opportunity to reach those who don’t use social media but notice bus stop ads, articles in local press or posters in libraries or community centres. 357 litter picks took place across the month with over 1,000 volunteers participating. The campaign also encourages groups and organisations to become involved which included ThermoFisher, Expeditors, Decathlon, and Lloyds Bank, Paisley Wild Swimming Buddies, Milldale and The Mirin Day Opportunities as well as 6 Guide and Scout Groups were keen to get out and pick. 5.1.2 Spotless September facilitates an introduction to the Team Up principles to school pupils through delivering presentations and encouraging litterpicking activity for pupils. School presentations focus on litter’s negative impact on local wildlife, its contribution to climate change, as well the consequences in their own community. 25 schools took part in the event across September. An additional supply of bins was moved to Gleniffer High at the beginning of September to encourage their use and pupils took part in their own event, litterpicking Durrockstock Dam and the surrounding areas. 5.1.3 Winter Warriors, a Team Up to Clean Up mini project, will again offer a limited supply of salt spreaders and salt over the winter to community volunteers. These volunteers support their local community by clearing and gritting local footpaths which prevents slips and falls within their neighbourhood. 5.2 Take the Lead 5.2.1 Over 300 Renfrewshire dog owners have so far taken The Pledge to be responsible dog owners and pick up after their pets. The ‘Take the Lead’ principles were discussed, and merchandise offered to dog owners at the Doggy’s Day Out in Robertson’s Park on 24 September. 5.2.2 Team Up to Clean Up were supported by SHS Events who delivered a market stall event coupled with their Dog Companion Day hosted by Crufts Judge, Deborah Fleming. St Mirren Dog Training also offered volunteers free taster dog obedience and fun classes which were enjoyed by attendees and their pets. 5.3 Environmental Taskforce 5.3.1 The Environmental Taskforce continues to work with Renfrewshire’s communities to reduce flytipping, which along with Duty of Care visits (ensuring correct business waste arrangements are in place) is the Team’s main focus. Table 2 below offers some key statistics of the work delivered by the Taskforce over this period: Action August – To date Cumulative from 1 December Proactive visits to identified hotspot areas 483 1,764 Number of reports investigated 348 1,529 Tonnes of flytipping removed 40 400 Number of sites secured to prevent further flytipping 2 10 Letters to private landowners 11 76 Page 69 of 470
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Table 2 6. Criminal Justice 6.1 The volume of work generated by court and tribunal services continued to increase throughout the year. This reflects ongoing measures to address the still significant backlog stemming from the pandemic. 6.2 Renfrewshire’s Justice Social Work service has worked hard to respond to these increasing demands by reviewing and prioritising workloads to ensure resources are in place to support people with convictions, on community orders and on release from custody. This maintains focus on those with high levels of risk and need. Significant challenges are arising from staffing changes and recruitment difficulties, something that has rarely been a challenge for justice social work in the past. 6.3 Working practice has adapted in accordance with safe working requirements to ensure the health and wellbeing of staff and service users. Unpaid work has progressed from home working to community provision. Groupwork continued to be prioritised and has returned to pre pandemic levels. 6.4 Within 2023/24 in response to the government vision of reducing remand and engaging with individuals at the earliest point, and limiting their involvement in the justice system, an Early Intervention service is under development to employ additional paraprofessional staff to undertake new services. 6.5 Electronic Monitoring bail (tagging) commenced on 17 May 2023, as did the provision of Structured Deferred Sentences utilising existing staff during the initial phase. Additional staff, temporary until 2026 due to funding, will be employed in 2023/24 to enable the creation of a bail supervision service, extend diversion for more complex cases and develop voluntary supervision and post custody supports. Implications of the Report 1. Financial – Any financial elements referenced in this report will be progressed through the Council’s financial & budget planning process. 2. HR & Organisational Development – None 3. Community/Council Planning – The report details a range of activities which reflect local community and council planning themes. 4. Legal – None 5. Property/Assets – None Visits to businesses to ensure Waste Disposal Arrangements in place 24 105 Fixed Penalty Notices Issued 18 65 Page 70 of 470
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6. Information Technology –None 7. Equality & Human Rights - The recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – None 9. Procurement – None 10. Risk – None 11. Privacy Impact – None 12. COSLA Policy Position – None 13. Climate Change – there are a range of actions and activities throughout the Service Update Report which support the Council’s Plan for Net Zero, ___________________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers: None ___________________________________________________________________ Author Gordon McNeil, Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure Email: gordon.mcneil@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 71 of 470
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 31 October 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Renfrewshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 – 2029 ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Following consultation, the Renfrewshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 to 2029 attached at Appendix 1, has been finalised for submission to the Scottish Government. 1.2 The Strategic Housing Investment Plan sets out an ambitious affordable housing programme that will benefit from the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme funding. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Communities and Housing Policy Board: 2.1 approves the Renfrewshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 to 2029 for submission to the Scottish Government. 3. Background 3.1 The Strategic Housing Investment Plan outlines how Scottish Government funding for affordable housing will be targeted to achieve the priorities set out in Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy and supports the delivery of a range of affordable housing projects across Renfrewshire. 3.2 Through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, the Scottish Government allocates grant funding (known as Resource Planning Assumptions) to local authority areas. Item 6 CHPB311023 Page 73 of 470
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3.3 The Scottish Government has confirmed the level of funding allocated to Renfrewshire to support the delivery of affordable homes for the period to 2026, as set out below: • £17.200M in grant support for the financial year 2024/25; and • £17.485M in grant support for the financial year 2025/26 3.4 Resource Planning Assumptions support the delivery of new affordable homes across Renfrewshire by providing grant support at benchmark rates. The Scottish Government benchmark grant rates were increased in June 2023 to £83,584 for new Council homes and £91,182 for new social rented homes delivered by housing association partners. These benchmark rates are flexible and projects may be eligible for higher grant awards following detailed assessment by the Scottish Government. 3.5 Additional grant funding is also available from the existing Resource Planning Assumptions in addition to grant benchmark rates, where affordable housing developers include design features related to zero emissions; the installation of automatic fire suppression systems; electric vehicle charging points; space for home working; provision of balconies and digital connectivity. 4. Renfrewshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 to 2029 4.1 The draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 to 2029 was approved for consultation by the Communities and Housing Policy Board on 22 August 2023. A 4-week consultation period followed which involved all housing associations operating in Renfrewshire, local stakeholder groups such as Community Councils and tenants and residents’ associations, community planning partners, other stakeholder groups and Renfrewshire’s residents. 4.2 This finalised Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 to 2029 takes account of feedback received from respondents during the consultation period. 4.3 A total of 19 representations were made during the consultation. Comments were mainly centred around the range and availability of affordable tenure options across property types and sizes and potential future affordable housing projects across Renfrewshire. 4.4 In finalising the Strategic Housing Investment Plan the development programme was updated to take account of the increased benchmark grant rates and changes to the delivery timescales of projects. Page 74 of 470
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4.5 The Strategic Housing Investment Plan has also been updated to reflect the recent decision of the Planning and Climate Change Policy Board on 29 August 2023 in relation to the revision of the Section 75 Agreement that is attached to the approved Dargavel Village masterplan. The revision includes a reduction of 93 social rented units that were to be delivered as part of the masterplan, adjusting the remaining number of social rented units to be delivered from 136 to 43. The remaining 43 units are in addition to the 62 units that are to be delivered by Loretto Housing Association with work expected to start on site next year. Discussions are ongoing between housing association partners and private developers to deliver a further 43 homes for social rent within Dargavel Village across two sites. 4.6 The Council and partners are working to identify new affordable housing projects to address the social rented unit reduction at Dargavel Village and in finalising the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, one potential new site has been identified during the consultation process that could provide around 17 units of social rented housing and help address this. 4.7 The new site is located at Church Street, Kilbarchan (expected to deliver 17 units). This site is included within the finalised Strategic Housing Investment Plan and further investigation work will continue with regards to the delivery of the site. 4.8 The Council and partners will continue to work to identify new affordable housing projects for a further 76 social rented units in future versions of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan to address the reduction in social housing units at Dargavel Village. The focus of this work will be in the North and West Renfrewshire areas where there is a limited supply of homes for social rent. 4.9 The Strategic Housing Investment Plan details how the Council and partners will deliver the ambitious programme of new affordable homes across Renfrewshire. It also contains funding provision for newbuild Council housing in the Renfrewshire Housing Regeneration Programme. 4.10 The plan also includes funding to purchase appropriate properties for social rent on the open market where this would help to meet identified housing needs or enable social landlords to undertake pro-active management and maintenance of housing stock. 4.11 The Council continues to work closely with the Scottish Government, Housing Associations and other developing partners to manage and deliver the development programme and facilitate delivery of the affordable housing programme for Renfrewshire. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial - Provision has been made within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget in relation to the projects where the Council is the developing organisation. Page 75 of 470
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2. HR & Organisational Development – None. 3. Community/Council Planning – • Building strong, safe and resilient communities - Increasing the supply of affordable housing and regenerating communities 4. Legal – Conveyancing work associated with land disposals 5. Property/Assets – None. 6. Information Technology – None. 7. Equality & Human Rights (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – None. 9. Procurement – None. 10. Risk – None. 11. Privacy Impact – None. 12. COSLA Policy Position – None. 13. Climate Risk – The Renfrewshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan aims to deliver high quality, energy efficient homes in sustainable locations across Renfrewshire. ___________________________________________________________________ Appendix 1 - Renfrewshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 to 2029 ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Kevin Dalrymple, Development Plans and Housing Strategy Team Leader Email: kevin.dalrymple@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 76 of 470
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1 Renfrewshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 Page 77 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 2 Renfrewshire’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan The Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) sets out a national framework to provide affordable homes across Scotland. The Scottish Government allocate grant funding to Councils who then direct this support towards the development of predominantly new build affordable homes, delivered by either the Council or one of its housing association partners. As part of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme process, local authorities are required to prepare a Strategic Housing Investment Plan each year. Renfrewshire’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan identifies affordable housing projects which are to be supported by Scottish Government funding and sets out how this investment will be targeted to meet the strategic priorities of Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy. Projects included within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan aim to support the delivery of the right homes in the right places and assist in providing safe, warm and energy efficient homes that meet people’s housing needs and contribute to the creation of sustainable thriving communities. Preparation and Consultation -Renfrewshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 to 2029 A draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan covering the period 2024 to 2029 was prepared for consultation following initial discussions with Registered Social Landlords operating in Renfrewshire and the Scottish Government with a public consultation running from the 23rd August 2023 to the 25th September 2023. A draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan was published on the Council’s website and was also promoted on social media. A copy of the draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan was also sent to local Tenants and Residents Associations, Community Councils and other key partners, stakeholders, community groups and third sector organisations. The comments and feedback received as part of the consultation process were then used to shape the finalised Strategic Housing Investment Plan for the period 2024 to 2029. Page 78 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 3 The finalised Strategic Housing Investment Plan can be viewed on the Council’s website by visiting: https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/4232/Strategic-Housing- Investment-Plan The Scottish Government’s Housing Programme The Scottish Government published their ‘Housing to 2040 Strategy’ in March 2021 with the strategy setting out the Scottish Government’s approach to increasing the supply of homes across all tenures in the period to 2040. In terms of affordable housing, the ‘Housing to 2040 Strategy’ includes a target to provide 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 with at least 70% of these homes to be developed for social rent. The ambitious ‘Housing to 2040 Strategy’ requires ongoing partnership working between the Council, affordable housing providers, private developers, the construction industry and the Scottish Government. Continued financial support in terms of future funding commitments from the Scottish Government that recognises the scale of Renfrewshire’s affordable housing development programme and acknowledges the significant inflationary pressures on development and tender costs will be essential to support the ongoing delivery of new affordable homes across Renfrewshire. The Scottish Government’s Housing and Planning Delivery Framework (HPDF) This Strategic Housing Investment Plan takes account of the Scottish Government’s Housing and Planning Delivery Framework (HPDF) which promotes more efficient collaboration between Housing and Planning Services in relation to the Local Housing Strategy, Housing Need and Demand Assessment and national planning policies. Renfrewshire's Strategic Housing Investment Plan, Local Housing Strategy and the Renfrewshire Development Plan (including Renfrewshire’s Local Development Plan 2021 and National Planning Framework 4) support the implementation of the Housing and Planning Delivery Framework and aim to increase the supply of housing; make the housing system more responsive to demand; improve long term housing affordability and contribute to reducing volatility in the housing market. Page 79 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 4 Development Plan for Renfrewshire Renfrewshire’s Development Plan consists of National Planning Framework 4 and the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan 2021. Renfrewshire’s Development Plan supports the development of new homes that improve affordability and choice as well as increasing access to homes for all which are accessible and adaptable, including wheelchair accessible homes. When the Council is assessing development projects included within this Strategic Housing Investment Plan, it will consider these proposals against the policies in the National Planning Framework 4 and the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan 2021. New build Council housing, Ferguslie Park, Paisley Affordable Homes for Renfrewshire Renfrewshire Council are working with local authorities across the Glasgow City Region to finalise a Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA3). In addition to HNDA3, a comprehensive local affordable housing study of the Renfrewshire area has recently been completed. This detailed local research complements the wider HNDA3 as well as providing a robust and credible evidence base by identifying housing need at a lower level geography across Renfrewshire’s towns and villages. This comprehensive evidence base will also inform the application of Renfrewshire’s Affordable Housing Policy. Taking account of the results of HNDA3 and the local affordable housing study, the Council will identify estimated housing needs for both private and affordable in the new Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy. The headline results from the local affordable housing study are included within the new Local Housing Strategy. Page 80 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 5 Resources for Housing Delivery It is essential that a healthy, flexible and ambitious affordable housing development programme is maintained to ensure that sites can be progressed to meet local needs while making best use of available funding and resources. The Scottish Government provide local authorities with multi-year Resource Planning Assumptions (RPA’s) to support the longer term planning and delivery of projects within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. For the two-year period 2024/25 to 2025/26, the following minimum levels of grant funding have been confirmed by the Scottish Government: £17.200M in grant support for the financial year 2024/25; and £17.485M in grant support for the financial year 2025/26 Scottish Government Grant Benchmarks Resource Planning Assumptions provide grant support at benchmark rates for each affordable home developed. In June 2023, the Scottish Government increased the benchmark grant rates for a social rented new build home to £83,584 for new Council homes and £91,182 for housing association partners. These grant rates are flexible which means that projects may be eligible for a higher grant award per property following a detailed assessment of property mix, project viability and development costs. In recent years, tender costs have been significantly higher due to increased labour and material costs. This has had an adverse impact on development costs, levels of grant requirement and timescales for the delivery of projects. The recent increase of grant levels is intended to assist in mitigating these higher development costs. Following the recent change of Scottish Government grant benchmarks in June 2023, discussions took place with affordable housing providers as part of the consultation process for the draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan to determine the financial Page 81 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 6 implications of the increased level of grant being made available to affordable housing providers from existing Resource Planning Assumptions to support delivery of projects identified within appendix 3 of this Strategic Housing Investment Plan. Appendix 3 of this Strategic Housing Investment Plan includes any eligible increase in the level of grant funding for each project. New build Council housing, Auchengreoch Road, Johnstone New Affordable Housing Design Features Additional grant funding is available from existing Resource Planning Assumptions for affordable housing related to specific quality and design features, including: The delivery of homes to Silver Level of the 2019 Building Regulations in respect of Energy for Space Heating; The provision of balconies within flatted developments where the provision of private or communal outdoor space is not possible; The provision of space for home working or study where it is not possible to incorporate such space within the design of the homes under current space standards; Digitally enabled homes with tenants able to arrange for an internet connection without the internet service provider having to provide additional cabling to the premises; The installation of ducting infrastructure for electric vehicle charge point connectors; Installation of electric vehicle charge points; The installation of automatic fire suppression systems; and Installation of heating systems which produce zero direct emissions at the point of use. Page 82 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 7 The flexible benchmark rates of grant as well as any additional grant being made available to affordable housing developers who incorporate enhanced design elements, is being met from current known Resource Planning Assumptions. This may have an impact on the number of new affordable homes being delivered as the level of grant for each property increases. Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy A new Local Housing Strategy for Renfrewshire has been prepared following consultation with local communities, housing associations, tenants and resident’s associations, community councils, the third sector, Renfrewshire’s Health and Social Care Partnership and other key stakeholders. The Local Housing Strategy takes account of current local and national policy priorities, as well as new research and evidence and looks to build upon past successes whilst aiming to meet need and demand for both housing and housing related services. The Local Housing Strategy includes 5 strategic priorities as shown below. New Local Housing Strategy Strategic Priorities 1. The supply and delivery of housing is increased across all tenures to meet the housing needs of different groups and create attractive and sustainable places; 2. People live in high quality, well managed homes in sustainable neighbourhoods; 3. Address the challenges of the climate emergency, delivering homes that are warm, energy efficient and fuel poverty is minimised; 4. Prevention of homelessness and providing support for those in housing need; and 5. People can live independently for as long as possible in their own home and the different housing needs of people across Renfrewshire are being met. Page 83 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 8 Meeting Renfrewshire’s Housing Need When developing proposals for new build private and affordable housing, development proposals require to promote balanced mixed communities that include a range of property types and sizes to meet a range of housing needs, including the provision of accessible homes and homes designed to wheelchair standard. All affordable housing must be built to Housing for Varying Needs standard and should have flexibility built into its design to allow for future adaptation and reconfiguration to meet on-going tenant and resident’s future needs. In 2021, Renfrewshire’s had a population of 179,940 people living across 87,910 different households with an average household size of just over two people (National Records of Scotland). By 2028, the number of households is expected to increase to around 90,600 through small projected increases in the population combined with an increasing number of people living alone (National Records of Scotland). Renfrewshire’s population like Scotland’s is ageing with people living longer. In 2021, almost one fifth (19.6%) of Renfrewshire’s population was 65 years of age or older (National Records of Scotland). Lorettonew build development, Dargavel Village, Bishopton Abbey Quarter Phase 4, Paisley, Link Group Page 84 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 9 Renfrewshire Affordable Housing Investment Priorities All projects included within this Strategic Housing Investment Plan have clear links to the Strategic Priorities of the new Local Housing Strategy. Affordable homes delivered through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan require to be of a high quality, be energy efficient and be able to meets people’s needs and aspirations both now and in the future, with homes able to adapt to meet people’s changing needs over time. This Strategic Housing Investment Plan recognises that good quality affordable homes enhance Renfrewshire’s towns and villages and encourages a sense of community and place. The delivery of high quality homes can have a positive impact on peoples’ lives. The projects identified within this Strategic Housing Investment Plan support the provision of a range and choice of affordable housing of the right type and size to meets the housing needs of different groups throughout Renfrewshire. Developers of affordable housing will be expected to provide a range of property sizes on each development to meet the needs of households of different sizes, including smaller one bedroom homes and larger family homes throughout Renfrewshire. The Council will work with housing association partners to determine the most appropriate property size mix on a site by site basis taking account of Council and housing association housing waiting list data as well as the findings from the Glasgow Clyde Valley (HNDA3) and the Renfrewshire Housing Need and Demand study. A breakdown of property sizes for recently completed developments and those that have planning consent is included in Appendix 1 & 2. The projects included in this Strategic Housing Investment Plan will help meet the needs of individuals, families and those who require accommodation to meet a particular housing need such as housing for older people and housing to meet the needs of those with physical disabilities. Projects for both general and particular needs provision are included as both standalone purpose-built accommodation as well as within mainstream general needs developments. Particular needs provision alongside appropriate support, will assist people to live independently and successfully for as long as possible in their own homes and communities. Page 85 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 10 Developers of affordable homes will be expected to include accessible and adaptable homes on all new build developments. In recent years, affordable homes delivered through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan have primarily focused on adding to the supply of new build affordable homes for social rent with this approach continuing with this new Strategic Housing Investment Plan . There is also a recognised ongoing need for shared equity provision, as well as some limited open market acquisitions where such acquisitions meet an identified housing need in line with the strategic priorities of the new Local Housing Strategy. The delivery of new affordable homes on private sector sites will also be supported by making use of Renfrewshire’s Affordable Housing Policy to promote the development of mixed tenure communities. As well as new build affordable housing, this Strategic Housing Investment Plan places a strong emphasis on making best use of existing stock where possible and addressing issues in terms of housing quality and sustainability. This includes progressing the Council’s ambitious regeneration plans through new build Council development and/or significant investment and improvements to existing homes. The Strategic Housing Investment Plansupports the delivery of the Local Housing Strategyby: 1. Supporting local housing regeneration programmes; 2. Including new affordable housing provision to replace social rented housing no longer fit for purpose; 3.Addressing mismatch between the current supply of social rented housing and the housing people need and want to live in, taking account of type, size, quality and location; 4.Increasing the supply of affordable housing in areas where there is demand but limited provision; 5.Supporting the development of sustainable mixed communities by including affordable provision on private sector development sites; 6.Expanding the supply of housing for older people and those with particular and complex needs, including those who are homeless or on a repeat and persistent cycle of homelessness; and 7.Continuing to support town centre regeneration through residential development. Page 86 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 11 Renfrewshire Council New Build Programme This Strategic Housing Investment Plan rolls forward the Council’s own ambitious new build programme and follows the completion of new build Council homes at Dargavel Village, Bishopton, Johnstone Castle in Johnstone, Auchengreoch Road in Johnstone and more recently at Ferguslie Park in Paisley. Renfrewshire Council Regeneration and Renewal Programme Renfrewshire Council have approved an investment of at least £100 million over the next 10 years to support the delivery of modern, high quality energy efficient Council homes. In addition to adding to the supply of new build Council housing, the investment programme will target enhanced investment to the existing housing stock, including works to the external fabric of properties and environmental improvements. Following consultation, detailed plans are now being progressed for newbuild housing in the regeneration areas or where redevelopment is not possible, on alternative sites nearby. This Strategic Housing Investment Plan includes new build Council development projects for social rent with available grant support from the Affordable Housing Supply Programme being used to supplement the Council’s investment. New build projects identified within this Strategic Housing Investment Plan that will provide new build Council housing for social rent include: Broomlands Area, Paisley; Carbrook Street, Paisley; Foxbar, Paisley; Garthland Lane, Paisley; Gallowhill, Paisley; Thrushcraigs Area, Paisley; Springbank Area, Paisley; and Howwood Road, Johnstone. More information on the Council’s Regeneration and Renewal Programme can be found on the Council’s website by visiting: Housing regeneration in Renfrewshire -Renfrewshire Website Page 87 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 12 Delivering New Affordable Homes throughout Renfrewshire Detailed information on the ongoing and proposed affordable new build developments can be found in Appendix 1. Appendix 3 outlines the ambitious new build programme proposed throughout Renfrewshire over the next 5 years. The significance of strategic regeneration is reflected in the projects currently on site or proposed to be taken forward over the next five years as shown in Appendices 1 and 3. Delivering New Affordable Homes in North and West Renfrewshire There is an unmet demand and limited supply of affordable housing in the villages of North and West Renfrewshire. Affordable development in these areas can be challenging as most land for development is in private ownership. The Council will continue to pursue all opportunities to increase the supply of affordable housing in both North and West Renfrewshire, working with housing association partners and private developers to include social rented housing as either standalone developments or as part of mixed tenure private sector developments delivered as part of the Council’s Affordable Housing Policy. Affordable housing provision within Dargavel Village will continue with 138 homes for social rent completed to date and 62 homes due to start on site shortly. Discussions are ongoing between housing association partners and private developers to deliver a further 43 homes for social rent within Dargavel Village across two sites. In West Renfrewshire, several sites are being reviewed by housing associations to assess their viability for social rented housing. The Council will continue to work with our housing association delivery partners to increase the supply of social rented housing in these areas to add to the supply of affordable housing, taking account of available housing waiting list data and the outputs from the recently completed Renfrewshire Housing Need and Demand study. Particular Housing Needs The new Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy highlights the need for housing that meets the particular housing needs of a range of client groups with a particular focus on homelessness prevention Page 88 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 13 as well as enabling people to live independently for as long as possible in their own home with their different housing needs being met. This Strategic Housing Investment Plan includes a range of projects to address identified particular needs, with these projects having been refined since the last Strategic Housing Investment Plan. Abbey Quarter Phase IV, Paisley - 20 amenity standard homes and 5 fully wheelchair accessible homes for social rent that will sit alongside general needs housing (Due to complete late 2023); Older Persons housing at Station Road, Paisley - around 45 homes being developed to meet the particular needs of older people for social rent; Older Persons housing reprovisioning, Erskine – around 24 new older persons homes being developed to replace existing provision. Regular discussions take place with Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) when planning new developments to investigate the requirements for particular needs developments at an early stage to ensure that projects are viable, sustainable and capable of meetings tenants and residents’ needs. Wheelchair Accessible Housing All affordable housing providers in Renfrewshire aim to deliver a range of property types and sizes to meet people’s different housing needs - this includes the development of homes that meet wheelchair accessible standards. When preparing new build proposals, developers will be required to design homes that are able to meet occupants changing needs over time and the needs of an ageing population, by looking to incorporate design features that promote accessible and adaptable homes. Targets for the delivery of wheelchair accessible homes as part of new build developments have been identified as part of the development of the new Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy. The new Local Housing Strategy identifes that: New residential proposals must provide a minimum 10% of all dwellings designed to be easily adaptable for residents who are wheelchair users; and 5% of all new homes must be designed to wheelchair accessible standard. Page 89 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 14 Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans Renfrewshire Council and partners worked together to prepare a Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP) covering the 5-year period to 2024. The Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan details how those who are homeless will be provided with settled accommodation more quickly; spend reduced time in temporary accommodation and have more access to up-scaled support. The strategic housing priorities contained within this Strategic Housing Investment Plan align with the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan, supporting the delivery of homes to meet the requirements of different needs groups, household types and sizes. Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 This Strategic Housing Investment Plan recognises the fundamental role housing has in tackling child poverty and aims to support the delivery of a range of property types and sizes that meet the needs of families of all sizes through the creation of high quality energy efficient homes in sustainable communities that support health, wellbeing and educational attainment. Early discussions with affordable housing providers ensures that the housing mix proposed for each project takes account of housing waiting lists with this information reflected in terms of any agreed property mix and household sizes. Refugee Resettlement Renfrewshire Council have been working with the Scottish Government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) to determine what Renfrewshire can provide in terms of the housing stock of the Council and our housing association partners to support the matching of refugee arrivals from the Ukraine to properties in Renfrewshire. To date, most accommodation required has been smaller with one or two bedrooms being used due to the arriving household size. The extent of ongoing support in terms of the number of homes required to support Renfrewshire’s contribution towards this national resettlement scheme is unclear and will be reviewed when preparing future Strategic Housing Investment Plans. Gypsy/Travellers The Council continue to review the need to allocate land to meet the housing needs of Gypsy/Travellers taking account of the Joint Page 90 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 15 Action Plan published by the Scottish Government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). The Council will also await the outcome of the additional Scottish Government research into Gypsy/Travellers and use the proposed toolkit which is intended to assist local authorities build an understanding of the changing needs of Gypsy/Travellers in our area, in particular in relation to accommodation, services and supporting travel throughout Renfrewshire and beyond. Once the toolkit is made available this will inform the current Gypsy/Travellers assessment work that has been undertaken by Renfrewshire Council and will allow for both a strategic and local insight into the Gypsy/Traveller community and the implications for Renfrewshire. This work will be undertaken as an on-going action in the new Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy. This on-going work will identify the potential needs and support requirements of the Gypsy/Traveller community and whether site provision is required. If accommodation is required, this could be in the form of seasonal, transit, permanent or stopping places. Cross boundary and regional implications continue to be explored in partnership with neighbouring authorities as part of the Glasgow City Region Housing Market Partnership and will look at the potential of utilising negotiated stopping in defined areas to meet transient needs. If there is a need to allocate land to meet the accommodation need of Gypsy/Travellers, this will be addressed through the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan and its associated Delivery Programme. Should a requirement for accommodation/sites be identified to meet the needs of Gypsy/Travellers, future updates of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan will include details of these projects with funding potentially also being sought from the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund where appropriate. Travelling Showpeople There are currently no permanent Travelling Showpeople sites in Renfrewshire. Over the course of the new Local Housing Strategy, the Council will identify if there is a need to allocate land to meet the housing needs of Travelling Showpeople and this will be addressed through the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan/Action Delivery Programme. Page 91 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 16 Addressing the Climate Crisis in Renfrewshire Tackling the Climate Crisis is a major priority for Renfrewshire Council with work currently being progressed as part of Renfrewshire’s Plan for Net Zero, with actions to achieve Net Zero to be embedded in related Council plans and strategies. It is recognised that the changing climate has a direct impact on Renfrewshire’s current housing stock and that some residents will be more vulnerable to this than others. The Council’s £1 million Climate Change Action Fund, which funds innovative projects and initiatives, also supports engagement and partnership working across Renfrewshire and accelerates the pace of change of existing projects in order to tackle the climate crisis. Climate Change Adaptations Both Renfrewshire Council and housing association partners are incorporating additional energy efficiency measures as part of new build design which will actively target reduced carbon emissions from new build development. Projects included within this Strategic Housing Investment Plan aim to tackle fuel poverty by maximising opportunities for innovative energy efficient development, with greener measures included within new build developments. Heat Network Fund Developers of affordable housing that are considering the installation of large-scale heat networks may now be eligible for support through the Scottish Government’s Heat Network Fund. This Fund provides grant funding for the installation of zero emissions communal and district heating systems. Applications are required to be made to the Heat Network Fund prior to applying for grant assistance through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme. Acquisition of Private Housing (Rental Off the Shelf) Provision is included to assist social housing providers - both the Council and housing association partners - to purchase appropriate properties for social rent on the open market, where this would help to meet identified housing need or enable social landlords to undertake pro-active management and maintenance of housing stock. Page 92 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 17 This provision will support the acquisition of a range of property types including empty homes and other types of property where the acquisition of these properties align with Local Housing Strategy strategic priorities and the Council’s Acquisitions Strategy. Available resources will continue to be prioritised to support the delivery of new build affordable housing with open market acquisitions permitted where there is slippage in the programme in any given year and funding may therefore be available, with cognisance to the quality standards that require to be met when purchasing second-hand residential dwellings with vacant possession. Consideration will only be given to properties in line with the Council’s Acquisitions Strategy with properties required to: meet an identified need in terms of stock type, size and location; meet particular needs which may be difficult to address within the existing stock base; represent good value for money, taking account of repair and investment requirements as well as purchase price; located close to the stock base of the acquiring landlord, for management and maintenance purposes; and assist in allowing common works to be progressed on mixed tenure blocks. To be eligible for grant support, affordable housing providers will be expected to investigate all other available funding options alongside grant support from the Council’s Resource Planning Assumption/Affordable Housing Supply Programme. In July 2023, the Scottish Government announced plans for a ‘National Acquisition Plan’ aimed at increasing the supply of affordable homes in an effort to reduce the use of temporary accommodation throughout Scotland. Discussion are currently ongoing with the Scottish Government in terms of additional funding that could be made available to support appropriate acquisitions that add to the affordable housing supply in Renfrewshire with any acquisitions by either the Council or a housing association partner requiring to be made by 31st March 2024. Page 93 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 18 Council Tax on Empty and Second Homes At present, there is no direct funding allocated to the affordable housing programme in Renfrewshire from revenue raised from empty homes. However, the Council actively use other mechanisms available to promote the delivery of affordable homes. This includes the role of the Council’s dedicated ‘More Homes Officer’ who works with owners of long-term empty properties to provide advice and assistance with a view of bringing long term empty properties back into productive use. The More Homes Officer manages the Councils Buy back/Acquisition scheme where properties that meet strategic objectives may be purchased and added to the Council’s lettable housing stock, with Council funding and/or Scottish Government grant used to support these strategic acquisitions. The Council continues to monitor developments in terms of the Scottish Government’s ‘Housing to 2040’ Strategy proposals to support bringing empty homes back into productive use through enhanced powers for Councils and funding potentially being made available to support Councils in bringing empty homes back into use, or to convert suitable vacant commercial premises in town centre locations. Over the last five years, the Council’s Empty Homes Officer (now called More Homes Officer) has successfully helped to bring more than 60 long term empty homes back into the effective housing supply. New build social rented housing, Millarston, Paisley, (Link Group) Page 94 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 19 Programme Management and Project Prioritisation This Strategic Housing Investment Plan splits projects in to two groups through the use of a ‘core’ and ‘shadow’ programme. Projects within each group are shown in Appendix 3. The methodology used to prioritise project delivery is based on the developers’ ability to progress each project at key milestones in terms of an assessment of project viability, site acquisition, design work, procurement and potential site start with these milestones considered against availability of Scottish Government grant funding. This approach allows for the programming of individual projects as part of the ‘core’ and ‘shadow’ programme which together outline the on-going 5 year affordable housing supply programme delivered through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. Projects within the ‘core’ group will be progressed in the earlier years of the programme (normally years 1-3) where there is grant availability and where developers finances allow. Projects included in the ‘shadow’ programme will be progressed as ‘core’ projects complete or when additional funding becomes available or where there is the ability to ‘front fund’ projects to allow projects to proceed earlier. This means that project timescales may be subject to change. In terms of front funding, the Council or the housing association partner may initially fund the early stages of project development costs from their own resources, with grant being paid to developing organisations at the first available opportunity as funding becomes available. The use of a ‘core’ and ‘shadow’ programme supports the effective management of available resources whilst permitting some flexibility that assists in addressing any slippage of projects in any given year. Projects in the shadow programme may require extended lead in times to allow for site investigative works, site assembly or to arrange the necessary private finance to enable a development to proceed – all of which may influence how projects are prioritised within the programme with all projects subject to regular review. Additional new projects may be added to the programme should appropriate opportunities arise over the next 12 months prior to the next update of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. Any Page 95 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 20 additional projects brought forward need to align with the strategic priorities of the Local Housing Strategy. Due to current high tender and development costs, timescales for the progression of projects may change depending on the developing organisations financial position and ability to proceed in a high inflationary environment. This may cause movement within the development programme with projects moving between the core and shadow programme to ensure all funding available to Renfrewshire can be fully utilised. Delivery Both the Council and our housing association delivery partners will continue to look for efficiencies in construction methods and will work with the construction industry and design teams to determine the suitability of non-traditional construction methods for projects included with the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. The Council will continue to explore options for joint working around innovative delivery mechanisms that support the delivery of affordable housing throughout Renfrewshire. Housing Infrastructure Fund As part of the Scottish Government’s Housing to 2040 strategy, Scottish Ministers have agreed to continue with the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) in the period up to 2026. The Housing Infrastructure Fund provides both Councils and housing associations with additional grant to support the unlocking of challenging sites where the scale and nature of infrastructure costs would prevent these sites from being progressed as part of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan where projects can deliver affordable homes in line with the Council’s strategic priorities. The funding allocated to the Housing Infrastructure Fund nationally is around £50 million in the 2021-2026 period. In recent years, a number of Renfrewshire projects have successfully accessed the Housing Infrastructure Fund with housing association partners continuing to look at options to bid for support from the Housing Infrastructure Fund as and when required. At present, no project developer within this Strategic Housing Investment Plan is looking to access Housing Infrastructure Fund support, however this may change as developments move on site. Page 96 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 21 Monitoring Progress A range of project management activities are used to ensure resources are managed effectively and projects are progressing as planned. These project management activities include: Ongoing liaison between services within the Council and between the Council and Registered Social Landlord partners on specific projects; Multi-agency project group meetings; Quarterly tripartite meetings involving the Council, individual developing Registered Social Landlord partners and the Scottish Government; and Six weekly internal officer group meetings to review progress. New build social rented housing, St Ninian’s Crescent, Paisley (Link Group) Strategic Housing Investment Plan Appendices Appendix 1 details progress with projects currently on site as well as future proposed projects over the lifetime of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. Appendix 2 shows recent affordable housing completions with a breakdown of property sizes delivered on each site. Appendix 3 lists projects that are currently progressing and/or expected to draw down grant funding and/or be completed during the lifetime of this Strategic Housing Investment Plan. Appendix 4 provides details of sub-areas and settlements within Renfrewshire. Page 97 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 22 Equalities This Strategic Housing Investment Plan includes housing provision for a range of different needs groups including housing for older people and those with physical disabilities. The development programme includes clustered accommodation projects to meet an identified need as well as blended projects that provide both general and particular needs accommodation at the same location to support inclusive and independent living. This Strategic Housing Investment Plan has been prepared in consultation with the Health and Social Care Partnership to ensure that projects take account of opportunities to deliver housing that meets the needs of a range of households with specific needs. In line with The Equality Act 2010 and the associated protected characteristics, an Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment has been prepared alongside the preparation of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan to identify the likely or actual effects of it on people. The assessment includes identifying where there will be a positive impact and further opportunities to promote equality. The assessment did not identify any negative impacts on people in relation to this Strategic Housing Investment Plan. Viewing the Strategic Housing Investment Plan This Strategic Housing Investment Plan can be viewed on the Council’s website by visiting: https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/4232/Strategic-Housing- Investment-Plan If you require a printed copy of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, please email: strategyandplace@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 98 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 23 Appendix 1: Renfrewshire Affordable Housing Project Updates 1A: Projectscompleted in 2023/24 or currently on site andexpected to complete in full during 2023/24 Development Units Status Comment Ferguslie Park, Paisley 101 Completed July 2023 These 101 new homes being developed by Renfrewshire Council will contribute to the regeneration of the Ferguslie Park area. This project is being completed in phases with the final homes handed over by the end of July 2023. Property sizes include: 22 x 1 Bed, 67 x 2 Bed, 10 x 3 Bed, 2 x 4+ Beds Abbey Quarter Phase IV, Paisley Town Centre 81 On site, due to complete November 2023 Link Group are on site delivering 81new homesfor social rent. This fourth phase of development will complete the redevelopment of the former Arnott’s site which is a key strategic location in Paisley Town Centre. This development is being completed in phases with the final homes due to be handed over by the end of November 2023. Property sizes include 10 x 1 Bed, 71 x 2 Bed. Woodend House, Houston, West Renfrewshire 14 On site, due to complete December 2023 Link Group are providing 14new homes for social rent within a larger private sector development in Houston, West Renfrewshire as part of the Council’s Affordable Housing Policy. These affordable homes will add to the supply of affordable homes in West Renfrewshire with the project expected to complete by the end of December 2023. Property sizes include 14 x 2 Bed. Napier Street, Linwood 51 On site, due to complete March 2024 This social rented development of around 51 homes by Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association will add to the affordable housing supply in Linwood. This project is expected to be completed by the end of March 2024. Property sizes include 37 x 2 Bed, 14 x 3 Bed. Page 99 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 24 1B: Projects currently on site or due to start on site in 2023/24(includes phased completions in 2023/24and beyond) Development Units Status Comment East Lane, Paisley Town Centre 48 On siteMay 2023, Due to complete October 2024 This social rented development of 48 homes by Loretto Housing Association will add to the affordable housing supply in central Paisley. Property sizes include 16 x 1 Bed, 32 x 2 Bed. Paisley West End, Sutherland Street 35 On site August 2023, Due to complete February 2025 Sanctuary Scotland are now on site developing 35 new homes for social rent as part of the regeneration of Paisley’s West End. Property sizes include 28 x 2 Bed, 7 x 3 Bed. Orchard Street, Paisley 50 Due to start on site in November 2023 Plans are progressing for a Comprehensive Tenement Improvement (CTI) project at Orchard Street/Causeyside Street, Paisley following 5 blocks of flats being designated as a Housing Renewal Area (HRA) in March 2017. The overall development is expected to complete in 2025/26. Property sizes still to be confirmed. Cartha Crescent, Paisley 33 Due to start on site in January 2024 This social rented development of around 33 homes by Williamsburgh Housing Association will add to the affordable housing supply in central Paisley. Property sizes include 12 x 2 Bed, 21 x 3 Bed. Hawkhead, Paisley 30 Due to start on site in January 2024 This social rented development of around 30 homes by Link Housing Association will add to the affordable housing supply in Paisley. Property sizes include 30 x 2 Bed. Page 100 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 25 Johnstone Castle Phase II 68 Due to start on site in February 2024 Link Group are progressing plans for a second phase of affordable housing in Johnstone Castle. This development will provide around 68 new homes for social rent as well as infrastructure and green spaces. This development will complete in phases during 2024/25 and 2025/26. Property sizes include 40 x 2 Bed, 28 x 3 Bed. Phase 3A, Bishopton, North Renfrewshire 46 Due to start on site in February 2024 This third phase of development at Bishopton Community Growth Area (CGA) (Dargavel Village) by Loretto Housing Association will provide 46 new homes for social rent. These initial 46 homes are expected to be completed in July 2025 with a further 16 new homes (Phase 3B, Bishopton) expected to be completed in Spring 2026). Across both Bishopton 3A and 3B, Property sizes include 19 x 1 Bed, 39 x 2 Bed, 4 x 3 Bed. Older Persons Housing Reprovisioning, Erskine 24 Due to start on site in March 2024 Bridgewater Housing Association are progressing plans for anew purpose built older persons housing development of around 24 units that will replace existing scattered older persons housing provision across Erskine. Property sizes include 6 x 1 Bed, 18 x 2 Bed 1C: Projects expected to start on site in 2024/25or later or when a projected site start date has still to be confirmed Development Units Status Comment Gallowhill, Paisley 65 Due to starton site in May 2024 This social rented development of around 65homes by Renfrewshire Council will add to the affordable housing supply in the Gallowhill area. Ryefield, Johnstone 36 Due to start on site in June 2024 This social rented development of approximately36 homes by Linstone Housing Association will add to the affordable housing supply of houses in the Johnstone area. Page 101 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 26 Carbrook Street, Paisley 18 Due to start on site in July 2024 Renfrewshire Council regeneration area. Following public consultation, plans are being progressed to deliver 18 new Council homes in the Carbrook Street Area of Paisley. Howwood Road, Johnstone (Site 1 of 2) 70 Due to start on site in July 2024 Renfrewshire Council regeneration area. Following public consultation, plans are being progressed to deliver 70 new Council homes in this first phase of development in the Howwood Road Area of Johnstone. Stirling Drive, Linwood 64 Due to starton site in January 2025 This social rented development of around 64homes by Linstone Housing Association will add to the affordable housing supply in Linwood. Phase 3B, Bishopton, North Renfrewshire 16 Due to start on site in March 2025 This phase of development at Bishopton Community Growth Area (CGA) (Dargavel Village) by Loretto Housing Association will provide an additional 16 new homes next to the 46new social rented homes completed for Loretto at the Phase 3A Bishopton project. Completion is anticipated in Spring 2026. Station Road, Paisley 45 Due to starton site in August 2026 This development by Linstone Housing Association will provide around 45 amenity standard homes for older people. Springbank, Paisley (Phase 1 of 2) 65 Due to start on site in October 2026 Renfrewshire Council regeneration area. Following public consultation, plans are being progressed to deliver around 65 new Council homes in this first phase of development in the Springbank Road Area of Paisley. Gibson Crescent, Johnstone 28 Due to start on site in October 2026 This social rented development of around 28 homes by Williamsburgh Housing Association will add to the affordable housing supply in Johnstone. Broomlands (West Campbell Street), Paisley 25 Due to start on site in September 2027 Renfrewshire Council regeneration area. Following public consultation, plans are being progressed to deliver around 25 new Council homes in the Broomlands Area of Paisley. Howwood Road, Johnstone (Site 2 of 2) 60 Due to start on site in October 2027 Renfrewshire Council regeneration area. Following public consultation, plans are being progressed to deliver around 60 new Council homes in this second phase of development in the Howwood Road Area of Johnstone. Page 102 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 27 Thrushcraigs, Paisley 50 Due to start on site in July 2027 Renfrewshire Council regeneration area. Following public consultation, plans are being progressed to deliver around 50 new Council homes in the Thrushcraigs Area of Paisley. Springbank, Paisley (Phase II) 35 Due to start on site in January 2030 Renfrewshire Council regeneration area. Following public consultation, plans are being progressed to deliver around 35 new Council homes in this second phase of development in the Springbank Road Area of Paisley. Bishopton Phase 4A 20 Site start date tbc Potential site identified for progression by Loretto Housing Association and a Private Developer for approximately 20 social rented homes within Bishopton Community Growth Area (CGA) (Dargavel Village). Bishopton Phase 4B 23 Site start date tbc Additional site(s) will be identified and progressed for affordable housing within Bishopton Community Growth Area (CGA) (Dargavel Village). Paisley West End, Remaining sites 111 Site start date tbc Sanctuary Scotland are updating the Regeneration Masterplan for Paisley’s wider West End and will progress plans for approximately 111 affordable new homes developed as part of the regeneration of Paisley’s West End. Row Avenue, Renfrew 63 Site start date tbc Sanctuary Scotland are progressing plans for approximately 63affordable new homes in Renfrew. Foxbar Rivers, Paisley 40 Site start date tbc This social rented development of around 40 homes by Paisley Housing Association will add to the affordable housing supply in the Foxbar area of Paisley and bring vacant sites back in to use. Foxbar Rivers, Paisley 40 Site start date tbc This social rented development of around 40homes by Renfrewshire Council will add to the affordable housing supply in the Foxbar area of Paisley and bring vacant sites back in to use. Garthland Lane, Paisley 32 Site start date tbc This social rented development of around 32 homes by Renfrewshire Council will add to the affordable housing supply in central Paisley. Page 103 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 28 Westburn Avenue/Blackstoun Road, Ferguslie Park, Paisley 22 Site start date tbc This social rented development of around 22 homes by a developer still to be identified will add to the affordable housing supply in the Ferguslie Park area of Paisley and bring a vacant site back in to use. Paisley Town Centre 22 Site start date tbc Efforts will continue to identify a potential site for affordable housing in Paisley Town Centre to promote mixed tenure communities and the growth of the resident town centre population. West Renfrewshire Villages 78 Site start date tbc Four potential sitesidentified for progression by Housing Associationpartners for approximately78 social rented homes. Efforts will continue to identify potential sites for affordable housing in West Renfrewshire to meet affordable housing need in this area. MacDowall Street, Johnstone 35 Site start date tbc Discussions will take place to identify an affordable housing provider to develop this gap site for affordable housing. Private Sector Acquisitions that meet identified Housing Need An allowance will be made within the programme for private sector ‘off the shelf’ acquisitions where such purchases meet a specified criteria and contribute to meeting local housing need. Local Development Plan Affordable Housing Policy Future Requirements An allowance will be made within the programme for new affordable homes within new development sites as part of the new Affordable Housing Policy in Renfrewshire. Page 104 of 470
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29 Completions between 2018 and 2023 & estimated completions 2023/24 Appendix 2 2018/2019 Sanctuary Inchinnian Road (Western Park), Renfrew 56x 2 Bed, 11x 3 Bed 67 Sanctuary Andrew Avenue Phase II, Renfrew 50x 2 Bed, 17x 3 Bed 60 127 2019/2020 Sanctuary Paisley West End (Phase I (Co-op), Paisley 9x 1 Bed, 18x 2 Bed, 12x 3 Bed 39 Sanctuary Love Street, Paisley 47x 2 Bed, 85x 3 Bed 132 Link New Sneddon Street, Paisley 24x 2 Bed 24 195 2020/21 Link Smithhills Street, Paisley 26x 2 Bed 26 Renfrewshire Council Bishopton Phase I 10x 1 Bed, 34x 2 Bed, 34x 3 Bed, 2x 4+ Beds 80 Williamsburgh HA Milliken Road, Kilbarchan 14x 1 Bed, 4x 2 Bed 18 124 2021/22 Renfrewshire Council Johnstone Castle, Johnstone 4x 1 Bed, 67x2 Bed, 20x 3 Bed, 4x 4+ Beds 95 Link Group Amochrie Road, Foxbar, Paisley 34x 2 Bed, 2x 3 Bed 36 Link Group Thrushcraigs Phase II (St Ninians), Paisley 12x 2 Bed, 11x 3 Bed 23 Paisley HA Westerfield House, Paisley 16x 1 Bed 16 170 2022/23 Sanctuary/Paisley HA Glenburn, Paisley 8x 1 Bed, 73x 2 Bed, 50x 3 Bed 131 Link Group Millarston, Paisley 16x 1 Bed, 62x 2 Bed, 2x 3 Bed, 19x 4+ Beds 99 Renfrewshire Council Auchengreoch Road, Johnstone 8x 1 Bed, 17x 2 Bed, 12x 3 Bed, 2x 4+ Beds 39 Loretto Bishopton Phase II 12x 1 Bed, 14x 2 Bed, 32x 3 Bed 58 Williamsburgh HA Albert Road, Renfrew 13x 2 Bed, 29x 3 Bed 42 369 985 2023/2024 - Estimated Completions Renfrewshire Council Ferguslie Park, Paisley 22x 1 Bed, 67x 2 Bed, 10x 3 Bed, 2x 4+ Beds 101 Link Group Abbey Quarter Phase 4 (AQP4), Paisley 10x 1 Bed, 71x 2 Bed 81 Link Group Woodend House, Houston 14x 2 Bed 14 Sanctuary Napier Street, Linwood 37x 2 Bed, 14x 3 Bed 51 247 Page 105 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 30 Appendix 3 Core & Shadow Programme £ Million Core Programme Number of Affordable Units Total Grant Requirement (£M) Estimated Total Spend by End March 2024 Estimated Grant Requirement (Yrs 1-3) 2024/25- 2026/27 Estimated Grant Requirement (Yrs 4-5) 2027/28- 2028/29 Projects in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme Ferguslie Park, Paisley 101 £6.112 £6.112 £0.000 £0.000 Abbey Quarter Phase 4, Paisley 81 £7.893 £7.893 £0.000 £0.000 Woodend House, Houston 14 £1.230 £1.230 £0.000 £0.000 Napier Street, Linwood 51 £4.280 £4.280 £0.000 £0.000 West End, Paisley (Sutherland Street/UWS) 35 £4.053 £4.053 £0.000 £0.000 East Lane, Paisley 48 £5.766 £3.766 £2.000 £0.000 Hawkhead, Paisley 30 £3.103 £0.000 £3.103 £0.000 Cartha Crescent, Paisley 33 £3.234 £0.400 £2.834 £0.000 Phase 3A, Bishopton 46 £5.536 £1.716 £3.820 £0.000 Orchard St/Causeyside St, Paisley (HRA) 50 £4.895 £2.826 £2.069 £0.000 Johnstone Castle Phase II, Johnstone 68 £11.411 £2.264 £9.147 £0.000 Phase 3B, Bishopton 16 £1.920 0.000 £1.920 £0.000 Older Person's Housing Reprovisioning, Erskine 24 £2.578 £0.000 £2.578 £0.000 Carbrook Street, Paisley 18 £4.040 £0.287 £3.753 £0.000 Foxbar Rivers, Paisley (Council) 40 £3.343 £0.050 £3.293 £0.000 West End, Paisley - Remaining Sites 111 £10.121 £3.558 £3.938 £2.625 Gallowhill, Paisley 65 £11.590 £0.194 £7.597 £3.799 Howwood Road, Johnstone (Site 1 of 2) 70 £11.613 £0.390 £7.649 £3.574 Thrushcraigs, Paisley 50 £4.179 £0.000 £1.800 £2.379 Springbank, Paisley (Phase 1 of 2) 65 £5.433 £0.655 £1.800 £2.978 Stirling Drive, Linwood 64 £6.936 £1.109 £4.384 £1.443 Broomlands (West Campbell Street), Paisley 25 £2.090 £0.000 £0.500 £1.590 Howwood Road, Johnstone (Site 2 of 2) 60 £5.015 £0.000 £1.200 £3.815 Page 106 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 31 Phase 4A, Bishopton 20 £1.824 £0.000 £1.824 £0.000 Phase 4B, Bishopton 23 £2.097 £0.000 £2.097 £0.000 ROTS (Rental Off the Shelf) 2024 to 2029* 50 £1.750 £0.000 £1.050 £0.700 Affordable Housing Policy Future Requirements tbc tbc tbc tbc tbc * Subject to funding availability each year 1,258 £132.042 £40.783 £68.356 £22.903 Shadow Programme Number of Affordable Units Total Grant Requirement (£M) Estimated Total Spend by End March 2024 Estimated Grant Requirement (Yrs 1-3) 2024/25- 2026/27 Estimated Grant Requirement (Yrs 4-5) 2027/28- 2028/29 Projects in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme West Renfrewshire Villages - (4 potential sites) 78 £7.112 £0.000 £3.556 £3.556 Gibson Crescent/North Road, Johnstone 28 £2.553 £0.000 £1.300 £1.253 Ryefield, Johnstone 36 £3.664 £0.300 £2.343 £1.021 Springbank, Paisley (Phase 2 of 2) 35 £2.925 £0.000 £0.350 £2.575 Garthland Lane, Paisley 32 £2.675 £0.225 £1.225 £1.225 Station Road, Paisley 45 £4.591 £0.758 £0.000 £3.833 Foxbar Rivers, Paisley (Housing Association) 40 £3.647 £0.100 £0.000 £3.547 Westburn Avenue, Ferguslie Park, Paisley 22 £1.839 £0.143 £0.000 £1.696 Row Avenue, Renfrew 63 £5.745 £1.950 £0.000 £3.795 Town Centre, Paisley 22 £2.006 £0.000 £0.000 £2.006 MacDowall Street, Johnstone 35 £3.191 £0.000 £0.000 £3.191 436 £39.948 £3.476 £8.774 £27.698 Sub-Areas 1. Paisley & Linwood All Units Core + Shadow Core + Shadow Core + Shadow Core + Shadow 2. Renfrew 1,694 £171.990 £44.259 £77.130 £50.601 3. Johnstone & Elderslie 4. North Renfrewshire 5. West Renfrewshire Page 107 of 470
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 32 Appendix 4 Renfrewshire sub-areas Page 108 of 470
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33 Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Renfrewshire Council Renfrewshire House Cotton Street Paisley PA1 1BR Page 109 of 470
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 31 October 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Following extensive consultation, this report presents the finalised Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 and associated Action Plan which is attached at Appendix 1 and Appendix 2. 1.2 The Local Housing Strategy sets out the strategic vision for housing and housing related services in Renfrewshire and seeks to provide a clear direction for strategic housing investment. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Communities and Housing Policy Board: 2.1 Approves the Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 and associated Action Plan. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy 3.1 Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 local authorities have a duty to prepare a five-year Local Housing Strategy, which is informed by an assessment of housing provision, need and related services in the area. 3.2 The draft Local Housing Strategy was approved by the Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 15 March 2022 and was subject to a 12-week consultation with local communities, residents and tenants, housing association partners, the Health and Social Care Partnership and Third Sector organisations across Renfrewshire. Item 7 CHPB311023 Page 111 of 470
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3.3 A total of 56 representations were submitted during the consultation period which is in addition to the 101 representations received in preparing the draft strategy. All representations have been considered in finalising the Local Housing Strategy. 3.4 Responses covered a wide range of topic areas including: housing need and demand; supply and delivery of homes; wheelchair/accessible homes; stock condition; climate change; fuel poverty; homelessness; and, independent living. 3.5 In addition, the Scottish Government reviewed the draft strategy and provided feedback identifying a number of strengths and also a small number of areas where additional information could be included. 3.6 A consultation summary report detailing the consultation undertaken and how the representations and feedback have influenced the development of the Local Housing Strategy is available to view on the Council’s website at New LHS. 3.7 The finalised Local Housing Strategy sets out the strategic approach of the Council and its partners to the delivery of high quality housing and housing related services across all tenures to meet identified need in Renfrewshire. 3.8 The Local Housing Strategy contains five Strategic Priorities that take account of current national and local policy priorities: 1. The supply and delivery of housing is increased across all tenures to meet the housing needs of different groups and create attractive and sustainable places; 2. People live in high quality, well managed homes in sustainable neighbourhoods; 3. Address the challenges of the climate emergency, delivering homes that are warm, energy efficient and fuel poverty is minimized; 4. Prevention of homelessness and providing support for those in housing need; and 5. People can live independently for as long as possible in their own home and the different housing needs of people across Renfrewshire are being met. 3.9 The Local Housing Strategy Action Plan (Appendix 2) sets out the key actions that the Council and partners will undertake over the next 5 years to assist in achieving these five priorities. Annual update reports on the Local Housing Strategy will be presented to the Policy Board. 3.10 Following board approval, the Local Housing Strategy will be submitted to the Scottish Government, circulated to key stakeholders and partners and published on the Council’s website. ___________________________________________________________________ Page 112 of 470
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Implications of the Report 1. Financial – None 2. HR & Organisational Development – None 3. Community/Council Planning – • Our Renfrewshire is thriving – improving housing conditions and enable more affordable homes to be built, encouraging people to live and stay in Renfrewshire. • Our Renfrewshire is well – supporting older and disabled residents to live healthier, for longer, in their own homes. • Our Renfrewshire is fair – prevention of homelessness and ensuring vulnerable people get the advice and support they need. • Building strong, safe and resilient communities - increasing the supply of affordable housing and regenerating communities • Creating a sustainable Renfrewshire for all to enjoy – building energy efficient, low carbon homes that contribute to achieving Renfrewshire’s net zero ambitions. 4. Legal - None 5. Property/Assets – None 6. Information Technology - None 7. Equality & Human Rights - (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety - None 9. Procurement – None 10. Risk – None 11. Privacy Impact - None 12. COSLA Policy Position – None 13. Climate Risk – The Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy aims to deliver high quality, energy efficient homes in sustainable locations across Renfrewshire. Page 113 of 470
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___________________________________________________________________ Appendix 1 – Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 Appendix 2 - Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy Action Plan ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Kevin Dalrymple, Development Plans and Housing Strategy Team Leader Email: kevin.dalrymple@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 114 of 470
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1 Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 APPENDIX 1 Page 115 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 2 Contents 1. Introduction –Pages 3-10 Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 ‘Housing to 2040’ Renfrewshire’s Local Context 2. Housing Need and Demand –Page 11-16 3. Renfrewshire’s Strategic Priorities –Pages 17-90 Strategic Priority 1 - The supply and delivery of housing is increased across all tenures to meet the housing needs of different groups and create attractive and sustainable places. Strategic Priority 2 - People live in high quality, well managed homes in sustainable neighbourhoods. Strategic Priority 3 – Address the challenges of the climate emergency, delivering homes that are warm, energy efficient and fuel poverty is minimized. Strategic Priority 4 –Prevention of homelessness and providing support for those in housing need. Strategic Priority 5 –People can live independently for as long as possible in their own home and the different housing needs of people across Renfrewshire are being met. 4. Monitoring and Evaluation –Page91 5. Appendices –Pages 92-100 Appendix 1 - List of Housing Associations Operating in Renfrewshire Appendix 2 - Glossary of Terms Page 116 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 3 Renfrewshire’s LocalHousingStrategy2023-2028 This is Renfrewshire’s fourth Local Housing Strategy and covers the period 2023 to 2028. Local authorities have a duty under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 to prepare a five-year Local Housing Strategy that is supported by an assessment of housing provision and related services in the area. The Local Housing Strategy sets out the strategic approach of the Council and its partners to delivering high quality housing and housing related services across all tenures to meet identified housing need in Renfrewshire. This Local Housing Strategy identifies five Strategic Priorities in relation to housing in Renfrewshire with this strategy developed following extensive consultation with local communities and groups, housing associations, Renfrewshire’s Health and Social Care Partnership and other stakeholders. Detailed information in relation to the consultation is available on the Council’s website alongside all supporting documents that have contributed to the development of this Local Housing Strategy. This Local Housing Strategy promotes inclusiveness and we will continue to aim for continuous improvement through innovation and shared learning across all partners. This Local Housing Strategy also aims to be transparent and accessible and the collaborative approach to developing this Strategy and separate Action Plan will support the delivery and monitoring of Strategic Priorities over the next five years. The Action Plan that sits alongside this Local Housing Strategy includes a range of actions against each of the five Strategic Priorities that will assist in achieving each of the Strategic Priorities over the next five years. This Action Plan is available alongside this Local Housing Strategy. This Local Housing Strategy will be subject to continuous review through the production and publication of an annual update that will measure progress in achieving the actions set out in the Action Plan. This Local Housing Strategy recognises the important contribution housing makes to people’s lives with affordable, warm and Page 117 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 4 energy efficient homes having a positive impact on health and general wellbeing. Renfrewshire has a diverse mix of communities with a range of housing needs. Housing provision is required across different property types and tenures as well as different needs groups. This includes individuals, families, older and younger people and those who require accommodation to meet a particular housing need such as supported accommodation, housing for older people or housing to meet the needs of those with physical disabilities. This Local Housing Strategy builds on the success of our previous strategies and supports the regeneration of existing neighbourhoods and the delivery of high-quality, well designed, energy efficient sustainable places that reflect Renfrewshire Council’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions. This Local Housing Strategy has been informed by and supports other Council plans and strategies as well as national policy and guidance to deliver both national and local aspirations. This includes Renfrewshire’s Plan for Net Zero, Local Development Plan, Renfrewshire’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan and Renfrewshire’s Health and Social Care Strategic Plan. The Local Housing Strategy also contributes to the achievements captured in Renfrewshire’s Local Child Poverty Action Report. This approach is reflected in actions around areas that include energy advice and fuel poverty measures, building modern energy efficient homes, preventing homelessness and improving living conditions and outcomes for households through the housing-led regeneration programme and people with particular needs and housing-related requirements, all of which work towards the vision of ‘Housing to 2040’. Figure 1 outlines the strategies and policies that have informed the preparation of this Local Housing Strategy. Page 118 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 5 Taking account of current national and local policy priorities, this Local Housing Strategy identifies the following five Strategic Priorities for Renfrewshire. Renfrewshire’s Five Local Housing Strategy Strategic Priorities 1. The supply and delivery of housing is increased across all tenures to meet the housing needs of different groups and create attractive and sustainable places; 2. People live in high quality, well managed homes in sustainable neighbourhoods; 3. Address the challenges of the climate emergency, delivering homes that are warm, energy efficient and fuel poverty is minimized; 4. Prevention of homelessness and providing support for those in housing need; and 5. People can live independently for as long as possible in their own home and the different housing needs of people across Renfrewshire are being met. Williamsburgh Housing Association development, Milliken Road, Kilbarchan Private sector development, Wright Street, Renfrew Page 119 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 6 ScottishGovernmentPolicy & Legislation Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 Climate Change Adaptation Programme 2019-2024 Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 Heat in Buildings Strategy Equality Act 2010 and the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012, 2015, and 2016 Energy Efficiency (Domestic Private Rented Property) (Scotland) Regulations 2019 Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing 1 & 2 (EESSH) Energy Strategy and Energy Efficient Scotland Route Map Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Act 2019 Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021 Housing (Scotland) Acts 2001 & 2014 House Condition (Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 Housing Support Duty for Local Authorities Housing to 2040 National Planning Framework 4 National Care Service Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 Scottish Social Housing Charter Social housing to meet Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) 🢂🢂 Figure 1: Strategies and Policies informing preparation of LHS 🢀🢀 LocalPolicyContext City Deal Glasgow City Region Spatial Strategy Paisley Town Centre Action Plan (2016-2026) Paisley West End Masterplan Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan Renfrewshire’s Plan for Net Zero Renfrewshire Community Plan 2017-2027 Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Strategic Plan 2022-2025 Renfrewshire Local Development Plan Strategic Housing Investment Plan Town Centre Strategies UKInfluences Welfare Reform Economy The Scotland Act 2016 Covid-19 Pandemic recovery 🢃🢃 🢃🢃 RenfrewshireLocal HousingStrategy Page 120 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 7 Renfrewshire’s last Local Housing Strategy (2016-2021) This new Local Housing Strategy builds upon the achievements of the last Local Housing Strategy (2016-2021). When consulting upon and developing this new Local Housing Strategy, the seven Strategic Objectives from the last Local Housing Strategy were reviewed, updated and refined to inform the development of the new Strategic Priorities contained within this new Local Housing Strategy. The Strategic Objectives of the last Local Housing Strategy continue to feed into the Strategic Priorities of this new Local Housing Strategy and will support the regeneration of existing neighbourhoods and the delivery of high-quality, well designed, energy efficient sustainable places that reflect Renfrewshire Council’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions. The strategy recognises the importance of continuing to focus on homelessness prevention and supporting people to live independently for as long as possible in their own homes. A summary of the key achievements from the last Local Housing Strategy is available as a supporting document on request. ‘Housing to 2040’ The Scottish Government published their ‘Housing to 2040 Strategy’ and the accompanying document - ‘Housing to 2040 Vision & Principles’ in March 2021. Together these documents set out a vision for housing and how it should be delivered. Everyone should have access to a warm, safe, affordable and energy efficient home that meets their needs in a community they feel part of. Scotland’s housing system requires to meet the needs of an ageing population and address the global climate emergency by supporting carbon neutral development and technologies with the housing system aspiring to be capable of meeting changing contexts and challenges in the future. Successful delivery of Housing to 2040 will require an appropriate level of ongoing financial support as well as joint working between local authorities, housing providers, landlords, the construction and house building sectors and others. This Local Housing Strategy has fully considered the Housing to 2040 Strategy when forming the actions and strategic housing priorities for Renfrewshire. Page 121 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 8 Renfrewshire’s Local Context A high level summary of Renfrewshire’s local context is available on the table on the next page with a more detailed overview of Renfrewshire’s local context available as a supporting document on request which provides an overview of the geography, demographic trends, housing supply and key market issues across Renfrewshire. The supporting document also outlines Renfrewshire’s geography in terms of its settlements, population centres and sub-market areas as well as Renfrewshire’s strong links with neighbouring local authorities across the wider Glasgow City Region. The supporting document gives consideration to the current population as well as future population and household projections and trends with information drawn from the Glasgow City Region Housing Need and Demand Assessment and National Records of Scotland population data. The supporting document also provides an overview of existing housing supply across different tenures as well as levels of recent development activity. Private Sector development, Taylor Wimpey, Former Johnstone Hospital site Link Groupnew build development, Millarston, Paisley Page 122 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 9 Page 123 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 10 Settlements within Renfrewshire and Housing Market Sub Areas Page 124 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 11 Glasgow City Region Housing Need and Demand Assessment 3 -Number of New Homes Required Renfrewshire Council has worked with 7 other local authorities in the Glasgow City Region Housing Market Partnership to develop a Housing Need and Demand Assessment 3 (HNDA 3) for the region. This was prepared in line with Scottish Government guidance. The Housing Need and Demand Assessment 3 is based on the outputs of the Scottish Government’s Housing Need and Demand Assessment Tool mechanism, developed by the Scottish Government’s Centre for Housing Market Analysis (CHMA). In estimating housing needs the assessment is based on the following factors: The Glasgow City Region Housing Need and Demand Assessment 3 identifies the following all tenure housing needs for Renfrewshire: Glasgow City Region HNDA3 –Estimated Housing Needs for Renfrewshire2022-2040 (19 year period) Note: Market Homes include Buyers and Private Rented Sector. Affordable Homesinclude Below Market Rent and Social Rent. At the time of writing (October 2023) the Glasgow City Region Housing Need and Demand Assessment 3 is with the Centre for Housing Market Analysis for assessment. 2022- 2026 2027- 2031 2032- 2036 2037- 2040 Total Buyers 685 676 786 550 2,697 Private Rented Sector 505 492 570 406 1,973 Below Market Rent 312 286 306 204 1,108 Social Rent 438 403 252 155 1,248 Total 1,940 1,857 1,914 1,315 7,026 Page 125 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 12 Renfrewshire Housing Need and Demand Study 2023 Housing Need and Demand Assessments provide broad, long- term estimates of future housing need by tenure. The Glasgow City Region Housing Need and Demand Assessment 3 study provides these outputs at a Renfrewshire level. To gain a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of the operation of the housing system in Renfrewshire, a detailed study to build upon the outputs of Housing Need and Demand Assessment 3 was commissioned by the Council. The Renfrewshire housing need and demand study was undertaken by Arneil Johnston Ltd and is available to view on the Council’s website at Local Housing Strategy - Renfrewshire Website. The study aimed to gather a more in depth understanding of housing affordability issues and housing need and demand across Renfrewshire’s 5 housing market sub areas. A key aspect of the study included a large-scale survey of households living in Renfrewshire to provide an understanding of affordability issues and an assessment of housing. Summary of Housing Affordability Issues/Housing Pressures The Renfrewshire housing need and demand study identifies that there is a considerable demand for social sector homes and more affordable market purchase opportunities. The analysis suggests that home ownership is out with the reach of local households on lower incomes, which is challenging given the tenure dominance of home ownership in the Renfrewshire area. Similarly, there is evidence that households relying on minimum income measures will struggle to meet the costs of average private sector rents, without devoting unsustainable proportions of household income. A more diverse range of rental tenures which offer options to working households on lower incomes is therefore likely to improve the ability of households to meet housing need. Significant demand for social housing in Renfrewshire remains with 4,300 live applicants expressing demand for Council housing and significantly more on waiting lists of all the 14 housing Page 126 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 13 associations in Renfrewshire (note that as there in no common housing register, there will be duplication on numbers across these different lists so a definitive number of total housing applicants is not available). In comparative terms, the turnover of social housing to meet expressed demand is relatively low. Across Renfrewshire there are 6.35 applicants for every available Council tenancy. Particular pressures vary across tenures and housing market areas. Overall housing pressure is highest in the North Renfrewshire housing market sub area. Whilst income levels are above average in North Renfrewshire, house prices are also relatively high rendering this area the least affordable in meeting the average house prices. Furthermore, housing options are limited in this area with home ownership dominating available housing choices. This exacerbates the strong demand expressed for the social housing that is available, with over 19 applicants for every social tenancy that becomes available. This area also has a significant demand for larger social rented family homes with 32 applicants for every four-bedroom home that becomes available. The Johnstone and Elderslie housing market sub area offers an interesting mix of housing pressure outcomes. Whilst the number of social tenancies is healthy in this area, pressures in discharging Renfrewshire’s homelessness duties are evident, with the highest proportion of social housing tenancies allocated to homeless households at 63%. The area also shows clear signals of housing system barriers both in terms of private rented sector affordability and market homes. 53% of households in the area would not be able to afford to spend 30% of their income on the average private rental cost in the area; a level which is considered affordable. The area has relatively low volumes and proportions of market sales, however,to some extent this pressure may be relieved by the very high proportion of sales made to households already living in the area. 42% of households in the Johnstone and Page 127 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 14 Elderslie HMA cannot afford market entry housing in the area, compared to 38% of household across Renfrewshire. The West Renfrewshire housing market sub area shows clear signals of housing market pressure with high house prices and poor market affordability outcomes. Overall, expressed demand for social housing and homelessness pressures are comparatively low in this area, however, there is a limited supply of social sector homes. Typically, households are encouraged to apply for housing in areas where opportunities are higher, hence the lower expressed demand in areas where there are proportionally lower stock numbers or limited turnover. Furthermore, new housing supply often stimulates positive demand in areas where affordable housing was previously a limited option. A greater diversity of housing tenure options and sizes in West Renfrewshire are considered to be necessary to meet housing need and demand. There are clear signs of a requirement for more four bedroom social homes, with 17 applicants for every let of this size. The Paisley and Linwood housing market sub area suggests the lowest housing pressure level in Renfrewshire. This area benefits from a healthy supply of social housing tenancies and low ratios of both housing and homeless applicants to available lets. In comparative terms, house prices are relatively low and more affordable relative to the value of local household incomes. While this area provides a range of tenure options and property sizes it is important to note that this is the most populated area in Renfrewshire and the demand for social housing from Renfrewshire Council is highest in this area by a significant margin, with 54% of all applicants for council housing in Paisley and Linwood already living in this area. The Paisley and Linwood housing market sub area also experiences the greatest private rented sector affordability pressures, with 55% unable to afford market rents. Despite the diversity of housing options on offer, this suggests a need to deliver a wider range of social and below market rent options. Page 128 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 15 The Renfrew housing market sub area does not signal the same pressures in terms of market access and affordability as other sub-areas, however, this area shows significant expressed demand for social housing which is not met by the turnover of social tenancies, with 7 applicants for every let. The extent of homelessness pressures experienced in this area exacerbates this profile (56% of tenancies allocated were to homeless applicants in 2021/22), and there are almost 10 applicants for every 1-bedroom property let. The Renfrew is an area where demand for social housing is high relative to the size of the tenure. Renfrewshire Housing Need and Demand Study 2023 - Number of New Homes Required The Renfrewshire housing need and demand study was developed to build on the outcomes of the Glasgow City Region Housing Need and Demand Assessment 3 by considering local evidence of existing housing need informed by the extensive primary and secondary research analysis. Further analysis was therefore performed to disaggregate housing estimates using a more comprehensive estimate of existing housing need. The Renfrewshire housing need and demand study identifies the following all tenure housing need and demand across Renfrewshire: Renfrewshire HNDA Study 2023 –Estimated Housing Needs for Renfrewshire 2023-2042(20 year period) (Market Homes include Buyers and Private Rented Sector. Affordable Homes include Below Market Rent and Social Rent). Need for New Affordable Housing Estimates are based on the total number of households in housing need (existing housing need plus new housing need) that require either social rented or below market housing. 2023-27 2028-32 2033-42 Total Buyers 1590 1646 2086 5,322 Private Rented Sector 194 202 277 673 Below Market Rent 135 140 189 464 Social Rent 660 682 847 2,189 Total 2,579 2,670 3,399 8,648 Page 129 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 16 The requirement for new affordable housing can be further refined considering changes in the supply, reprovisioning and development of social housing because of the Council’s regeneration programme and the delivery of newbuild affordable homes through the Strategic Housing Investment Programme. A review of this planned activity shows that over the 10 year period 2023-2032 Renfrewshire Council plans to demolish 832 Council homes and rebuild 619, leaving a net reduction of stock of 213. To replace the volume of homes lost due to regeneration activity an additional 213 social rent homes are added to the estimated need for Renfrewshire over the next 10 years. This additional need (213 social rent units) is split between the two time periods of 2023-2027 and 2028-2032 to identify the total housing need for the period of the Local Housing Strategy. Housing Need Estimate for Period of Local Housing Strategy In using the outputs of the Glasgow City Region Housing Need and Demand Assessment 3 supported by the Renfrewshire study of housing need and demand the estimated housing need for market and affordable homes over the period of the Local Housing Strategy is: Market Homes –1,784 homes Affordable Homes –902homes The Council will identify and monitor the supply of housing land through the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan and the Strategic Housing Investment Plan to ensure a sufficent land supply is maintained to meet the housing estimates identified in this Local Housing Strategy. Page 130 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 17 Renfrewshire’s Strategic Priorities Page 131 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 18 Strategic Priority 1 -The supply and delivery of housingisincreased across all tenures to meet the housing needs of different groupsand create attractive and sustainable places. Increasing the supply of housing across Renfrewshire Renfrewshire Council and its partners will continue to increase the supply of new housing in Renfrewshire over the next five years. The estimated housing need in Renfrewshire for the next five years is: 360newmarkethomeseach year; 180newaffordablehomeseachyear over the lifetime of this Local Housing strategy. The delivery of new homes will support identified housing needs through the provision of new homes that are of the right type, size and tenure in the right locations. New homes will create mixed and sustainable communities that include a range of energy efficient property types and sizes that meet the housing needs of different groups, including accessible housing and housing for different income groups that reflect Renfrewshire Council’s commitment to work towards net zero by 2030. Action 1: Identify and maintain a continuous supply of housing land in sustainable locations across Renfrewshire to support delivery of a mix of housing types and tenuresto meet housing need and demand. Private Sector development, RobertsonHomes, Dargavel Village, Bishopton Page 132 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 19 This Local Housing Strategy willincreasethesupplyofhousing across Renfrewshireby: Ensuring that a continuous supply of land in sustainable locations is available for new housing through the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan process; Supporting development of previously used and brownfield sites in line with the objectives of the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan, making best use of existing and planned infrastructure; Delivering new build affordable housing projects through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan in partnership with housing associations and other stakeholders; Applying the use of the Affordable Housing Policy to increase the supply of affordable homes; Promoting access to Scottish Government’s ‘More Homes Scotland’ initiatives that support access to a range of housing tenures; Supporting the development of sustainable mixed communities that provide a range of tenures, property type and size options in the right locations; Supporting the development of modern energy efficient homes that embrace carbon reduction and zero emissions technologies; and Seeking opportunities to provide appropriate particular needs housing in partnership with Renfrewshire’s Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and specialist RSL’s and third sector organisations. Page 133 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 20 Land Supplyfor New Homes The Renfrewshire Local Development Plan supports Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy and Strategic Housing Investment Plan by providing a generous and flexible supply of land to deliver a mix of housing types and tenures to meet current and future housing needs. The Local Development Plan aims to deliver sustainable, well- designed homes in the right places through the creation of sustainable communities and great places, focusing on the regeneration and renewal of existing urban areas and supporting sustainable development. The focus on the development of brownfield and previously used sites across Renfrewshire provides opportunities for sustainable residential development with good transport links and connections to existing services and facilities with such sites capable of supporting 20-minute neighbourhoods. The redevelopment of sites supported by existing or planned physical infrastructure and services is a priority of both this Local Housing Strategy and the Local Development Plan. The Council through its Vacant and Derelict Land Strategy also supports the Local Housing Strategy and includes actions to support housing delivery. The delivery of development of brownfield and previously used sites across Renfrewshire will also include trying to access Scottish Government funding through the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIF) to allow sites to be developed following remedial or required infrastructure works to facilitate viable development of these sites. Action 2: Support development of previously used and brownfield sites making best use of existing and planned infrastructure. Lorettonew build development, Dargavel Village, Bishopton Page 134 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 21 Housing Delivery The delivery of a mix of house types and tenures in the right location to meet current and future housing need is essential in creating and maintaining sustainable mixed communities across Renfrewshire. New homes will require to be warm, energy efficient and digitally enabled and will assist in meeting both local and national net zero carbon emissions targets. The requirements of people of all ages, health and mobility needs and incomes will be considered when developing new homes across all tenures to contribute to the health and wellbeing of Renfrewshire’s population. This will support delivery of 'lifetime homes' that meet people’s needs as they age and their needs change. The Local Housing Strategy will support families and children by ensuring that we develop sustainable communities that are safe while embracing the Getting it Right for Every Child approach and the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017. To achieve this aim new developments should be well connected to local services and open space and designed to meet the needs of modern living, including flexible space that can be used for home learning and working. Williamsburgh Housing Associationnew build development, Albert Road, Renfrew Page 135 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 22 Delivering New Affordable Homes The Renfrewshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) supports a partnership approach in delivering new affordable homes each year in Renfrewshire. The Scottish Government have set an ambitious target to deliver 110,000 new affordable homes over the 10-year period to 2032 with Renfrewshire Council committed to contributing towards this target. A tri-partite partnership approach between Renfrewshire Council, developing housing association partners and the Scottish Government supports the delivery of a range of affordable housing options for both general and particular needs groups. The following minimum levels of grant funding are being provided by the Scottish Government to support the delivery of affordable homes across Renfrewshire to 2026: £17.140M in grant support for the financial year 2023/24; £17.200M in grant support for the financial year 2024/25; and, £17.485M in grant support for the financial year 2025/26. Renfrewshire Council is committed to the delivery of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan and will continue to maximise opportunities to deliver an appropriate range of affordable housing options that meets the needs of different groups. Development viability and the appropriate housing mix for an area will be key considerations when determining the level of affordable and fully accessible homes to be delivered on each site. The future delivery of affordable homes will be informed by identified housing need as well as resource availability to ensure that the affordable housing supply programme correlates with the priorities of this Local Housing Strategy. Additional funds may be made available over the lifetime of this Local Housing Strategy through further funding allocations from the Scottish Government. The Council will work with partners to maintain a continuous programme of affordable development opportunities which is ready to take advantage of any additional funding that may become available. Page 136 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 23 Action 3: Deliverthe rolling affordable housing supply programme set out in the Strategic Housing Investment Plan to deliver new energy efficient and digitally enabled homesand identifynewprojectsthat contribute to meetingthe strategicprioritiesofthis Local Housing Strategy. Abbey Quarter Phase 4, Paisley, Link Group The Strategic Housing Investment Plan will support the delivery of the Local Housing Strategy by: Supporting local housing regeneration programmes; Including new affordable housing provision to replace social rented housing no longer fit for purpose; Addressing mismatch between the current supply of social rented housing and the housing people need and want to live in, taking account of type, size, quality and location; Increasing the supply of affordable housing in areas where there is demand but limited provision; Supporting the development of sustainable mixed communities by including affordable provision on private sector development sites; Expanding the supply of housing for older people and those with particular and complex needs, including those who are homeless or on a repeat and persistent cycle of homelessness; and Continuing to support town centre regeneration through residential development. Page 137 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 24 Providingthe right mix ofHousing–the right size,type and tenure and in theright places Renfrewshire consists of a range of different localised housing markets with significant differences in terms of property price and the range of property types and sizes available within these different local markets. Issues in terms of affordability vary across the area with both North and West Renfrewshire significantly more expensive than the more urban centres of Paisley, Renfrew and Johnstone. There are particular pressures on the supply of affordable housing in both North and West Renfrewshire with the majority of housing in the owner-occupied sector. This housing stock consists of predominantly larger family houses with a limited supply of affordable smaller properties. The limited supply of affordable and smaller properties in these areas constrains the ability of newly forming households to move to or remain within these areas and also restricts households looking to downsize to meet changing long-term needs in these areas. The urban centres of Paisley, Renfrew and Johnstone include a more balanced range of property types and sizes with private sector housing available at different price points to meet the needs of different income groups. The Renfrewshire local Housing Need and Demand Study 2023 (available on the Council’s website) sets out housing pressures across the different parts of Renfrewshire, including affordability and accessibility issues. A new Housing Mix and Affordable Housing Policy was included in the new Renfrewshire Local Development Plan supporting the delivery of sustainable mixed communities across Renfrewshire. This policy will enable the inclusion of affordable housing units on private sites and allow people to trade up or trade down depending on their housing needs; and move to different tenures, types and sizes of properties in order to meet changing needs and aspirations. Page 138 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 25 Providingthe right Mix ofHousing The Strategic Housing Investment Plan will provide social rented homes as well as homes for shared equity low-cost home ownership and Mid-Market Rent in response to local need; Delivering new build housing will address imbalances in the provision of particular property types and sizes in line with identified local needs; Working with private developers will promote the development of a range of property types and sizes; New build developments will include a mix of house types and tenures to meet the needs of local communities; and, Working with developers will ensure properties are accessible and adaptable and able to meet the needs of households with particular needs. A range of tenure options and routes to access housing are required to meet the housing needs of Renfrewshire’s residents. As well as social rented housing or market housing, this strategy promotes intermediate tenure options to widen access to home ownership and increase choice of tenure for people. These alternative routes to home ownership are supported by the Scottish Government as part of their ‘More Homes Scotland’ approach and include: New Supply Shared Equity Low-Cost Home Ownership: Potential buyer purchases a majority equity stake in an available affordable new build housing association home - normally 60% to 80% of the full purchase price/market value, the remaining share is paid through grant from the Scottish Government with the Scottish Government retaining an equity stake in the property. Open Market Shared Equity: This scheme assists potential homebuyers to purchase a second-hand home on the open market by reducing affordability barriers, with potential purchasers required to obtain a mortgage of between 60% and 90% of the purchase price (less any deposit) with the Scottish Government retaining any remaining equity stake; and Self-Building Plots: The Council have identified opportunities for self-build within the Local Development Plan (LDP). These sites will be reviewed including the need for any additional sites to meet demand in the next Local Development Plan. A register is being developed in line with Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 to Page 139 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 26 record interest and demand for self-build opportunities across Renfrewshire. The Council will signpost interested households to these schemes by providing more information on the Council’s website. Build to Rent The Scottish Government also support the development of Build to Rent purpose-built accommodation for private rent where appropriate, however this is more likely to be viable for investors in city locations where private sector rents tend to be higher than in areas like Renfrewshire where private sector rents are lower. ‘Build to Rent’ will be considered where demand for such development can be demonstrated to support any increase in the supply and choice of tenure for Renfrewshire’s residents. Action 4: Make use of theAffordableHousingPolicy to increasethesupplyof affordablehousing and help create mixed sustainable communities. Housing-led Regeneration and Renewal Renfrewshire Council have approved a 10 year programme of £100 million investment to deliver modern, high quality, energy efficient and affordable Council housing. This investment programme is intended to significantly improve the Council’s housing stock through enhanced investment in existing homes, including works to the external fabric of properties as well as environmental improvements. The investment proposals includes a total of 1,648 properties, of which 1,147 are council owned and 501 are privately owned across the eight areas. These eight areas were identified based on having a combination of one or more of the following factors - low demand, high void rates, high turnover, estate management issues including anti- social behaviour, high current repair costs and high future investment requirements. These areas also are some of the most deprived areas of Renfrewshire according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). Page 140 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 27 A range of regeneration and renewal proposals have been consulted upon, which in some areas includes selective demolition with plans being developed for newbuild housing on these cleared sites where possible. The investment options identified for each of the areas take account of factors such as housing demand, sustainability, health and wellbeing objectives, council priorities and deliverability as well as opportunities to leverage additional funding. The areas included are: Auchentorlie Quadrant/Seedhill Road, Paisley; Howard Street, Paisley; Waverley Road, Paisley; Thrushcraigs area, Paisley; Broomlands area, Paisley; Springbank area, Paisley; Moorpark, Renfrew and; Howwood Road area, Johnstone. In areas where properties are being retained, a package of enhanced capital investment will be delivered which will include elements such as whole house retrofitting including fabric works as well as measures to improve energy efficiency that help reduce energy costs for tenants and residents. More generally within these areas, improvements to the external environment and common areas, as well as the external fabric of the building will be undertaken. An estate management programme will be implemented to complement investment in new and existing housing. There will be ongoing engagement with residents across all eight areas. Neighbourhood Renewal Groups are being established, with local plans developed with community representatives and relevant Council departments. Each Neighbourhood Renewal Group will be tailored to the needs and circumstances of the local area, going beyond housing, and taking into account the local external environment, and broader issues such as links to health and wellbeing, access to outdoor space and sustainable travel, to maximise the benefits achievable for local residents. Page 141 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 28 It is the Council’s ambition that this housing led regeneration becomes a catalyst for wider regeneration and a means to address inequalities including heath inequalities, recognising that good quality housing can be a contributor to positive health outcomes. The Council along with the Health and Social Care Partnership are involved in delivering the regeneration programme. In addition to the 10-year housing-led regeneration and investment programme, 101 new affordable homes were recently completed for Renfrewshire Council in Ferguslie Park, Paisley. Other existing regeneration schemes within Renfrewshire are also progressing well with these projects due to be delivered within the initial years of this Local Housing Strategy. These developments include the delivery of the final phase of the Johnstone Castle regeneration as well as the delivery of the ambitious regeneration plans at Paisley West End. In delivering regeneration proposals, there may be a requirement for the Council to consider the use of Compulsory Purchase Order powers. The Council will consider all avenues to voluntarily acquire properties, offering owners compensation in terms of disturbance and home loss payments (where eligible), together with the current market value of the property as determined by the District Valuer or other appointed independent valuer. In some instances, owners may also be given the opportunity to exchange their property for that of a Council owned property through an excambion process. Compulsory Purchase Orders will only be considered where it is in the public interest to proceed with the regeneration of the area. This approach has been applied successfully in housing regeneration programmes at Johnstone Castle. Action 5: Deliver local regeneration strategies providing new affordable, energy efficient and digitally enabled homes in sustainable places that reflect Renfrewshire Council’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions’. Page 142 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 29 Supporting Town Centre living Town centres are at the heart of Renfrewshire's communities and are hubs for a range of activities. Many people live and work in centres and it is important for the local economy that centres thrive and meet the needs of residents, businesses and visitors. The Council prepares centre strategies reflecting the 'Town Centre First' approach to support the health of town centres. The focus of these strategies is to enable town centres to grow, ensuring they are fit for purpose and can adapt to changing markets, needs and demands, which includes town centre living. The Local Housing Strategy and Strategic Housing Investment Plan supports the provision and delivery of suitable homes for people to live in sustainable town centre locations. Action 6:Continue to support town centre action plans and support housing investment and development projects in Renfrewshire’s town centres. BringingEmptyHomesBackinto Use Bringing empty homes back into productive use increases the supply of homes available to meet housing needs and assists in improving local amenity. In Renfrewshire, there were 587 properties classed as long-term empty (more than 6 months) as of March 2023 as detailed in the following: Discount/Exemption type Properties Long-term empty property Charge 200% 151 Ext of long-term empty discount 10% 26 Incapable of habitation 13 Long-term empty discount 10% 162 Long-term empty discount 10% (Furnished) 39 Unoccupied & Unfurnished 196 Total 587 Long-term empty properties (more than 6 months) as of March 2023 Renfrewshire Council has a dedicated ‘More Homes Officer’ who works with owners of long-term empty properties to provide Page 143 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 30 advice and assistance with a view of bringing long term empty properties back into productive use. The More Homes Officer provides support that may include VAT and merchant discounts, access to the Property Matchmaker Scheme and general advice on empty properties. The initiative aims to assist owners and reduce the number of empty homes in Renfrewshire. The initiative also aims to increase the housing supply; improve the quality of housing stock; regenerate and sustain communities; stimulate local housing markets and contribute to reducing carbon emissions. To widen the role of the More Homes Officer within Renfrewshire, the role also covers the Councils Buy Back/Acquisition scheme where properties that meet our strategic objectives may be purchased and added to the Council’s lettable housing stock. Where there is no viable resolution, enforcement powers including Works Notices and Compulsory Purchase Orders may be used to address issues with empty homes. The use of such powers is considered on a case by case basis and where the empty home is dangerous or causing significant problems. To encourage owners to bring empty properties back into use, Renfrewshire Council also makes use of discretionary powers under the Council Tax (Variation for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Regulations 2013, with properties unoccupied and unfurnished for a year or more subject to a 100% increase in Council Tax charges. The Council will continue to explore all available options to reduce the number of empty properties throughout Renfrewshire and will continue to support property owners to bring these empty homes back in to productive use. Action 7: Supportownersof emptypropertiestobring these homesbackintoproductive use. Page 144 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 31 Renfrewshire’s Places and Empowering Local Communities This Local Housing Strategy aims to put communities and people at the centre of regeneration and create great places. In planning for new development, the Council will support the 20-minute neighbourhood concept. This approach aims to ensure that homes are located with infrastructure, services and facilities that support people’s everyday needs which are within easy and safe walking distance of their homes including schools, shops, health care, open space, public transport and active travel connections. In delivering new homes the infrastructure, connections and services needed to support the development will require to be in place including footpath connections; provision for waste storage; recycling and collection; lighting; access to public transport; open space provision and access to local services and amenities. This approach does not apply purely to new development, the priority for creating 20-minute neighbourhoods is within existing towns and villages where infrastructure and community services currently exist. The Council will work with local communities, infrastructure providers, key agencies and developers to ensure new homes are built in accessible locations and are flexible enough in their design to meet the needs of people as their circumstances change. Providing opportunities for local communities to become more involved in the planning, development and enhancement of their places is central to the delivery of this Local Housing Strategy. Powers were introduced in the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 for communities to prepare Local Place Plans for their area. This approach jointly considers land use planning, community planning and community action, supporting local people to become more involved in shaping their places. Page 145 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 32 Renfrewshire Council will support local residents, businesses and community groups across Renfrewshire including considering the preparation of Place Plans to help shape their neighbourhoods. Action 8: Support local communities in the preparation of community led Place Plans. Private Sector development, CALA Homes, Gilchrist Gardens, Erskine Page 146 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 33 Strategic Priority 2 -Peoplelivein highquality, well managedhomesin sustainable neighbourhoods. Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy recognises that being able to live in a good quality, energy efficient and warm home in a pleasant and well managed environment can promote improvements to physical health and mental wellbeing. High quality homes can also enhance places making them great places to live, helping to create demand and stability for neighbourhoods. This outcome sets out the Council’s approach to improving existing housing across Renfrewshire. It’s clear that there are housing condition issues in Renfrewshire. Of respondents to our Housing Need and Demand survey, 15% indicated that the condition of their home is a problem. The most common condition problems relate to dampness, condensation and black mould, with 7% reporting significant dampness. Of those indicating a repair or improvement is required, the most reported one is double glazing. These figures demonstrates the importance driving forward energy efficiency improvements and reducing fuel poverty. 14% of households indicate having difficulty in maintaining their home or undertaking repairs across Renfrewshire, with higher rates among households who have long term health condition/disability. Renfrewshire Councilnew build development, Ferguslie Park, Paisley Page 147 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 34 Council’s regeneration and renewal programme – improving the quality of Council housing and mixed tenure estates Within the Council’s regeneration and renewal programme as referred to in Strategic Priority 1, the Council has set out plans to undertake an extensive regeneration and renewal programme across 8 priority areas. Most of the Council properties in these areas are tenements and deck access flats, originally built by the Council between the 1930s and 1960s. Where properties are being retained, they will receive a package of enhanced capital investment to include improvements to the external environment and common areas, including closes, back courts, bin stores and recycling facilities as well as the external fabric of the buildings. Fabric works will be tailored to adopt a whole house retrofit approach with measures to improve energy efficiency and help reduce energy costs for tenants and residents. Within the 8 priority areas there are around 500 owned properties, most within blocks where the Council has properties i.e mixed tenure blocks. Participation of owners will be essential to ensure the successful delivery of the investment programme. The Council will develop an approach to work with owners to help maximise the coverage of the investment programme. This includes an increased grant level to participating owners offering owners the option to sell their property to the Council or sell their property to the Council and remain in their home as a Council tenant. Levering in any external funding and accessing any new Scottish Government/UK wide funding as national schemes change, will form an important strand of work. There will be ongoing engagement with residents across all eight areas. Neighbourhood Renewal Groups are being established, with local plans developed with community representatives and relevant Council departments. Each Neighbourhood Renewal Group will be tailored to the needs and circumstances of the local area, going beyond housing and taking into account the local external environment and broader issues such as links to health and wellbeing, access to outdoor space and sustainable travel, to maximise the benefits achievable for local residents. Page 148 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 35 Action 9: Develop approaches to maximise investment in Council homes and privately owned homes within the Council’s regeneration and renewal areas. Action 10:Develop and implement a multi-disciplinary approach to neighbourhood renewal plans. Below Tolerable Standard Housing The Tolerable Standard is a list of minimum requirements a residential property must meet to be fit for habitation. Below Tolerable Standard homes are the poorest quality housing. Figures from recent available estimate of the prevalence of Below Tolerable Standard housing across Renfrewshire (the Scottish House Condition Survey 2015-2017) estimated that 1% of properties in Renfrewshire failed at least one requirement of the Tolerable Standard. For the pre 1945 properties, 5% were estimated to be Below Tolerable Standard. The national estimates were 1% and 3% respectively. The requirement for smoke and heat alarms in all homes in Scotland became part of the Tolerable Standard in February 2022 and is likely to lead to an increase in the number of properties below the tolerable standard. In line with Scottish Government guidance, in relation to these changes, any intervention the Council may take would be proportionate, rational and reasonable, with it being preferable that owners carry out these works on a voluntary basis. It is anticipated that there will be further changes to the regulatory and enforcement provisions concerning house standards, aligned to changes in energy efficiency standards. The Scottish Government has proposed a new all tenure Scottish Housing Standard to replace the Tolerable Standard, that would be introduced on a phased basis from 2025. Addressing Below Tolerable Standard Properties While Below Tolerable Standard housing exists across Renfrewshire, the poorest quality housing continues to be concentrated in older private sector tenement properties. The Council and housing association partners continue to work together to address Below Tolerable Standard issues. Page 149 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 36 Work is currently ongoing to progress a comprehensive improvement project in Orchard Street, Paisley while the Paisley West End regeneration scheme will see comprehensive regeneration and replacement of existing stock with new build housing association homes. The Council will continue to offer advice and assistance to owners to help them bring their properties up to the tolerable standard. Enforcement action may be taken as a last resort. This could include issuing Works Notices and undertaking necessary repairs in default and recharging the owner or applying a Closing Order or Demolition Order. Where the Council finds private landlords renting out Below Tolerable Standard property and those landlords fail to address the required issues, the Council will take appropriate enforcement action. Private tenants living in Below Tolerable Standard housing are given a high priority for social housing within the common housing allocation policy in Renfrewshire in recognition of the poor-quality living conditions. Action 11: Continue to address Below Tolerable Standard properties across Renfrewshire. Housing Renewal Areas Renfrewshire Council is one of the two councils in Scotland to use the Housing Renewal Area designation power within the Housing (Scotland Act) 2006. The Orchard Street Housing Renewal Area designated in 2017 covers 5 blocks of older tenements consisting of 52 flats and 7 commercial units within the Paisley Town Centre Conservation Area. Through a partnership project between the Council, Paisley Housing Association and the Scottish Government, the project involves working with owners to either acquire their property or help them to participate in a comprehensive tenement improvement scheme that will further increase good quality affordable town centre living options and contribute to the regeneration of Paisley town centre. Page 150 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 37 Supporting Owners -Scheme of Assistance The Council provides advice and assistance through the Scheme of Assistance to help support owners to improve house conditions. The Scheme of Assistance promotes the principle that homeowners have primary responsibility for maintaining and repairing their own homes. Advice is given on a range of matters including appointing a factor, how to organise common repairs, title issues and signposting for financial advice. Financial support for repairs is limited to supporting owners who have been asked to participate in common works programmes in mixed tenure blocks carried out as part of ongoing external investment programmes. In addition, one -off funding has been committed for the Orchard Street Project and the Missing Shares pilot. The other stream of financial support is grant funding for owners towards the cost of a property adaptation, where this has been assessed as being required to meet the needs of the owner or household member (covered in Strategic Priority 5). The Scheme of Assistance sets out the range of support available and was last reviewed in 2018 and will be reviewed again during the lifetime of this strategy, taking account of any new legislation around housing standards. Scheme of Assistance Action 12: Continue to provide advice and assistance to private homeowners through the Scheme of Assistance. Action 13: Undertake a review of the Council’s Scheme of Assistance for private home owners taking into account legislative changes. Page 151 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 38 Supporting repair and maintenance of tenement properties Tenements provide a home to almost one third of Renfrewshire’s population and many town centre tenements form an important part of our built and cultural heritage. The tenement requires good management, ongoing maintenance and planned replacement of parts that reach the end of their life to keep the integrity and fabric of the building in good condition. This has been challenging for many owners due to a number of factors. In Renfrewshire, as in other parts of Scotland, ongoing maintenance of properties including alack of routine maintenance to common parts has resulted in deteriorating building conditions, particularly of older traditional pre 1919 tenements. The Scottish Government recognise this and following a report from the Scottish Parliamentary Working Group on tenement maintenance, have committed to a number of actions around law reform, tenement condition reports, building reserve funds and factoring services. There is a significant challenge to halt the further decline of some older tenement buildings. The Council and housing association partners have in the past (and currently at Orchard Street, Paisley) taken forward comprehensive tenement improvement schemes with grant funding from the Scottish Government. These schemes can be complicated and very costly often taking a number of years to deliver. To better understand and the scale and nature of work required, the Council will identify blocks in key strategic locations, including those within or adjacent to the council’s regeneration and renewal areas where condition issues exist and examine if appropriate improvement schemes can be developed that would prevent future decline and ensure the blocks have a long-term future. This approach may include targeted acquisitions, factoring arrangements, helping owners seek external funding, or statutory enforcement work. The Council implemented a ‘Missing Shares’ pilot scheme in early 2019 to support private homeowners of older traditional tenement property who want to undertake essential repairs and Page 152 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 39 maintenance but cannot do so because one or more owners is unable or unwilling to pay their share. The Council will to pay up to £10,000 per missing share for eligible works and will seek to recover these and associated administrative costs from non-paying owners. Over 430 tenement blocks meeting the pilot criteria were identified and all owners were contacted to promote the scheme. The Council has, since the inception of the pilot project, paid out £52,000 in missing share payments for seven tenement block repair projects that have been completed. The Council has recovered £23,758 of these missing share payments (as at April 2023). A relatively small expenditure, recoverable by the Council, can therefore be effective at facilitating a much larger spend on essential repairs, helping to prevent further condition deterioration and creating expenditure in the local economy. Given this success, the Council will consider extending the pilot and will continue to evaluate the outcomes during the period of this Local Housing Strategy. The Council supports and promotes the ‘Under One Roof’ website which provides impartial advice on repairs and maintenance for flat owners in Scotland and promotes the need for tenement maintenance amongst tenement owners. The Council and some local housing associations also provide factoring services to owners within mixed tenure blocks. Greater uptake of factoring services providing a co-ordinated maintenance regime would help address some of the existing condition issues and prevent further deterioration. Action 14: Continue the Missing Shares pilot for older tenement property and review its effectiveness. Action 15: Increase uptake of factoring services providing a co-ordinated maintenance regime for mixed tenure blocks. Page 153 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 40 Scottish Housing Quality Standard The Scottish Housing Quality Standard required that all social landlord’s stock met a minimum level of housing quality by 2015 and that this standard be maintained beyond that date. Levels of compliance across Renfrewshire’s 5 local housing associations ranged from 41% to 95% in 2021/22 and the Council figure for 2022/23 was 67.9%. This is a fall from previous years. In 2021/22 two new elements were included in the calculation of this indicator for the first time and since then compliance with 5 yearly Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) checks and the new smoke and heat detector standard are included in the calculation of SHQS compliance. Work is ongoing to achieve full compliance with EICR and detectors, including a programme of forced access visits. Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (ESSH) failures are also part of the SHQS score which also impacts the overall SHQS pass rate. Landlords have until December 2025 to comply with EESSH1. The non-participation of tenants, or owners in mixed tenure buildings has meant that full delivery of Scottish Housing Quality Standard works has not always been possible. In these instances, social landlords have used “abeyances”, for example where owners do not want to install door entry systems. Social housing providers with stock in abeyance will monitor house sales and changes of tenancy and identify when ownership changes and reassess if the new owner wishes to participate in common works that would allow the social stock to meet Scottish Housing Quality Standards. Renfrewshire Council will prepare a revised housing asset management strategy. The revised Housing Asset Management Strategy will update future investment need, compliance and data requirements, to ensure that the Council meets and maintains recent and future standards. Action 16:Implement Revised Council Asset Management Strategy. Page 154 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 41 The Private Rented Sector There are around 7,500 landlords registered with approximately 10,000 properties registered in Renfrewshire, 11% of all homes. The proportion of homes in Renfrewshire in this sector has stabilised following an earlier period of rapid growth from around only 4% of homes in 2004 to 10% of homes in 2010. Providing flexibility and a range of house types, rent levels and locations, the private rented sector forms an important part in meeting housing needs in Renfrewshire including helping to meet the needs of those unable to afford owner occupation but unable to/or don’t want to access social housing. Most private rented housing (around two-thirds of the total) is located in Paisley and Linwood, a very small number in the more rural areas of North and West Renfrewshire, with the rest being evenly split between Johnstone/Elderslie and Renfrew (Based on % split from private landlord registrations data as at April 2015). The most common size of property is 2 bedrooms. Rent levels and consequently affordability of the private rented sector varies considerably depending on size and location. Overall rents within Renfrewshire are less expensive than other areas in Scotland. Scottish Government data on private sector rent levels across each of the 18 Broad Market Rental Areas in Scotland, show that the average monthly rent for a 2 bed property in 2022 in the Renfrewshire/Inverclyde area was £547 per month , compared to £736 per month, in Scotland. Between 2010 to 2022, rents for a 2 bed flat, rose in Renfrewshire by 16%, relative to 33% in Scotland overall. However, within Renfrewshire there are quite different private rental price profiles across the 5 sub- market areas, reflecting the make-up of the stock and the availability of private rental options. Rents vary from an average of £433 for a 1-bedroom property to an average £1,292 for a 4-bed property. Overall, West Renfrewshire has the highest average market rent at £822 per month (based on 2020/21 data, Scottish Government bespoke analysis). Page 155 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 42 Source: RSS Data SetOctober 2021/September 2022 The Renfrewshire Housing Need and Demand) study found that the average private sector rent in Renfrewshire for the year 2021/22 was 26% higher than the Local Housing Allowance (the level of benefit paid towards rent). Differences were even more pronounced for three- and four- bedroom properties and in certain areas such as West Renfrewshire and Renfrew. The gap between benefit available and actual rents are likely to make the costs of private renting very challenging for lower income households and plays a lesser role in being a meaningful housing option for people and families in housing need who may be reliant of welfare benefits to help meet housing costs. While there are some very low rental prices in Renfrewshire, these tend to be found in generally in the smaller (bedsit and one bedroom) mainly tenement properties in urban areas and often have building condition issues. In these areas there are often vulnerable tenants. Recognising the challenges that may be faced by residents living in the private rented sector and the ending of the temporary legal protections for tenants that operated during COVID19 pandemic, the Council allocated additional temporary resources in 2021, to improve access to housing options advice, support and advocacy. The initiative has proven to be a positive measure and the close working relationship developed between services has £0 £200 £400 £600 £800 £1,000 £1,200 £1,400 £1,600 Average Market Rent (Monthly) 2 bed 4+ bed Average Page 156 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 43 demonstrated the value of an integrated approach to supporting tenants within the private rented sector. This initiative will be subject to review in 2024. Rent Pressure Zones Currently there is no evidence to support any rent pressure zones. National Proposals for Rent Control in the Private Rented Sector The Scottish Government has committed to introduce long-term rent controls in the private rented sector in Scotland and are currently (October 2023) consulting on how this might work in practice. Proposals identify local authorities as best placed to support decisions about where rent control should apply, requiring an assessment of rent conditions in their area on a regular basis. The Council will monitor trends in the sector and establish any longer-term changes to the supply and rent levels of privately rented homes in Renfrewshire. Action 17: Monitor the operation of the private rented market in Renfrewshire. Action 18: Provide additional support, advocacy and representation for people living in private rented tenancies. Improving the quality of property condition, management, and service in the Private Rented Sector The Council will continue to promote and encourage improvement in standards by: Ensuring resources regarding landlord and tenants’ rights and responsibilities are accessible on the Council’s website. Making the Council’s “Landlord Matters” yearly newsletter available to all registered landlords. Working in partnership with Landlord Accreditation Scotland to make training/Information sessions available to private landlords within Renfrewshire. Promoting the Landlord Accreditation Scheme – 60 accredited landlords, with 1,029 properties as at September 2021. Page 157 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 44 Working corporately and sharing intelligence in partnership with Police and Fire and Rescue Service. Advising private sector tenants on their rights and how to put them into practice and assisting more vulnerable private sector tenants to do this. Continue to provide access to housing support for vulnerable tenants. Renfrewshire Council is responsible for landlord registration. Our approach is to work co-operatively with landlords, however where landlords fail to continue to meet required standards, the Council will use the powers it has and take enforcement action. This could include: Making third party referrals of landlords to the Housing and Property Chamber (First Tier Tribunal) on matters relating to rent and repair issues. Submitting referrals to the Council’s Regulatory Functions Board seeking the removal of landlords from the register who have failed to comply with relevant legislation and requirements. (In 2020/21, 28 landlords were referred). Issuing rent penalty notices where a landlord is renting out a property but is not registered. Refusing applications from landlords who are not deemed “fit and proper” including those who do not confirm that relevant standards have been met. Action 19: Continue to make effective use of enforcement actions against private landlords who fail to meetthe required standards in relation to the management and maintenance of their property. Page 158 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 45 Strategic Priority 3 -Address the challenges of the climate emergency, delivering homes that are warm, energy efficient and fuel poverty is minimised. Our strategy aims to ensure that people in Renfrewshire live in warm, energy efficient homes that they can afford to heat, working towards net zero in Renfrewshire by 2030 and in turn exceeding the 2045 Scottish net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target. To assist in achieving this goal, the aim is to reduce energy consumption in homes and promote the use of renewable energy sources and innovations. Tackling the climate emergency, better energy efficiency and addressing fuel poverty are inextricably linked. Housing is a key source of carbon emissions and the Local Housing Strategy plays an important role in linking action on the climate emergency with mainstream housing and fuel poverty. The Scottish Government produced their Energy Strategy in 2017 and have committed to achieving the targets of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 and a 75% reduction by 2030. The national policy direction remains guided by the three core principles set out in the 2017 strategy: taking a whole-system view; delivery of an inclusive energy transition and delivery of a smarter local energy model. The Scottish Government’s Energy Efficient Scotland 20-year programme (Route Map) is one of the main elements of the energy strategy containing actions aimed at making Scotland’s buildings near zero carbon. There are two clear objectives aimed at: Reducing poor energy efficiency as a driver for fuel poverty. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions through more energy efficient buildings and decarbonising heat supply. In June 2019 Renfrewshire Council declared a climate emergency, agreeing to work towards net zero by 2030. Renfrewshire’s Plan for Net Zero has been prepared and considers actions to be taken across areas including transport, Page 159 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 46 waste and housing to reduce carbon emissions to achieve this target. Key priorities for this Local Housing Strategy: Mitigate fuel poverty by creating warm homes and improving energy efficiency and fuel efficiency of housing stock across all tenures; Mitigate and address the effects of the climate emergency meeting local and national net-zero greenhouse gas emissions targets and encouraging net zero carbon behaviour; Work to address housing related actions identified as part of Renfrewshire’s Plan for Net Zero to achieve Renfrewshire’s net zero ambitions; Maximising grant funding secured from national energy efficiency programmes; and Ensuring households have access to good quality, easily accessible advice to use their energy efficiently so they can afford to heat their homes, make improvements to their home energy efficiency and reduce emissions. The Climate Emergency A household’s greenhouse gas emissions are influenced by property condition, energy efficiency of homes, the type of fuel used in a property and how individuals use and run their homes through inefficient heating, etc. The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019, set legally binding targets to reduce Scotland's emissions of all greenhouse gases to net-zero by 2045 at the latest, with interim targets for reductions of 75% by 2030 and 90% by 2040. Any remaining emissions will have to be entirely offset with measures. The Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan was updated in December 2020 to reflect the adoption of the net-zero target and the new targets within the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019. All Scottish local authorities signed up to Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration, which recognises the key role local authorities play in helping to tackle the challenges of the climate emergency. Page 160 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 47 Renfrewshire Council reports annually on progress to mitigate and adapt to climate change, complying the requirements of the Climate Change (Duties of Public Bodies: Reporting Requirements) (Scotland) Order 2015 as amended by the Climate Change (Duties of Public Bodies: Reporting Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2020. The Second Climate Change Adaptation Programme 2019-2024 sets out the Scottish Government’s five-year programme for climate change adaptation; a requirement of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. It contains a set of seven high-level outcomes for the programme and is designed to deliver a step change in collaboration and emphasise the wider co-benefits of climate action. Work has commenced to progress Renfrewshire’s priorities in relation to this. The Scottish Government published their draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan in January 2023 for consultation. The finalised plan will set a vision for Scotland's energy system to 2045 and a route map of ambitions and actions that, alongside detailed sectoral plans and the forthcoming Climate Change Plan, is aimed to guide decision-making and policy support over the course of this decade. The Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023 introduced the New Build Heat Standard (NBHS) that prohibits the use of direct emissions heating systems in new buildings applying for a building warrant from 1 April 2024 onwards. New buildings will be required to have zero direct emissions heating systems from this point. Addressing the Climate Emergency in Renfrewshire Renfrewshire’s Plan for Net Zero sets out the strategic framework required to work towards our ambitious climate change targets in Renfrewshire. The Plan contains 5 focused outcome areas and the key focus areas of activities to be progress, lead and enable are: Clean Energy; Sustainable Transport; Circular Economy; Connected Communities and: Resilient Place. Phase 2 of the Plan will contain a detailed route map setting out opportunities for change, key actions and targets which will be linked to costed delivery plans and the emerging Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy. Page 161 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 48 A carbon budget will be developed for Renfrewshire Council to help quantify emissions by service area and reductions required to move towards net zero in service delivery. An Adaptation Plan is being developed to implement a phased programme of priority actions, designed to respond to and address the local impacts of climate change and prepare for future climate risks. The annual updates of the Local Housing Strategy will monitor housing related actions required to support the aims of Renfrewshire’s Plan for Net Zero. The Council’s £1 million Climate Change Action Fund, which funds innovative projects and initiatives, supports engagement and partnership working across Renfrewshire and accelerates the pace of change of existing projects in order to tackle the climate emergency. It is recognised that changing climate has a direct impact on Renfrewshire’s current housing stock and that some residents will be more vulnerable to this than others. The ’20-minute neighbourhoods’ concept is supported by this Local Housing Strategy and will create places where people can live, work and learn in communities close to home, enabling people to live better, healthier lives to support the net zero ambitions and create sustainable communities. Action 20: Implement the housing-related actions within Renfrewshire’s Plan for Net Zero that contribute towards Renfrewshire’s net zero targets. Reducing emissions in social rented housing The Scottish Government is developing a Zero Emissions New Build Affordable Homes Strategy, based on greater use of offsite construction and zero emissions heating to support this. Within newbuild social rented housing, the Council and developing housing associations will work to deliver new affordable housing that has net zero carbon emissions and ensure compliance with the New Build Heat Standard from April 2024 in relation to zero direct emissions heating. The Scottish Government provide a higher ‘greener’ subsidy within the Affordable Housing Supply Programme grant funding, where newbuild homes meet Section 7, Silver Level of the 2011 Building Regulations in respect of Energy for Space Heating. Page 162 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 49 Housing to 2040 introduced a new cross-tenure ‘Housing Standard’ which will align with work to tackle emissions to make the best use of the opportunities and resources for improvements. Renfrewshire’s Climate Change Action Fund awarded £75,000 to design and deliver a social housing new build development within the context of the Council approved Regeneration and Renewal Programme, in partnership with a research organisation. This involved the development of best practice and design principles, around a sustainable social housing model that can be delivered as a ‘standard’ at scale for social housing within Renfrewshire: the ‘RenZEB’ standard. The project aimed to address the principles that should be assessed and adopted within the Council’s new build developments to meet climate change commitments to deliver homes that are operationally sustainable for our tenants and the environment and mitigate fuel poverty. Renfrewshire’s social landlords will also continue to explore and develop ways to improve and ‘future proof’ existing homes. Action 21: In newbuild affordable homes, the Council and housing associations will use renewable technology and other measures to provide energy efficient, well- ventilated homes that are low or zero emissions and meet the Scottish Government’s Build Heat Standard Regulations effective from 1 April 2024. Action 22: Where feasible, retrofit existing social rented homes with renewable technology and other measures to improve aspects including energy efficiency, heating, ventilation and carbon emissions; including alternatives to gas boilers such as heat pumps and assessing suitability of properties to connect connection to heat networks if within a heat network zone. Reducing emissions in private housing Within existing private housing, owner-occupiers and private landlords will be provided with advice, support and signposted as appropriate to opportunities that may exist for funding work that will assist reducing emissions, through a range of approaches, by Renfrewshire Council and their registered social landlord partners. Page 163 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 50 In Renfrewshire, owners will continue to be directed to Home Energy Scotland in relation to interest free loans, in addition to other schemes for owners that may become available. In addition, for owners who are less able to afford improvements area-based schemes will continue, plus other schemes to replace Warmer Homes Scotland will be introduced to support private households at risk of fuel poverty to make improvements that will also have a positive impact on emissions. Private housebuilders will be encouraged to build homes to the highest standards of energy efficiency, taking emissions into account. The UK Government has introduced a new funding stream to help reduce carbon emissions called ECO-flex 4, which will provide funding to Renfrewshire’s private sector, fuel poor households that do not meet criteria for other schemes, as well as low- income households that are vulnerable to the effects of the cold. Following the Council receiving evidence from the installer that the property meets the criteria, installers apply for funding to the energy providers. Where the property meets the criteria, the Council provides details to Ofgem and provides the installer with a signed declaration that forms part of their submission to the energy providers for funding. The scheme is part of the UK Government Energy Company Obligation with the qualifying criteria for ECO-Flex set by Ofgem. ECO-flex applies only to owner occupier and private rented homes. Renfrewshire Council’s Statement of Intent can be found on the Council’s website. Action 23: Encourage and support owners and private landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their properties to meet specific targets, reduce fuel bills and carbon emissions; accessing funding opportunities as appropriate, to achieve this. Action 24: Private housebuilders will be required to meet the New Build Heat Standard Regulations effective from 1 April 2024 for new buildings that apply for a building warrant. Where feasible, new developments will connect to heat networks where developments are within heat network zones to provide energy efficient homes that reflect Renfrewshire Council’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions. Page 164 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 51 Fuel Poverty Fuel poverty can affect householders across all tenures. The Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Act 2019 introduces a new definition of fuel poverty: ‘A household to be in fuel poverty if more than 10% of its net income (after housing costs) is required to heat the home and pay for other fuel costs – with not enough money left for a decent standard of living. If more than 20% of net income is needed, the household is defined as being in extreme fuel poverty.’ This aligns fuel poverty more closely with relative income poverty. The Act required the development of a comprehensive strategy to show how targets will be met. The Scottish Government’s Fuel Poverty strategy published in December 2021 sets out policies and proposals for Government, local authorities and third sector partners to help meet the Act’s targets, with actions to tackle each of the four drivers of fuel poverty: poor energy efficiency of the home high energy costs low household income how energy is used in the home Action 25: Worktowards meeting the national fuel poverty targets and reducing the amount of people affected by fuel poverty across Renfrewshire. Fuel Poverty Levels: Renfrewshire and Scotland Source: Scottish Housing Condition Survey, Local Authority Analysis Reports 2013-2019 Note:Further details on the fuel cost method and energy model are available in the 2018 Methodology Notes 28 25 23 26 22 34 31 27 25 24 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 2013-2015 2014-2016 2015-2017 2016-2018 2017-2019 Percentage Fuel Poverty Renfrewshire Scotland Page 165 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 52 Factors influencing fuel poverty and incidence in Renfrewshire The following table illustrates the main factors influencing fuel poverty in Renfrewshire, as noted within the current Renfrewshire Fuel Poverty Strategy. Fuel Poverty Risk Factors Incidence in Renfrewshire Low income households It is estimated that 23,087 people in Renfrewshire (13% of the total population) experience income deprivation. In 2020, 49 (22%) of Renfrewshire’s 225 data zones are in the 15% most deprived areas of Scotland. Older person households The Scottish House Condition Survey 2017- 2019 estimates that 27% of older adults were in fuel poverty compared to 11% of families in Renfrewshire. 33,887 adults were aged 65+ in Renfrewshire in 2019, which is 19% of Renfrewshire’s population. (National Records of Scotland Mid-2019 Population Estimates). The number of older person households in Renfrewshire is projected to increase between 2016 and 2026. Fuel Poverty Risk Factors Incidence in Renfrewshire Households living in properties with a ‘poor’ energy efficiency rating of ‘F’ and ‘’G’ (properties with poor fuel efficiency) Sample size too small to provide accurate rating. Households in rural areas Renfrewshire is a largely urban area with 76% of the population living in large urban areas, 9.9% living in other urban areas, 9.4% in accessible small towns and 4.7% living in accessible rural areas. (Scottish Government Urban/Rural Classification 2016) Households living in the private sector are more likely to experience extreme fuel poverty (where more than 20% of income is used to meet fuel costs) than The 2017-2019 Scottish House Condition Survey notes that 4% of owner-occupied households are in extreme fuel poverty, compared to 11% of social rented households. In Renfrewshire, 61% of dwellings are owner occupied, 29% social Page 166 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 53 Fuel Poverty Risk Factors Incidence in Renfrewshire those living in social rented sector rented and 10% are in the private rented sector. (SHCS 2017-19) Households with partial central heating or no central heating 97% of dwellings in Renfrewshire had full central heating with the remaining 3% having partial or no central heating. (SCHS 2017-19) Households living in older dwellings are more likely to experience fuel poverty 23% of dwellings in Renfrewshire were built pre 1945. (SHCS 2017- 19). Renfrewshire has a relatively high proportion of tenement properties, many of which were built before 1919. Fuel costs As part of the detailed study building on the outputs of HNDA3, a survey of almost 1,000 Renfrewshire residents was undertaken. The results provide us with valuable feedback and insight into particular areas including fuel costs and an overview of the position within Renfrewshire in 2023. This provides a useful baseline for the delivery of information and advice services in the area, as well as energy efficiency measures. The survey reported that 57% of households across Renfrewshire indicate that the affordability of heating costs is a problem, with 13% indicating it is a serious problem. Heating costs were more of an issue for social rented tenants with 72% experiencing issues, compared to 54% of owners. Overall, 59% of Renfrewshire households indicated they spent more than 10% of their income on heating; a level at which places them into fuel poverty. Social rented tenants were most likely to spend more than 10% on fuel costs (78%). Those with a long-term health condition/disability were also much more likely to be spending more on fuel costs, with 68% of that group reporting they spent more than 10% of their income. Page 167 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 54 Addressing fuel poverty The Renfrewshire Plan for Net Zero is currently developing Quantified Delivery Plans: area-based, phased delivery plans with benchmark capital costs that will also undertake socio-economic impact assessments to quantify and consider all impacts of the Plan for Net Zero, including areas such as alleviation of fuel poverty. This is due for completion towards the end of 2023. Linking with LHEES and the Plan for Net Zero, identification and agreement of priorities and weightings, alleviation of fuel poverty will be a top priority. A Fuel Poverty Strategy is to be prepared for Renfrewshire which will outline the scale of fuel poverty in the area and key groups at risk of fuel poverty, recognising the pressure caused by the overall running costs of households, and will measure the impact of any actions that emerge on areas such as health and health inequalities in relation to prevention activity and targeted work in relation to people currently experiencing fuel poverty. A key element in achieving a reduction in fuel poverty is the provision of good quality advice to Renfrewshire’s residents. The Council and partners have developed advice and assistance for residents on energy use, to ensure people can access support where required, often in collaboration with external agencies. As well as the advice service, Paisley Housing Association also offer a Fuel Bank Scheme designed to assist tenants in crisis who have either self-disconnected from prepaid gas and/or electricity meters or are at risk of doing so. The Scheme is funded by multiple funders including Energy Action Scotland, Martin Lewis, Scottish Government and the Energy Savings Trust. The approach to tailored fuel poverty and energy advice is reflected in the links to specialist agencies and access to national programmes aimed at reducing fuel poverty. This approach will continue, with the Council and partners utilising all external funding channels for support whilst continuing to deliver advice and support to Renfrewshire’s residents. Action 26: The Council and housing associations operating in Renfrewshire will continue to provide good quality fuel poverty advice, income maximisation and information to tenants, owners and private tenants. Page 168 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 55 Energy Efficiency of Housing Stock Energy efficiency can be measured through the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), which is used by the Government to assess and compare the energy and environmental performance of dwellings. The scale runs from 1 to 100, with 100 being the most efficient. MeanSAP Energy Efficiency Ratings for households in Renfrewshire (SAP 2012) Owner occupier Social housing Private rented Renfrewshire 68.2 71 * Scotland 63.8 68.4 62 *Sample size too few to establish accurate rating. Source: Scottish House Condition Survey, Local Authority Analysis, 2017-19 The above table shows that the energy efficiency rating of social rented homes has improved in Renfrewshire, which can be attributed to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard work undertaken on social rented homes and energy efficiency measures in newbuild social rented homes. Energy efficiency ratings are on average better for social rented housing than private housing. Improving the Energy Efficiency of Housing Stock A key priority for Renfrewshire Council is to improve the energy efficiency of existing housing across all tenures and ensure that new homes meet the highest energy efficiency requirements. By improving the condition of homes, this will assist in achieving reduced greenhouse gas emissions, meet climate emergency targets and tackle and mitigate fuel poverty. The Scottish Government’s Heat in Buildings Strategypublished in October 2021 builds on the policies and actions set out in the Government’s Climate Change Plan 2020 and updates the Energy Efficient Scotland 20-year Route Map and the Heat Policy Statement. This delivers a singlestrategy that sets out further detail on how proposals and policies in the Climate Change Plan will be delivered. This included the development of the new regulatory framework for zero emissions heating and energy efficiency for new homes from 1 April 2024 (Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023 introduces the New Build Heat Standard), building on the Page 169 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 56 existing commitment to extend regulation for minimum energy efficiency standards. By 2033, all Scottish homes will be required to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C rating where technically feasible and cost effective. This approach is intended to complement the requirements that will be in place for new buildings to have zero emissions heating systems from 2024. This will help ensure that all homes are energy efficient by 2033 and almost all use zero emissions heating systems by 2045. A number of schemes are being put in place to help achieve the targets including: Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES), will be the foundation of local energy planning, helping local authorities shape their programmes for delivering energy efficiency and low carbon heat with a long-term strategic plan for heat decarbonisation (including identifying heat decarbonisation zones) and energy efficiency tailored to local circumstances; The Transition Programme Decarbonisation Fund assists social landlords to install energy efficiency measures to improve the energy efficiency of their properties and reduce fuel costs; and The District Heating Loan Fund, offering loans to support the development of district heating networks in Scotland. A new virtual agency - Heat and Energy Efficiency Scotland - has been established as part of the Heat in Buildings Strategy to provide leadership and harness the potential of scaled up programmes to decarbonise heat, with the aim of reduce Scotland’s contribution to climate change by 2045 by making Scotland’s homes and buildings: cleaner, greener and easier to heat. The agency will work with partners to deliver heat and energy efficiency measures into homes and buildings and support the development of heat networks. The ‘Heat & Energy Efficiency Scotland’s Strategic Board’ has been established to support, advise and oversee the agency as it grows and develops. Page 170 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 57 Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES) Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies aim to establish strategic, multi-tenure area-based tailored plans and priorities for improving the energy efficiency of buildings and decarbonising the heat supply to buildings. The strategy will set out long-term place-based approaches to reducing emissions from buildings and tackling fuel poverty by identifying a solution tailored to the local area, as well as identifying heat decarbonisation zones suitable for the development of heat networks linked to regulation. Renfrewshire Council participated in a Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy pilots and were awarded £50,000 to deliver a project that identified specific locations of fuel poverty in Renfrewshire, completing in March 2019. Further phase 2 pilots were undertaken, aimed at testing and developing new methods for creating Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy; identifying relevant sources of data and data gaps; and to gain a fuller understanding of the resources and capabilities required to develop Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy. Work is ongoing within Renfrewshire to develop a Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy and Delivery Plan, following consultation and engagement with our communities and stakeholders. Action 27: Support the preparation and implementation of a Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) that sets out a long term energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation strategy for Renfrewshire. Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) The Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH1), was introduced to encourage landlords to improve the energy efficiency of social housing in Scotland, supporting the Scottish Government’s vision of warm, high quality, affordable, low carbon homes. In Renfrewshire, the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing is being achieved through capital funding plans for committed investment programmes, together with Government supplementary funding and other external sources. Page 171 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 58 Through investment in fabric improvements and energy efficiency measures, the Council is making good progress towards achievement of EESSH1 targets with 93% of Council housing stock compliant after applying allowable exemptions (in line with Scottish Housing Regulator Guidance), meeting the Band C rating by December 2020, where the first milestone of EESSH was required. Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing post 2020 (EESSH2) and interim Guidance October 2022 The next planned stage of EESSH was the 2032 milestone which sought to implement a higher target. It was planned that from 2022, social landlords would be measured against the EESSH 2032 target. The original EESSH 2 aims to maximise the number of homes in the social rented sector attaining an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating B by 2032, with a minimum standard for no social housing to fall below EPC D from 2025. Review of EESSH2 The Scottish Government are currently reviewing EESSH2 to strengthen and realign the standard with the target for net zero heat in houses from 2040. The review will also help support the delivery of the statutory fuel poverty targets. The review is considering progress towards EESSH2 as well as parts of the standard, air quality, alignment with the net zero target, and how the standard fits with changes needed across other tenures. It will develop new targets for domestic dwellings. ‘Interim Guidance for Social Landlords during the review of the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing post 2020 (EESSH2)’ was published by the Scottish Government in October 2022 and will be replaced by the new standard following the EESSH2 review. There are various funding streams available to support energy efficiency improvements that may help local authorities and Registered Social Landlords, including Energy Efficiency Scotland: Area Based Schemes (to assist owners in meeting their share of works) and Warmer Homes Scotland. Page 172 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 59 Following a successful pilot of installing renewable energy and technology in newbuild Renfrewshire Council homes, solar photovoltaic panels (pv), battery storage and mechanical ventilation is installed as standard in all new council homes. Action 28: The Council and housing associations operating in Renfrewshire will work towards meeting the requirements and milestones of the emerging EESSH2 for social rented housing. Long term domestic residential standards All residential properties in Scotland will be required to achieve an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of at least EPC C by 2033 as outlined in the Heat in Buildings Strategy. To reach the long-term standard, a range of work to improve house condition and regulation which will eventually be guided by the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy, will be required and may differ between the social rented, private rented and owner-occupied sectors. Ensuring that Renfrewshire’s affordable housing is built to the highest standards of energy efficiency is a key aim of this Local Housing Strategy and Renfrewshire’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan. Social rented homes will be required to meet the standards as outlined in the Energy Efficiency Standard for Scotland – EESSH2, once the new standards and targets have been announced. As the available technologies advance, heating systems will continue to be installed which are affordable to tenants in order to address fuel poverty, while also maximising opportunities for carbon reduction and achieving the EPC ratings as set out by the revised EESSH2 when known. During 2021, Renfrewshire Council commenced a trial roll-out of smart sensors that measure humidity, temperature and carbon dioxide to 1,000 of its homes to improve house condition and the efficiency of its housing stock and living conditions for tenants. Action 29: All Council newbuild homes meet or exceed Section 7, Silver Level Aspects 1 & 2 of the 2011 Building Regulations –energy for space heating. Page 173 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 60 Standards for owner occupiers Homeowners are not currently required to improve the energy efficiency of their homes but in line with the Energy Efficient Scotland Route Map, the focus is on the local authority delivery of area based schemes. It is proposed that regulations are introduced to set the long-term domestic standard of EPC C to be met by owner occupiers by 2033, as outlined in the Heat in Buildings Strategy, where technically feasible and supported by the existing support programme of grants and loans. Specific support tohomeowners for energy efficiency measures Scottish Government Energy Efficient Scotland Area Based Schemes (EES: ABS) is the Scottish Government’s programme targeted at private sector homeowners to assist their participation in a wide range of social housing initiatives and ensure projects to improve energy efficiency can proceed. Resources are being targeted at fuel poor areas with insulation measures for private sector properties a priority. The programme complements and supports a wide range of social housing initiatives, including maintaining stock at the levels required by the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS), as well as the new requirements of the revised EESSH2 when available. To date, a total of over £17 million has been secured for Renfrewshire which has enabled a range of external wall insulation projects to be carried out in multi tenure blocks to support the Council’s housing investment programme, as well as external wall insulation programmes by Linstone Housing Association, Bridgewater Housing Association, Paisley Housing Association and internal wall insulation by Williamsburgh Housing Association. Renfrewshire Council made successful bids to the Scottish Government to assist their ability to meet EESSH. These funding streams included Energy Company Obligation Scheme (ECO), Scottish Government Energy Efficient Scotland Area Based Schemes (EES:ABS), Green Homes Cashback and Green Homes Cashback, as well as low cost loans from the Energy Savings Trust (EST). Page 174 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 61 Renfrewshire Council will continue to include or blend Scottish Government Energy Efficient Scotland Area Based Schemes (EES:ABS) with their capital programme to offer grant funding to owners in mixed tenure blocks for works. The Home Energy Efficiency Programmes Scotland (HEEPS) Equity Loan Scheme pilot run in partnership with Care and Repair and the Scottish Government that allowed eligible homeowners to install various energy measures, including windows, boilers, insultation, external doors with an element for structural repairs, has now finished. The pilot involved eligible homeowners using some of the equity in their property to pay for the energy measures noted above and when an owner subsequently sells their property, they would pay back what was borrowed to the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government are reviewing the pilot and a decision is awaited on whether this will be continued and/extended. In addition to the above, a range of funding and support is available to households to install a variety of energy saving improvements, including the Warmer Homes Scotland programme accessed through Home Energy Scotland for improvements that includes wall insulation, loft insulation, draught-proofing, central heating and renewables. Action 30: The Council and housing associations operating in Renfrewshire will maximise the number of privately owned or privately rented properties who participate in energy efficiency and low carbon improvement activities, including Scottish Government Energy EfficientScotland Area Based Schemes (EES:ABS), as part of the wider improvements to improve the energy efficiency of homes. Standards for the private rented sector Accommodation in the private rented sector generally has poorer energy efficiency than social rented or owner-occupied housing. As part of the Energy Efficient Scotland Programme and Energy Efficient Scotland Route Map, the Energy Efficiency (Domestic Private Rented Property) (Scotland) Regulations 2019 were introduced. Energy Performance Certificates (EPC’s) will be used to measure this standard and under these regulations, a landlord is not Page 175 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 62 permitted to let a domestic property if the energy performance indicator is below the minimum level of energy efficiency. The Scottish Government plan to introduce regulations in 2025 that require private rented sector properties to meet a minimum energy efficiency standard equivalent to EPC C, where technically feasible and cost-effective by 2028 or earlier where a change of tenancy takes place. Support for private landlords to improve energy efficiency of their properties Home Energy Scotland provides advice and assistance to private landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. Private Landlords may be able to access the Scottish Government’s Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan, available to eligible private sector landlords for energy efficiency improvements. Action 31: Engage with private landlords to provide support and encourage compliance with the Energy Efficiency (Domestic Private Rented Property) (Scotland) Regulations 2019 and the requirements of the Heat in Buildings Strategy. Action 32: Promote and support available energy efficiency measures to both private owners and private landlords, including obtaining financial support. Page 176 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 63 Strategic Priority 4 -Prevention of homelessness and providing support for those in housing need. The July 2023 Solace report ‘Housing in Scotland: Current Context and Preparing for the Future’ notes increasing homelessness pressures across Scotland due to COVID-19 and the cost of living crisis, along with additional demands stemming from the various humanitarian programmes most recently Homes for Ukraine and Scotland’s Super Sponsor Schemes. This national picture is reflected in Renfrewshire, where the emerging trend is an increase in homeless applications; a 12% increase in the 2 years 2021/22 - 2022/23. The chart opposite shows the number of homeless applications requiring assessment by Renfrewshire Council between 2016/17 and 2022/23. Source: Renfrewshire Council Homeless Services The total number of service users – those who were homeless, threatened with homelessness, or requiring housing options advice has also increased. Based on early 2023/24 data, these trends appear to be continuing. Further developments including the removal of the 777 860 849 874 834 909 935 0 200 400 600 800 1000 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 Council Homeless Applications 2016-17 to 2022-23 Page 177 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 64 local connection criteria for homeless applicants in December 2022 and the new “prevention” duties which the Scottish Government have confirmed will form part of a new Housing Bill may lead to a further increase in homelessness referrals/applications. The majority of homeless people in Renfrewshire are single person households (over 75% of all applications), again in line with national trends. Demand for accommodation therefore is for smaller sized properties, predominately one-bedroom properties. Renfrewshire’s approach to homelessness is set out in the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan 2019-2024. To date this approach has been successful is reducing repeat homelessness, increasing tenancy sustainment levels and satisfaction with temporary accommodation, with further improvements still required to bring about an increase in lets to homeless applicants. A review of the final year of the plan will be carried out in 2024, with recommendations for approaches going forward, taking into account current trends in homelessness and funding streams available. Renfrewshire’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan 2019- 2024 (RRTP) This plan details how the Council plan to move to a situation where those who are homeless are provided with accommodation more quickly, spend less time in temporary accommodation and have greater access to an up-scaled use of the Housing First model, and / or other support. The Plan sets out that ‘a stepped increase in the number and proportion of social rented lets to those who were statutorily homeless’, is critical in providing a settled mainstream housing outcome with support. The Council increased its target let to homeless applicants to 49% of its lets (excluding sheltered, specialist housing and regeneration lets). Joint working arrangements are in place with local housing associations to increase the number of suitably sized properties that can be offered as settled tenancies to homeless people. The following table shows that it hasn’t been possible yet to deliver this stepped increase. Page 178 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 65 Lets to Homeless Households Year Council Lets to Statutory Homeless Applicants % of Council Lets to Homeless Applicants RSL Lets to Statutory Homeless Applicants (Section 5 lets) % of RSL lets to homeless applicants Total lets to Statutory Homeless applicants 19/20 352 33% 134 19.7% 486 20/21 245 49% 165 31.8% 410 21/22 369 43% 174 24.2% 543 22/23 318 41% 171 26.5% 489 Source: Renfrewshire Council Homeless Services This has proved to be challenging due to a combination of factors including the reduced availability of appropriate stock from generally reducing turnover rates and the impact of the Council’s regeneration programme as well as competing demands from the resettlement and asylum programmes and other groups such as care leavers. However, going forward this will action will remain a key priority. Action 33: Review the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan 2019-2024 and make recommendations on future approaches to homelessness in Renfrewshire. Action 34: Increase the number and proportion of social housing lets being let to homeless applicants. Homelessness Prevention and Support Activity A key aim of the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan is to provide more access to up-scaled support. Renfrewshire has developed a strong track record for the deployment of Housing First model, which prioritises getting people quickly into stable homes and from this point, any other support needs they might have – such as alcohol and drug dependency, physical and/or mental health problems – are addressed through coordinated and intensive support. Building on this success, additional Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan funding has been used to expand existing initiatives and to set up new homeless prevention projects which focus on the avoidance of repeat homelessness. Page 179 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 66 Up to 65 individuals can now be supported at any one time via 3 different support providers, including an ‘in-house’ Intensive Support service; more than double the number supported in the first year of the plan. Examples of successful initiatives include: The ‘Working to Reconnect and Achieve Potential’ (WRAP) intensive support service was established in 2019 in partnership with Blue Triangle Housing Association. It is a short-term, flexible, wraparound housing support service for people who are homeless and wanting to engage with support staff in a person centered approach to resettle into the community, sustain their tenancy, and achieve their own outcomes. To date the project has demonstrated positive outcomes for service users and was extended beyond its initial 2 year period. Action 35: Continue to strengthen the approach to prevention and repeat homelessness by providing holistic wraparound support to households in Renfrewshire. Other RRTP funded initiatives helping to reduce homelessness and increase tenancy sustainment Enhanced Tenancy resettlement Service The Council revised its approach to tenancy resettlement following customer consultation and now provides a proactive and practical approach to help those who are homeless to set up their home and sustain their settled tenancy. In addition to existing resources, three new temporary posts have been funded from the Scottish Government Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan funding allocation. Simon Community Shared Living Initiative A flat sharing initiative which can accommodate twenty 16 to 24 year-olds, is in place and managed by the Simon Community who offer ongoing support and advice. This partly addresses the issue of property size mismatch for homeless applicants, allows for speedier access to housing, helps to decrease feelings of social isolation and mitigates the impact of the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate. Page 180 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 67 “SAY Women” The ‘SAY Women’ (Supporting Homeless Sexually Abused Young Women) offers emotional support for young women aged 16 to 25 who are survivors of sexual abuse, rape, or sexual assault and who are homeless, or threatened with homelessness. The project aims to prevent repeat homelessness and help young vulnerable women in sustaining their tenancies. Starter Packs Following feedback from homeless service users on what items they thought were essential to help them maintain and sustain their tenancy, the Council has annually provided over 400 enhanced Starter Packs which include a double rather than a single bed, a microwave, kettle, toaster, cutlery, and plates. Service users the option of having their new home ‘powered up’ prior to occupation. This further increases the chances of the tenant smoothly moving into their settled housing and go on to sustain the tenancy. The approaches outlined above have helped to deliver significant improvement tenancy sustainment rates for homeless applicants living in settled Council tenancies for more than 12 months – improving in each of the last four years from 80.4% in 2019/20 to 95.3% in 2022/23. This figure was at 72.1% in 2015/16. Repeat homelessness figure have reduced from 9.8% in 2019/20 to 4.8% in 2022/23. It will remain a continued aim to build on the successful approaches that have led to increased tenancy sustainment rates and reduced repeat homelessness. Challenges will exist when the current Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan funding comes to an end in 2024, and as yet it is not clear if the Scottish Government intends to replace this funding with further financial support to local authorities. Temporary Accommodation The fluctuating nature of the demand for temporary accommodation can present challenges. It requires significant effort, planning and resourcing to meet the high standards in terms of the location, type, and quality of the properties, and how they are managed. Page 181 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 68 At the time of developing the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan, it was anticipated that the overall capacity for temporary accommodation could reduce from the starting point of 233, and this would be achieved by a combination of a phased increase in the number of lets to homeless applicants and the introduction/enhancement of the range of support improvements and innovations as outlined earlier. However, at present the Council is utilizing an expanded supply of temporary accommodation as shown in the table opposite due to the increase in homeless applications. Temporary accommodation Provision 2023 Accommodation Type Location Accommodation provider No. of properties 2023 Local Authority owned furnished flats Across Renfrewshire Renfrewshire Council 143 Households placed in B&B Paisley B&B proprietors 0 RSL owned furnished flats Across Renfrewshire Various RSLs 31 *Local Authority owned supported accommodation 1 location in Paisley Renfrewshire Council 12 *RSL owned supported accommodation Paisley and Renfrew Williamsburgh HA Sanctuary HA Paisley HA 41 Local Authority owned staffed accommodation 2 locations in Paisley Renfrewshire Council 33 Private sector leased – furnished Paisley Private landlords 0 TOTAL 260 Source: Homeless Services, Renfrewshire Council, as at July 2023. *support is commissioned from specialist provider. Page 182 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 69 At present, the plan to meet demand for temporary accommodation is as follows: Local authority and RSL owned furnished flats Given that the temporary accommodation properties are of high standard, continue to be fully furnished and spread throughout communities amongst mainstream social rented housing, it is considered that steps should be taken now to reduce the supply. The situation will be monitored and properties can revert back into general lettings stock or be converted to meet required demand. Supported Accommodation The number has reduced from 58 properties following the upscaling of Housing First activities. The Council is currently re- assessing the need for supported accommodation, taking into account capacity to deliver further increases in Housing First activities in light of Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan funding coming to an end. Staffed Accommodation The original Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan envisaged a reduction from 32 to 24 properties, but that has now been revised to reduce the number of properties to 16. This will be delivered by a planned closure of one of the existing Renfrewshire Council staffed accommodation units during 2022/23. Bed and Breakfast The Council remains committed to the position that Bed & Breakfast accommodation is not a suitable form of temporary accommodation. In a small number of instances however it hasn’t been possible to avoid this form of accommodation. The strategy towards the use of temporary accommodation will be monitored and may change to meet emerging trends in homelessness and availability of funding post Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan. Action 36: Continue to assess requirements for temporary accommodation and provide appropriate supply, in light of aims set out intheRapid Rehousing Transition Plan and current trends in homelessness. Page 183 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 70 Prevention of Violence towards Women and Children The implementation of the Scottish Government’s Equally Safe Strategy is the responsibility of the Gender Based Violence Strategy Group which is a partnership of a range of stakeholders, including housing officers who meet to co-ordinate the gender based violence service provision in Renfrewshire. An annual assessment is provided to the Scottish Government against the Equally Safe Quality Standards and Performance Framework. Renfrewshire’s Gender Based Violence Strategy Group recognises that men who have experienced domestic abuse and/or sexual violence should have access to the same high levels of support as women and children. Services for Young People Renfrewshire has a dedicated service for young people under 25 years of age who are homeless or are threatened with homelessness. Tailored support and advice to individuals through: Dedicated Youth Housing Advisors who offer assistance to young people through carrying out a housing options interview to enable them to select the housing/support option that best meets their circumstances; The Time to Mend Mediation Service which works with young people and their families to help rebuild relationships where they are still living in the family home. The service can help prevent homelessness from occurring or is available for young people who are homeless and require emergency accommodation who would benefit from reconciliation with family to help support them in a future tenancy; The Resettlement Service is a proactive resettlement service which helps people sustain their tenancies. Support workers assist the person for up to a year by offering practical guidance in setting up home and sustaining a tenancy - this service is not just for young people; Page 184 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 71 Liaison with Children’s ServicesThroughcare where officers work closely with Social Work's Throughcare Team for young people who have previously been looked after and accommodated to ensure that they benefit from agreements in place between services. This allows the young person to receive a higher priority for housing due to their circumstances in order to avoid homelessness; Home for Keeps initiative which provides one-to-one interviews with young people to help them prepare for the practicalities of having their own tenancy and better cope with some of the issues they may face; and Partnership Working where thereare strong links with other teams and agencies such as Housing Support, Invest, Renfrewshire Employability Service and SAY Women. Renfrewshire Alcohol and Drugs Commission The independent Renfrewshire Alcohol and Drugs Commission investigated the impact of alcohol and drugs on communities across the local authority area, and in 2020 published a report containing 27 recommendations (Renfrewshire Alcohol and Drugs Commission Report) on how community planning partners could support people and improve outcomes for individuals affected by alcohol and/or drugs. The Commission recognised that a safe and secure home is the best base for people to rebuild their lives and enjoy good health and wellbeing and that the provision of settled accommodation as soon as possible with the right type of support is vital in helping individuals affected by alcohol and/or drugs. My Life Ahead project (MyLA) Following the report, the Council allocated £2 million of funding to support individuals affected by alcohol and/or drugs. An innovative pilot project ‘The My Life Ahead’ (MyLA) was established in May 2022 utilising some of this funding. The service, delivered by Turning Point Scotland in partnership with the Council, is for people whose daily life is being affected by alcohol and/or drug dependency and need support to sustain or access settled housing. It offers tenancy sustainment services, budgeting and benefit advice, harm reduction and relapse prevention along with links to mental health, addition and community services. Page 185 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 72 ‘My Life Ahead’s’ (MyLA's) early approach has been to focus on complex cases, those who have had many previous interventions attempted and those in precarious housing situations. A key element of this project is that it seeks to support individuals to address their drug/alcohol issues and focus on their housing situation too. In the first year 39 clients were supported and of those clients a significant majority reported a reduction in drug and alcohol use. The benefits from settled housing on people’s health and wellbeing are clear, and there are already many signs that MyLA is having a positive impact on supporting individuals to access and/or sustain a settled housing arrangement. Additional funding has been awarded to allow this project to continue through 2024/25. The outcomes of the pilot will be reviewed to consider how support can be provided in the future Action 37: Build on the rapid rehousing approach to ensure access to specialist services is readily available via robust pathways for homeless people with complex needs, including mental health and harmful alcohol and/or drugs use. Prison Leavers Prison leavers can be less likely than other homeless applicants to engage with Homelessness Services and other statutory services and in some cases can make repeat homeless applications if they have a history of reoffending. In 2020/21, 70 people (8% of all applicants) made a homeless application in Renfrewshire who gave prison as the location from where they had become homeless (in 2019-20, the comparable figure was 10%) (Scottish Government (SG): Annual Report for Renfrewshire 2020-21). The 2020-21 figure for Renfrewshire is higher than the national average of 5% for the same period (Scottish Government (SG) Homelessness in Scotland 2020/21). A number of measures are in place in Renfrewshire to assist in preventing homelessness for those leaving prison. Renfrewshire’s Homelessness Services: Provide a generic email box to enable the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to ask for housing assistance on behalf of current prisoners from Renfrewshire; Page 186 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 73 Have a New Start Officer (dedicated postholder focusing on homelessness prevention for those leaving prison) who attends HMP Low Moss once a week and is in contact with other prisons (HMP Barlinnie and HMP Greenock). This generates housing enquiries, housing options interviews, and homelessness applications, two months prior to liberation; Have a Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements Coordinator who participates in the HMP Low Moss Operational Steering Group, which has created pathways in terms of links made with prisoners prior to liberation; and Liaise with Invest in Renfrewshire Employability Service to discuss training/employment options for prisoners on liberation. Homelessness Services also take an active role with partners in the Council’s Community Justice Team to work towards reducing inequalities of opportunity for people leaving prison in line with Sustainable Housing On Release for Everyone (SHORE) standards. Homeless Services, Abercorn Street, Paisley Page 187 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 74 Strategic Priority 5 -People can live independently for as long as possible in their own home and the different housing needs of people across Renfrewshire are being met. The right type of housing with appropriate housing related support services in place where required is critical in ensuring that people are able to live independently, regardless of tenure, for as long as possible in their own home. Living in good quality housing that meets peoples’ physical and health related needs is vital in maintaining a sense of well-being and in addressing inequalities. Many people with particular needs do not require specialist housing and can live safely and independently in their own home with some additional support. Making best use of existing housing stock through physical re- modelling or conversion can be considered where appropriate, or with additional measures put in place. This Local Housing Strategy strategic priority identifies as far as possible, the housing needs and housing related support requirements of particular groups of people living in Renfrewshire. The Health and Social Care Partnership have identified a preliminary overview of what anticipated future housing need might look like for future care groups in the future years. For learning disability care group, an estimated 80 to 90 people will have a requirement over the next five years with a further 130 to 170 people having a requirement over the following five to ten year period. This information will be explored in more detail to refine future requirement. 41% of respondents in our housing need and demand survey reported they have someone living in their household who has a long-term illness, health problem or disability which limits their daily activities or the work they can do. This ranges from 43% of households in in Paisley and Linwood to 29% in West Renfrewshire. Page 188 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 75 The majority of households with a long-term health condition or disability believe that their home meets their needs (71%). Almost 1 in 3 households with a health condition or disability state that their current home does not meet the needs of the household. In total, 12% of households who have a health condition or disability in Renfrewshire state that they require to move to specialist housing in order to meet their needs including: accessible housing (8%), wheelchair accessible housing (1%), housing for older people (1%) and supported housing (1%). Households who require accessible (level access) housing range from 14% in the Renfrew HMA to 3% in North Renfrewshire. New Build Council Homes, Dargavel Village, Bishopton (Amenity flats) This Local Housing Strategy identifies as far as possible, the housing needs and housing related support requirements of particular groups of people living in Renfrewshire, including: older people; people who are frail, vulnerable and/or living with dementia; previously looked after young people; people with learning disabilities; people with autism; people with mental health issues; people with physical disabilities; individuals affected by alcohol and/or drugs; people leaving supported accommodation; ethnic minorities including asylum seekers and refugees; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people; and Gypsy Travellers and Travelling Showpeople. Page 189 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 76 Integration of Health and Social Care The Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) brings together adult care services, local health services and some acute health services. In addition, the Housing functions that have been delegated to the HSCP Integrated Joint Board are Adaptations and Women’s Aid Service. Integration provides a framework to improve strategic planning between services and offers better quality outcomes for people using health and social care services. The Renfrewshire Integrated Joint board Strategic Plan 2022-25 highlights the aim to shape services around individuals, unpaid carers and communities with a focus on helping people to live independently, exercise choice and control over their care and support, and where necessary access the appropriate specialist support to help their recovery and rehabilitation where this is possible. Housing Contribution Statement The Housing Contribution Statement is the ‘bridge’ between strategic housing planning and the Strategic Plan. It identifies the contribution of the housing sector to meeting the agreed outcomes of the Strategic Plan. The two key themes that interlink these plans are: Housing as a health issue; and Supporting people to live independently in their own home The Statement sets out the shared outcomes, priorities and actions that social housing providers and health and social Care partners will jointly work together to progress. Housing for Older People Renfrewshire’s population like Scotland’s is ageing with people living longer. In 2021, almost one fifth (19.2%) of Renfrewshire’s population was 65 years of age or older. This figure is expected to continue to increase over the next 10 years. It is estimated that around 41% of households in Renfrewshire who are aged 60 years and over are owner occupiers, while29% Page 190 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 77 ofhouseholds aged 60 years and over live in social rented housing (Scottish Household Survey 2019: Household Characteristics by Tenure- Age Renfrewshire 2019). Older people who own their homes may have issues with affordability, maintenance and accessibility while those living in social rented housing may find that their home no longer meets their needs. This Local Housing Strategy supports Scotland’s national housing strategy for older people ‘Age, Home and Community- A Strategy for Scotland’s Older People 2012-21’ and the refreshed strategy ‘Age, Home and Community - The Next Phase’ and recognises that helping older people to live independently at home is a cross cutting issue involving a range of services and agencies. Action 38: Work with partners and stakeholders to provide housing and housing related support opportunities for older and vulnerable people to help them live independently and healthily in their own home. People Living with Dementia People living with dementia require to be supported to stay in their own homes. The prevalence rates in Renfrewshire for older people aged over 65 with dementia is around 7% and it is anticipated to be around 25% for those aged 85 years and older. There are around 2,750 people in Renfrewshire that have a form of dementia and this is expected to increase by around 40% to 4,400 people by 2030 (Renfrewshire’s Profile to Inform Strategic Commissioning 2018: HSCP ). The proportion of deaths in Renfrewshire from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease has more than quadrupled from the reported 66 deaths in 2000 to 275 deaths in 2018 with this trend likely to steadily rise as the population continues to age (National Records of Scotland 2020). There are 10 “dementia friendly” units located at the Extra Care Housing development at Banktop Court in Johnstone where a 24 hour care service is provided. Around 40% of very sheltered housing and extra care housing tenants are considered to have Page 191 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 78 some level of dementia need (External Review of Very Sheltered and Extra Care Housing; Craigforth, 2014). Scotland's fourth national dementia strategy "Everyone's Story", was launched in May 2023. This strategy sets out a positive, shared vision for dementia in Scotland over the next 10 years, stressing the importance of services working together to deliver a better experience for people living with dementia, their families and carers. The government will develop rolling 2 year delivery plans, the first of which is due to be agreed for implementation in 2024-25. Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership will lead on the development of a Dementia Strategy Action Plan for Renfrewshire, reflecting the objectives and priorities of the national strategy. Action 39: Support partners in the development and implementation of a Renfrewshire Dementia Action Plan reflecting the objectives and priorities of Dementia Strategy for Scotland 2023. Extra Care Housing and Very Sheltered Housing Extra Care and Very Sheltered housing allows people to live independently in their own flat but with access to care and provision of meals. Three housing associations – Bridgewater, Hanover Scotland and Linstone work in partnership with Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s Care at Home Service to provide support to 96 residents living in four Extra Care Housing Developments located across Renfrewshire at: Arnott Gardens, Linwood; Robertson House and Clayson House, Erskine; and Banktop Court, Johnstone These purpose-built developments offer an alternative to longer- term care settings and provide older more frail people with their own tenancy in a complex that offers communal facilities, meals, care and support and is regulated by the Care Inspectorate. Partnership working will continue with the Health and Social Care Partnership to develop the most appropriate models of provision Page 192 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 79 for older people, taking account of funding, service delivery requirements and outcomes for older people. Renfrewshire has around 100 very sheltered housing units provided by Hanover Housing Association. Residents living in these complexes are provided with higher levels of care and support with additional warden cover, care in the home and meal provision. Sheltered Housing There are over 600 sheltered housing units in Renfrewshire, with ten complexes owned by the Council and another eleven complexes owned by four housing association partners. Sheltered housing provides independent living for older people who have low to moderate support needs. This type of accommodation is regulated by the Care Inspectorate. Renfrewshire Council provides over half of the sheltered housing units in Renfrewshire. A new operational management structure has been put in place during 2023/24 following the lessons learned during COVID lockdowns and recovery period on the importance of ensuring the Council’s sheltered housing service strengthens its resilience and can support the 310 tenants living in the 10 sheltered complexes across Renfrewshire owned and managed by the Council. The new structure, which now includes a new Sheltered & Amenity Housing Manager position, also reflects a further enhanced health and wellbeing focus which supports older tenants in sheltered and amenity housing to enjoy the benefits from the wide range of activities which are now delivered and help tackle loneliness and the social and health problems it can lead to. Action 40: Increase the supply of new housing that meets the needs of older people and those with mobility difficulties. Amenity Housing The Council and Registered Social Landlords have adopted the amenity housing model as the preferred option for housing for older people and those with accessibility issues. Amenity housing offers accommodation over one level and generally includes features to assist with daily living such as lowered light switches, raised sockets and secured door entry etc. Page 193 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 80 New amenity homes will be built in locations with good access to public transport and local services, ensuring that older people and people with accessibility issues can live well in the heart of established mixed communities. Most recently, the Council completed nine 2 bedroom amenity flats as part of its 80 unit development at Bishopton in 2020/21. Bridgewater Housing Association and the Council are continuing discussions, with funding in place, to deliver new amenity housing for older people in Erskine which will better meet the needs of residents. Plans are progressing with funding in place in the Strategic Housing Investment Plan to develop around 45 amenity housing units in Paisley for older people and those with mobility needs. Housing Mix and Accessible Housing In delivering new homes across Renfrewshire, proposals will be required to provide a mix of dwelling types, sizes, and tenures to meet housing needs, including older people, families and individuals and people with a disability to contribute towards the creation of sustainable mixed communities. A target for providing wheelchair accessible housing across all tenures will support the delivery of lifetime homes in Renfrewshire that are capable of meeting current needs while remaining flexible enough to be adjusted to meet residents changing longer term housing needs. The target will be subject to annual review through the Local Housing Strategy Annual Update process. Renfrewshire’s Common Housing Allocation Policy awards priority for those seeking accessible housing where they have been assessed as having mobility issues. The Council, Health and Social Care Partnership and our Housing Association partners will work together to identify and deliver specialist housing and housing related support opportunities for people with particular needs, this includes those with physical disabilities or a learning disability by supporting affordable housing projects that meet the needs of all people in Renfrewshire. New residential development proposals require to be designed to meet the needs of an ageing population, providing accessible and adaptable homes. Page 194 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 81 New residential proposals must provide a minimum 10% of all dwellings designed to be easily adaptable for residents who are wheelchair users. 5% of all new homes must be designed to be wheelchair accessible. All new build affordable housing requires to meet Housing for Varying Needs Standards which includes generous space standards. Adaptations, Aids and Equipment The provision of adaptations and daily living equipment can help to reduce the need for hospital admission and care services through the prevention of accidents at home and can contribute to a better quality of life for service users. 41% of the housing need and demand survey respondents reported they have someone living in their household who has a long-term illness, health problem or disability which limits their daily activities or the work they can do, and of that group, 24% of households say they require property aids or adaptations to make their home more suitable for the needs of the household with the most common types of adaptations required being handrails, level access shower room and wet rooms. Adaptations are a function delegated to the Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (excluding funding adaptations to housing associations). Grant support of at least 80% of the cost is provided to assist homeowners pay for adaptations to make homes suitable for a disabled household member, where referred and assessed by Health and Social Care Partnership Occupational Health Services. It is likely that demand for adaptation grants will increase due to the rising ageing population. Care and Repair Service Many people who live longer will have age associated health issues and may spend periods of time in hospital due to trips or falls. This often impacts on the suitability of a person’s home and the additional support services that may need to be put in place before they can safely return to and remain at home. Low level preventative services contribute greatly to reducing the number of older people having to attend and stay in hospital. Page 195 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 82 Bridgewater Housing Association hosts the Renfrewshire Care and Repair scheme which is funded by Renfrewshire’s Health and Social Care Partnership and project manages adaptations for private homeowners and people with disabilities. The scheme also offers a Small Repairs Service which can carry out many different small jobs around the home including the removal of trip hazards to prevent falls for older homeowners and disabled people living in Renfrewshire. Telecare Services The Health and Social Care Partnership’s Technology Enabled Care Service plays a major role in managing risk and supports approximately 3,600 service users across Renfrewshire following a needs assessment. Services delivered range from the provision of a basic community alarm unit to sensors placed in a service user’s home to monitor personal risks such as falls, smoke, flood and fire and property exit sensors linked to the internet which allows family and carers to check that a family member is safe at home. Exploratory discussions have taken place with the Health and Social Care Partnership to consider wider opportunities for the use of technology-enabled solutions to support older and vulnerable people to remain safe for longer in their own home. Supporting People with Learning Disability Renfrewshire have around 826 adults with a learning disability. Within this group 40% of adults live with a family carer (Learning Disability Statistics Scotland, 2019: SCLD). To assist with forward and pro-active planning, partners within the Health and Social Care Partnership have identified potential future placement/tenancy requirements for people currently supported with learning disabilities. It is estimated that around 80 to 90 people will have a requirement over the next five years with a further 130 to 170 people having a requirement over the following five to ten year period. Different models of housing will be required to meet different levels of needs with a level of fluidity across models based on design, environment and specification. Page 196 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 83 Some of the identified needs will require more specialist and tailored solutions and could include, for example a core and cluster model or bespoke requirements for specialist accommodation. The Council and Housing Association partners will work with the Health and Social Care Partnership to identify specific initiatives to meet this need that can be delivered within available budgets and resources. Many people with learning disabilities live with carers who are themselves ageing. This causes concern over long-term care arrangements and the specialist accommodation needs of individuals. Carers, in particular older carers, may complete a Future Care Plan on behalf of those they care for to ensure care would be put in place should they no longer be able to continue to care. Such care would then need to be delivered within various accommodation types. Children with autism may need specific adaptations at home. Renfrewshire’s Common Housing Allocations Policy takes a person’s particular needs into account through the Housing Options process to ensure accommodation better meets their needs. Action 41: Work in partnership with the HSCP to Identify specialist housing and housing related support opportunities for people with particular needs in Renfrewshire and in taking specific initiatives forward. Supporting Individuals affected by alcohol and/or drugs When making a homeless application in 2020-21 in Renfrewshire, more than 10% of people self-reported that harmful use of drugs and/or alcohol were factors in them failing to maintain accommodation (Scottish Government Annual Report for Renfrewshire 2020-21). Patterns of repeat homelessness and persistent reoffending can be seen in many cases where individuals are affected by alcohol and/or drugs. Strategic Priority 4 of this strategy provides details of Renfrewshire’s Alcohol and Drug Commission’s programme and proposals to address these problems. Page 197 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 84 The ‘Housing First’ approach to support people with complex needs relating to the harmful use of alcohol and/or drugs is also prioritised in the Renfrewshire Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan, with further details included in Strategic Priority 4. Young People Young people can face immense challenges when making the transition from school and home life to further education, employment or leaving the family home. There are dedicated youth housing options advisors to help prevent youth homelessness from occurring, offering a range of support measures and a family mediation service. Other support mechanisms are available to assist young people where homelessness cannot be prevented. Renfrewshire Council has a duty as Corporate Parent to young people who have been previously looked after and accommodated by the local authority. Measures are in place to ensure that all young people are provided with the support they need to access housing and prevent homelessness. A total of 10 furnished ‘satellite’ flats are also provided by the Council and local housing associations for the Children’s Services Throughcare team to allow young people leaving care to be accommodated and supported by the Throughcare and Housing Teams as an interim measure until they are ready to move into their own tenancy. Following the Independent Care Review report in 2020 which made recommendations about the future of Scotland’s care system and the changes necessary for improvement, ‘The Promise’ was established. Scotland’s promise to care experienced children and young people is that they will grow up loved, safe and respected. Renfrewshire Council along with its partners are committed to delivering on ‘The Promise’ to the care experienced community and has appointed a Promise lead officer. There is a Promise Oversight group involving representatives from the Council and its partners with the recruitment of over 100 Promise Keepers who act as local champions, helping to educate and improve services for care experienced people. Page 198 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 85 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT+) Community The Council recognises the challenges that can be faced by members of the LGBT+ community when accessing housing services and advice. Members of staff have been identified as a ‘champion’ of LGBT+ and Domestic Violence issues, attend training sessions from LGBT Youth Scotland with this information cascaded to other members of the team. All staff also have access to the LGBT Domestic Abuse website and LGBT Youth Scotland for information and can signpost any young person for specialist advice on LGBT+ issues. Housing Options interviews with LGBT+ people are conducted sensitively and privately in interview rooms where LGBT+ information and advice material is displayed. Where appropriate, young homeless LGBT+ people may be offered a mediation service to support them and their families. If an LGBT+ person is homeless or threatened with homelessness they may be offered: supported temporary accommodation at Blue Triangle Housing Association (which is LGBT+ friendly); emergency accommodation in a secure staffed block; or a temporary furnished flat with the offer of housing support. None of the temporary accommodation or Housing Support services are gender specific and any person can access any of this accommodation and obtain support regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. Armed Forces Communities Renfrewshire Council’s commitment to the armed forces community is demonstrated through the joint funding of a Veterans Support Advisor who provides housing support across Renfrewshire and the neighbouring Inverclyde and East Renfrewshire local authority areas. This is only one of two such posts in Scotland. More than 700 members of the Armed Forces Community have been supported since the last Local Housing Strategy was published in 2016. Current serving members of the armed forces who are due to leave, can make an application for social housing and would be Page 199 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 86 awarded a level of priority under the terms of Renfrewshire’s Common Housing Allocation Policy. Several specific accommodation opportunities are available to veterans and their families. Erskine Veterans Village Estate at Bishopton provides the following accommodation options: Care Home – purpose-built care home provides care for people who have nursing needs for people living with dementia, offering long term care for 180 residents. FiveAssisted Living Apartments – provide accommodation and services to elderly or disabled Veterans and/or their spouse, enabling them to live in their own home for as long as possible through access to a range of support services and social activities. Forty-FourFamily Cottages – Each cottage is self-contained but tenants have the opportunity to access advice and support through the activities centre and visiting charity representatives Twenty-Foursingle person Transitional Supported Accommodation apartments –this relatively new development is aimed at veterans whohave encountered difficulties in transition to civilian life. The accommodation offers a safe place to live for up to two/three years, where Veterans can learn job skills and access support services, for example for mental health, drug/alcohol dependency issues and access support to plan to move on to permanent accommodation. In addition, the Scottish Veterans Gardens Residences/Veterans Housing Scotland (Veterans Housing Scotland is the operating name of The Scottish Garden City Housing Society Ltd and the Scottish Veterans Garden City Association) 30 homes throughout Renfrewshire At present, there are no specific additional accommodation requirements for Veterans identified. The dedicated support will continue and the Council will work with the Veterans Support Advisor to ensure positive housing outcomes are achieved for veterans across Renfrewshire and will monitor the need for any new options. Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants The pace at which asylum dispersal and refugee resettlement has taken place in Renfrewshire has increased since 2022. Partnership governance structures have been established to enable partners to share information and to identify and respond to issues as Page 200 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 87 these emerge. In the short term, these are anticipated to be in relation to potential pressure on local education, health, social care services, and potential impact on homelessness and housing services. Over this period partners have continued to work together to support resettlement and community integration, building on the strength of historical arrangements that have been developed in relation to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people (UASC) and the Syrian resettlement programme. Ukrainian Displaced Persons In 2022 the UK Government established the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, and the Scottish Government established the Super Sponsorship Scheme for Ukrainians fleeing the war. Glasgow Airport was identified as one of the locations in Scotland for Welcome Hubs at the start of the Super Sponsor process and staff from the Council and Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership provide a resettlement team, operating 7 days a week to meet the demands for advice, assistance and support from those staying in temporary accommodation, as well as meet, reassure, and safely check in those arriving at Glasgow Airport on a daily basis. Since its establishment, the Hub has supported over 1,000 individuals. All Local Authorities have been requested to assist in providing accommodation for those who have fled the crisis in Ukraine. Between July 2022 and July 2023, 124 social rented (Council and RSL) lets went to Ukrainian Displaced Persons. As of August 2023, just over 130 individuals were still in airport hotels and requiring settled accommodation. There is a continuing demand for housing to meet the needs of those who have both arrived and are in welcome accommodation, and those who have been granted visas but are still to travel. As of August 2023, around 60 Ukrainian Displaced Persons were staying with hosts in Renfrewshire and it is unclear at present as to what their longer term requirements may be. It is recognised that the pressure on available housing will continue to be an ongoing concern, especially as host relationships come to a natural end. Work is being taken forward Page 201 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 88 at a national level to develop a better understanding of the likely long-term demand, and to develop solutions. Locally, the need to provide accommodation is contributing to some of the current pressures within the homelessness system, as outlined earlier. Asylum Dispersal Programme The Council has supported other migration schemes including the Asylum Dispersal programme. In April 2022 the UK Government notified all UK local authorities of their intention to expand asylum dispersal arrangements. This is the process by which the Home Office moves asylum seekers to specified local authority areas in the UK. As of August 2023, around 130 asylum seekers were staying in two hotels in Renfrewshire. The number of asylum seekers in Renfrewshire is expected to increase as additional properties are being sourced by Mears (who currently operated the contract for asylum dispersal in Scotland on behalf of the Home Office). Weekly partnership meetings involving representatives from the Council, Police, HSCP, Mears and the Home Office are held to monitor progress and deal with any emerging issues. Refugees are assisted with legal representation to make claims for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the United Kingdom and to potentially proceed to gain UK citizenship. Those who receive a positive decision will be entitled to apply for housing in Renfrewshire or make a homeless application. The extent of ongoing support in terms of the number of homes required to support Renfrewshire’s contribution towards the national resettlement scheme is unclear and will continue to be reviewed by the Council and its housing provider partners. The Council is in close contact with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the United Kingdom Home Office to ensure that Renfrewshire plays its part in assisting and supporting refugees. Afghan Resettlement Programmes The UK Government recently served Notices on those currently staying in ‘Bridging Hotels’ across the UK to move out by end August 2023. This is likely to result in Afghan households arriving in Renfrewshire requiring resettlement support. Action 42: Continue to support the various refugee and asylum programmes including the provision of settled accommodation. Page 202 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 89 Ethnic Minorities At the time of the last census in 2011 around 3% of Renfrewshire’s population was made up of ethnic minority groups. While there are no identified particular housing needs for any specific ethnic group in Renfrewshire, support will continue to be provided to all ethnic groups across Renfrewshire. Translation and interpreting services are available to help people with different languages to access housing. Gypsy/Travellers A small number of short stay unauthorised encampments tend to occur in Renfrewshire each year. In 2021/22 there were no unauthorised encampments recorded in Renfrewshire, however - in 2022/23 there were 5 unauthorised encampments. When an unauthorized encampment occurs, staff from the Council’s Housing Services liaise with the Gypsy/Travellers and establish if they have any needs whilst in the area with this team linking in with other Council services, the Health and Social Care Partnership and other agencies to ensure any needs are met. If a household includes children, the Childrens and Families team are notified and a Health Visitor will visit the site to offer health advice and support. The Scottish Government are to commission work on an Accommodation Needs Toolkit which will help Local Authorities to meet their duties under the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. The toolkit will have a practical focus aimed at understanding the accommodation needs of the gypsy/travellers community and improve the way that Local Housing Strategies and Development Plans reflect the needs. The Council will utilise the toolkit to embed good practice and develop solutions to better understand the needs of the gypsy/traveller community and identify appropriate solutions to meet existing and future accommodation needs. The Renfrewshire Local Development Plan includes a policy which supports the identification of new privately owned transit Page 203 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 90 or permanent sites to meet the needs of Gypsy/Travellers in the future should a need arise. During the period of this Local Housing Strategy the Council will identify if there is a need to allocate land to meet the housing needs of Gypsy/Travellers and this will be addressed through the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan/Action Delivery Programme. The Council will also continue to work with neighbouring local authorities to review housing needs and better understand travel patterns across Scotland. Action 43: Following the publication of the Scottish Government’s June 2023 Action Plan and the emerging associated toolkit, we will consider options to best meet the housing needs of the Gypsy Traveller community. Travelling Showpeople There are currently no permanent Travelling Showpeople sites in Renfrewshire. However, the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan includes a policy that supports the identification of new privately owned transit or permanent sites to meet the needs of Travelling Showpeople should a need be identified. During the period of this Local Housing Strategy the Council will identify if there is a need to allocate land to meet the housing needs of Travelling Showpeople and this will be addressed through the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan/Action Delivery Programme. Page 204 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 91 Monitoring and Evaluation Equalities The Local Housing Strategy aims to ensure that equality is central to both housing and the delivery of housing related services. Where any instance of inequality is found, appropriate action will be taken to remedy and mitigate any negative impact. The wide range of actions included in this Local Housing Strategy aim to foster positive benefits across the wider population of Renfrewshire with specific actions intended to benefit identified groups including older people and those with particular needs. An Equality Impact Assessment and a Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) has been carried out alongside the development of this Local Housing Strategy. This Local Housing Strategy takes account of the Fairer Scotland Duty which places a responsibility on local authorities to reduce inequalities of outcome, caused by socio-economic disadvantage, when making strategic decisions. Strategic Environmental Assessment Pre-screening was completed and submitted to the Scottish Government’s Strategic Environmental Gateway in preparing the draft strategy. The Local Housing Strategy has minimal environmental impacts either directly or indirectly. Annual Update Each Strategic Priority has a number of actions that will be delivered by the Council, our housing association partners and the third sector. Each year, a Local Housing Strategy update will be produced that outlines key achievements and progress made in meeting these actions. These updates will also report on any significant developments as well as any change in approach required by the Council or our partners to deliver these actions. The updates as well as all supporting documents can be found on the Council’s website by visiting - Local Housing Strategy - Renfrewshire Website. Page 205 of 470
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92 Appendix 1 List of Housing Associations Operating in Renfrewshire Bield Housing Association Blackwood Housing Association Bridgewater Housing Association Cairn Housing Association Cube Housing Association Ferguslie Park Housing Association Hanover Housing Association Horizon Housing Association Key Housing Association Link Housing Association Linstone Housing Association Loretto Housing Association Paisley Housing Association Sanctuary Scotland Williamsburgh Housing Association Page 206 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 93 Appendix 2-Glossary of Terms Acute Health Services Emergency room and admitted hospital services. Affordable Housing Housing that is affordable to people on low to moderate incomes. Affordable housing includes homes for social rent, shared equity low cost home ownership and Mid-Market Rent. Affordable Housing Policy The Renfrewshire Local Development Plan includes a new Housing Mix and Affordable Housing Policy that will support the delivery of sustainable mixed communities across Renfrewshire. Affordable Housing Supply Programme Funding provided by the Scottish Government to support the delivery of national targets as well as the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. This funding is used to provide grants to both Renfrewshire Council and its housing association partners to develop new build affordable homes. Amenity Housing Housing that is similar in design to sheltered housing but without a warden service or some of the common features found in purpose build sheltered accommodation. Below Tolerable Standard A term used to describe properties which fail to meet the basic minimum housing standard. Better Futures Matrix Housing Support assessment and review tool. Brownfield and Previously Used Land Previously developed land which may be disused or derelict. Re-development costs can be higher on these sites due to remediation requirements. Carbon Emissions Carbon released into the atmosphere from domestic and corporate activity. Choice Based Lettings Properties publicly advertised as available to let with applicants notifying their interest in a particular property. Page 207 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 94 City Deal The Glasgow City Region City Deal is an agreement between the United Kingdom and Scottish Governments in partnership with the 8 local authorities that comprise the Glasgow City Region. The City Deal aims to drive innovation and growth through targeted infrastructure projects. Community Based Health Services Services delivered within the community including home care services. Community Plan 2017-2027 The Renfrewshire Community Plan 2017-2027 acts as Renfrewshire's Local Outcome Improvement Plan and aims to make Renfrewshire a fairer, more inclusive place where all people, communities and businesses thrive. Council Plan 2017- 2022 The Renfrewshire Council Plan aims to achieve its vision of 'working together for a thriving and connected Renfrewshire, creating opportunities for all’ by working more closely with our communities, tackling our challenges, making the most of our opportunities, and delivering high quality services. Comprehensive Tenement Improvement (CTI) Extensive refurbishment and improvement scheme designed to extend the lifespan of properties in serious disrepair. Demographic Trends Demographic trends describe changes in a population's size, age, household composition and gender. District Heating Systems Communal heating system. Exemptions and Abeyances Properties that have been excluded from programmed works due to circumstances outlined in Scottish Government guidance (e.g. access refused by tenant or permission refused by owner etc). Extra Care Housing This is a form of very sheltered housing which has been designed to meet the needs of older people with higher levels of support needs with care and support provided on site. Page 208 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 95 Fuel Poverty Under the definition of fuel poverty, a household is in fuel poverty if in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime, total fuel costs are more than 10% of the household’s adjusted net income (after housing costs), and if after deducting fuel costs, benefits received for a care need or disability and childcare costs, the household’s remaining adjusted net income is insufficient to maintain an acceptable standard of living. Green Network Green networks aim to improve the local environment for people by making areas more attractive places to live, work and play. House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Property in which a number of unrelated households share basic amenities such as a kitchen or bathroom facilities. Housing Association Organisations registered with the Scottish Housing Regulator to provide primarily affordable housing for social rent. Housing Associations are also known as Registered Social Landlords. Housing First Housing Support model where homeless households are initially provided with settled accommodation which is followed by provision of an intensive support package. Housing Land Audit Annual document that provides details of available housing sites in Renfrewshire. Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) Periodic exercise conducted jointly by the eight local authorities who comprise the Glasgow City Region Housing Market Area. The Housing Need and Demand Assessment aims to establish housing supply and demand across tenures and identify any unmet need from specific groups. Housing Options Provision of information and advice in terms of housing and support related issues. Housing Renewal Area (HRA) An area identified as having poor housing conditions and designated for investment. Page 209 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 96 Housing to 2040 The Scottish Government’s new national housing strategy ‘Housing to 2040’ aims to ensure that Scotland has a housing system that can address current and future challenges, including meeting the needs of an ageing population and addressing the global climate emergency by supporting carbon neutral development and technologies with the housing system aspiring to be capable of meeting changing contexts and challenges in the future. Local Development Plan (LDP) The Local Development Plan (LDP) sets out the local authority’s planning policies and proposals for land use and development. Low Cost Home Ownership/Shared Equity Affordable Housing scheme that supports eligible potential homeowners to access owner occupation who can sustainably fund 60%-80% of a properties market value through a deposit and mortgage. Main Issues Report Part of the Local Development Plan process as an engagement and consultation document. The Main Issues Report assists in setting the direction of the finalised Local Development Plan by highlighting key changes from previous Local Development Plan. Median Statistical measurement whereby the middle value of a set of figures ranked lowest to highest is used. Mid-Market Rent (MMR) Affordable Housing option with rent chargeable at an intermediate level which is generally somewhere between what is would cost for a comparable social rented property and private rented property. Mixed Tenure A combination of different tenure types at the same location, for example social rented housing as well as owner occupied housing within the same block or on the same development. National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) The National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) is a long-term spatial plan for Scotland with an outlook to 2045. It provides policies and proposals for the development and use of land and sets out an approach to tackle and adapt to climate change, restore biodiversity loss, improve health and wellbeing, build a well-being economy and create sustainable places. NPF4 was approved by the Scottish Parliament in January 2023 and adopted on Page 210 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 97 13th February 2023. On adoption NPF4 became part of the statutory development plan and now has a statutory role in day-to-day planning decision making. Paisley Town Centre Action Plan (2016- 2026) An Action Plan that seeks to deliver change through a collaborative approach to the town centre’s regeneration through working with the public and private sector as well as the wider community with the aim of re- establishing Paisley as a vibrant, cultural and business centre. Paisley West End Masterplan Masterplan for the regeneration of West End of Paisley to support transformational change. Priority Need Assessment and classification of a households housing need to prioritise those with the greatest level of need. Assessment is based on the information provided by the applicant with allocations targets set for each priority group with available properties let in line with the current Housing Allocation Policy. Private Sector Housing Grant (PSHG) Grant assistance provided by the Council to owners of properties in need of improvement or repair. Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP) The Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP) outlines how the Council and its partners will plan for those who are homeless in order to reduce time spent in temporary accommodation, improve access to support and to provide settled accommodation more quickly. Registers of Scotland (ROS) Scottish Government department responsible for maintaining records in relation to property sales and transactions. Registers of Scotland also provide statistical and trends data in relation to the local and national housing market. Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s Strategic Plan 2019-2022 sets the vision and strategic direction for community health and adult social work services in Renfrewshire and describes how the Health and Social Care Partnership will deliver on national outcomes. Page 211 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 98 Partnership’s Strategic Plan 2019-2022 Right to Buy Right to Buy ended in Scotland in August 2016. Previously, Right to Buy allowed sitting tenants to purchase their social rented home at a discount to the properties market value. Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) The standard for all social rented homes which social housing landlords were required to meet by 2015, taking account of Scottish Government Guidance on Exemptions and Abeyances. Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) National assessment of seven weighted indicators conducted by the Scottish Government every four years that together determine an overall deprivation ranking for 6,976 small geographic data zones that collectively comprise all of Scotland. The weighted indicators used include Income (28%), Employment (28%), Education (14%), Health (14%), Access to Services (9%), Crime (5%) and Housing (2%). Sheltered Housing Housing designed to meet the needs of older people or other groups with specific identified housing needs. This form of housing normally included communal and social areas with staff usually available onsite. Social Housing Housing provided for social rent by a local authority or housing association. Social Rent Housing provided by a local authority or housing association with rents generally lower that equivalent private sector properties. Social rented properties also generally have greater security of tenure for tenants. Specialist Provision Housing provided or designed to meet the identified housing needs of a particular group, for example specialist housing for older people or those with a physical or learning disability. Strategic Development Plan (SDP) The Strategic Development Plan outlines the Planning Authority’s long term vision and provides the development strategy to deliver that vision. Page 212 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 99 Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) The Strategic Housing Investment Plan sets out how investment in affordable housing will be targeted to increase the supply of affordable housing and meet the strategic priorities of the Local Housing Strategy. Supported Accommodation Accommodation provided for client groups that require additional support, for example those with learning difficulties or young people at risk. Temporary Accommodation Accommodation provided on a temporary basis to homeless households. Tolerable Standard Term used to describe properties that meet the minimum housing standard. Vacant and Derelict Land Strategy The Vacant and Derelict Land Strategy promotes the redevelopment of previously used land by supporting the unlocking of these sites for redevelopment. Very Sheltered Housing Very sheltered housing has the same features as sheltered housing but offers extra support to residents with higher levels of support needs. Void Vacant property. Welfare Reform Changes to the Social Security and Benefit eligibility. Working Age Groups Population aged between 16 and pensionable age. Page 213 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 100 If you require a printed copy of the Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028please email: strategyandplace@renfrewshire.gov.uk or please write to: Economy and Development Team, Chief Executives Service, Renfrewshire Council, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1WB Page 214 of 470
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101 Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Renfrewshire Council Renfrewshire House Cotton Street Paisley PA1 1BR Page 215 of 470
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1 Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 Action Plan APPENDIX 2 Page 216 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 2 Local Housing Strategy Action Plan 2023-2028 Strategic Priority 1: The supply and delivery ofhousingisincreased across all tenures to meet the housing needs of different groupsand create attractive and sustainable places. Action Baseline Indicator/Measure Target/Milestone Timescale Partner/Lead Agency 1 Identify and maintain a continuous supply of housing land in sustainable locations across Renfrewshire to support delivery of a mix of housing types and tenures to meet housing need and demand. Local Development Plan Action Programme agreed 2021 Actions implemented LDP adopted 2021. Work is progressing to prepare the new Renfrewshire Local Development Plan with anticipated adoption in 2027 Ongoing RC Economy and Development Team 2 Support development of previously used and brownfield sites making best use of existing and planned infrastructure. 29.19 hectares of land identified in the Vacant and Derelict Land Land identified in the Vacant and Derelict Land Strategy brought Annual reduction in land identified in the Vacant and Derelict Land Strategy with Ongoing RC Economy and Development Team Page 217 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 3 Strategy brought back into productive use in 2022. back into productive use Brownfield sites brought forward through a range of initiatives. The Vacant and Derelict Land Strategy with be reviewed in 2024 3 Deliver the rolling affordable housing supply programme set out in the Strategic Housing Investment Plan to deliver new energy efficient and digitally enabled homes and identify new projects that contribute to meeting the strategic priorities of this Local Housing Strategy. Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2023 - 2028 approved at Communities and Housing Policy Board October2022 Annual update of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) Affordable Housing completions and updated/new site information to be provided each October 2023 to 2028 RC Economy and Development Team, RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations 4 Make use of the Affordable Housing Policy to increase the supply of N/A Number of sites that include units delivered through Policy introduced 2021 through Local Ongoing RC Economy and Development Team Page 218 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 4 affordable housing and help create mixed sustainable communities. the new Affordable Housing Policy Development Plan (LDP) 5 Deliver local regeneration strategies providing new affordable, energy efficient and digitally enabled homes in sustainable places that reflect Renfrewshire Council’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions’. N/A Progress agreed area strategies following public consultation Deliver on agreed area specific strategies Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure 6 Continue to support town centre action plans and support housing investment and development projects in Renfrewshire’s town centres. N/A Town centre action plans to be progressed. Progress town centre action plans and support appropriate development Ongoing RC Economy and Development Team 7 Support owners of empty properties to bring these homes back into productive use. 5 Empty Homes brough back into use through direct engagement with owners 2022/23. Number of empty homes brough back into use 25 per annum ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, RC Economy and Development Team, RC Finance and Resources, Private Owners, Housing Associations Page 219 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 5 8 Support local communities in the preparation of community led Place Plans. N/A Indicator only Indicator only Invitation has gone out to local communities to prepare Local Place Plans Ongoing RC Economy and Development Team, RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations Strategic Priority 2:Peoplelivein highquality,well managedhomes in sustainable neighbourhoods. Action Baseline Indicator/Measure Target/Milestone Timescale Partner/Lead Agency 9 Develop approaches to maximise investment in Council homes and privately owned homes within the Council’s regeneration and renewal areas. RC Housing Led Regeneration and Renewal Programme approved January2022 Strategies implemented. Regeneration programme progress 2031/32 ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure 10 Develop and implement a multi- disciplinary approach to neighbourhood renewal plans. Neighbourhoo d Renewal Group meetings have Neighbourhood Renewal Groups established and meeting 2032 Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Page 220 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 6 taken place in two of the eight areas (as at Aug 2023) Plans produced 11 Continue to address Below Tolerable Standard properties across Renfrewshire. Scottish House Condition Survey 2015- 2017) estimated that 1% of properties in Renfrewshire were BTS Scottish House Condition Survey statistics N/A Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure 12 Continue to provide advice and assistance to private homeowners through the Scheme of Assistance. 587 owners provided with information and advice on common repairs (2021/22) No. of households provided with advice or assistance. No. of grants provided to owners to participate in repairs/investment schemes N/A Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Page 221 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 7 13 Undertake a review of the Council’s Scheme of Assistance for private homeowners taking into account legislative changes. Scheme of Assistance last reviewed 2018 Scheme of Assistance reviewed 2024 2024 RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure 14 Continue the Missing Shares pilot for older tenement property and review its effectiveness. 7 tenement block repair projects supported to date, with value of Missing Shares in the region of £50,000 (as at April 2023) No. of Missing Shares approved N/A Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure 15 Increase uptake of factoring services providing a co-ordinated maintenance regime for mixed tenure blocks. Number of mixed tenure blocks included in factoring services N/A TBC RC, Environment, RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure (Owner Services) 16 Implement Revised Council Asset Management Strategy. N/A Council Housing Asset Management 2024 2024 RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Page 222 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 8 Strategy approved and implemented 17 Monitor the operation of the private rented market in Renfrewshire. Analysis of PRS market contained within this LHS Updated analysis Ongoing 2028 RC Economy and Development 18 Provide additional support, advocacy and representation for people living in private rented tenancies. N/A Number of service users assisted N/A 2024 RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure 19 Continue to make effective use of enforcement actions against private landlords who fail to meet the required standards in relation to the management and maintenance of their property. 10,169 landlords registered (Jan 23) 453 Rent Penalty Notices issued 2021/22 Actions taken N/A Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, RC Finance and Resources Page 223 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 9 Strategic Priority 3: Address the challenges of the climate emergency, delivering homes that are warm, energy efficient and fuel poverty is minimized. Action Baseline Indicator/Measure Target/Milestone Timescale Partner/Lead Agency 20 Implement the housing-related actions within Renfrewshire’s Plan for Net Zero that contribute towards Renfrewshire’s net zero targets. N/A Annual progress towards full implementation Actions implemented 2030 RC Chief Executive’s Service, RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations, Private developers 21 In newbuild affordable homes, the Council and housing associations will use renewable technology and other measures to provide energy efficient, well-ventilated homes that are low or zero emissions and meet the Scottish Government’s Build Heat Standard Regulations effective from 1 April 2024. N/A Number of new affordable homes delivered through the SHIP that meet zero emissions heat standard in relation to gas boiler alternatives All new affordable homes meet 2024 emissions heat standard Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations Page 224 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 10 22 Where feasible, retrofit existing social rented homes with renewable technology and other measures to improve aspects including energy efficiency, heating, ventilation and carbon emissions; including alternatives to gas boilers such as heat pumps and assessing suitability of properties to connect connection to heat networks if within a heat network zone. Up to 31 March 2023 Renfrewshire Council had delivered (cumulative): 400 homes fitted with Environmental Air Quality Sensors (3 per property) 1,947 homes with EWI retro fitted (1881 flats and 66 houses) 95 homes with solar PV retrofitted (84 (a) Number of homes retrofitted with renewable technology and other measures per year. (b) Progress towards establishing suitability for social rented homes to connect to heat networks when available locally. (a) Renewable technology and other measures fitted to existing homes where practical. (b) Established suitability of social rented homes to connect to local heat networks. Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations Page 225 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 11 flats and 11 houses) 6 homes with air source heat pumps retro fitted 281 homes with Quantum storage heaters 23 Encourage and support owners and private landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their properties to meet specific targets, reduce fuel bills and carbon emissions; accessing funding opportunities as appropriate, to achieve this. 2017-2019 SHCS average SAP of 71 for Council stock and 68.2 for owner occupied stock Annual SHCS Increased SAP rating Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations 24 Private housebuilders will be required to meet the New Build Heat Standard Regulations effective from 1 April 2024 for new buildings that apply for a building warrant. Where N/A Number of new private homes built with alternatives to gas boiler systems Increased number of newbuild homes using alternatives to gas boilers. Ongoing RC Chief Executive’s Service, Building Standards, Private developers Page 226 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 12 feasible, new developments will connect to heat networks where developments are within heat network zones to provide energy efficient homes that reflect Renfrewshire Council’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions Number of newbuild private homes connecting to heat networks. Newbuild private homes connecting to heat networks where available in area. 25 Work towards meeting the national fuel poverty targets and reducing the amount of people affected by fuel poverty across Renfrewshire. 2017-2019 SHCS ‘Fuel Poor Households’ in Renfrewshire - 22% Annual SHCS Reduced percentage of Renfrewshire households who are ‘Fuel Poor’ Ongoing RC Chief Executive’s Service, RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations 26 The Council and housing associations operating in Renfrewshire will continue to provide good quality fuel poverty advice, income maximisation and information to tenants, owners and private tenants. 1,500 referrals received by Renfrewshire Council’s Advocacy Service for advice from Renfrewshire residents in 2022/23. This Number of referrals received by Renfrewshire Council’s Energy Advocacy Service from Renfrewshire residents and resultant savings achieved Increase the number of households in receipt of advice each year Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations Page 227 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 13 resulted in £475,028 in savings 27 Support the preparation and implementation of a Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) that sets out a long term energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation strategy for Renfrewshire. N/A LHEES developed and approved LHEES being implemented December 2023 RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, RC Chief Executive’s Service 28 The Council and housing associations operating in Renfrewshire will work towards meeting the requirements and milestones of the emerging EESSH2 for social rented housing. N/A Strategies developed and implemented Housing stock meets EESSH2 Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations 29 All Council newbuild homes meet or exceed Section 7, Silver Level Aspects 1 and 2 of the 2011 Building Regulations – energy for space heating. Silver Level achieved at Council development in Ferguslie Park for all 101 units of affordable SHIP completions 100% RC affordable housing completions meeting Silver Level as a minimum Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Page 228 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 14 housing built 2023/24 30 The Council and housing associations operating in Renfrewshire will maximise the number of privately owned or privately rented properties who participate in energy efficiency and low carbon improvement activities, including Scottish Government Energy Efficient Scotland Area Based Schemes (EES:ABS), as part of the wider improvements to improve the energy efficiency of homes. Renfrewshire Council final ABS funding draw down for 2022/23 was £1,259,033.26 allowing 91 owners to participate in external improvement works. 58 Council tenants within mixed tenure blocks benefited benefit from these works, funded by the Council N/A Data indicator only Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations Page 229 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 15 31 Engage with private landlords to provide support and encourage compliance with the Energy Efficiency (Domestic Private Rented Property) (Scotland) Regulations 2019 and the requirements of the Heat in Buildings Strategy. The 2017-2019 SHCS shows the Energy Efficiency Rating (% of Dwellings with an Energy Efficiency Rating (SAP 2012) of B or C) for privately rented homes as too small a sample to show. The Renfrewshire average for all tenures is 58% Annual SHCS Future annual SHCS will start to show reportable percentage for privately rented homes with an EPC C or higher as compliance is achieved Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations, Private landlords 32 Promote and support available energy efficiency measures to both private owners and private landlords, including obtaining financial support. 2017-2019 SHCS average SAP of 71 for Council stock and 68.2 for Annual SHCS annual reporting Increased SAP ratings Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations Page 230 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 16 owner occupied stock Strategic Priority 4: Prevention of homelessness and providing support for those in housing need. Action Baseline Indicator/Measure Target/Milestone Timescale Partner/Lead Agency 33 Review the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan 2019-2024 and make recommendations on future approaches to homelessness in Renfrewshire. N/A RRTP reviewed RRTP reviewed 2024/25 RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure 34 Increase the number and proportion of social housing lets being let to homeless applicants. 41% of Council lets to homeless applicants, 2022/23 Total lets to homeless applicants from Council and RSL: % of Council lets to homeless applicants No of Council and RSL lets to homeless applicants 49% of Council lets to homeless applicants N/A Ongoing Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations Page 231 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 17 171 to RSLs 318 to RC (as per ARC return) 35 Continue to strengthen the approach to prevention and repeat homelessness by providing holistic wraparound support to households in Renfrewshire. Housing First model can support 65 individuals at any one time via 3 different support providers (2021/22) No. of individuals supported via Housing First models Increase no. of individuals supported Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure 36 Continue to assess requirements for temporary accommodation and provide appropriate supply, in light of aims set out in the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan and current trends in homelessness. 257 (2023) No. of temporary accommodation units Ongoing Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure 37 Build on the rapid rehousing approach to ensure access to specialist services is readily available via robust pathways for homeless people with complex needs, My Life Ahead (MyLA) established in May 2022 – 39 individuals Initiatives implemented Ongoing Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Renfrewshire HSCP Page 232 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 18 including mental health and harmful alcohol and/or drugs use. supported in first year of operation Strategic Priority 5: People can live independently for as long as possible in their own home and the different housing needs of people across Renfrewshire are being met. Action Baseline Indicator/Measure Target/Milestone Timescale Partner/Lead Agency 38 Work with partners and stakeholders to provide housing and housing related support opportunities for older and vulnerable people to help them live independently and healthily in their own home. RC completed 184 adaptations in RC stock 2022/23 Approx 130 installations of adaptations to private homes per year. Care and Repair small repairsservice Adaptations completions Care and Repair Support provided N/A Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations, Renfrewshire HSCP Page 233 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 19 – 1,398 small repairs completed 2022 39 Support partners in the development and implementation of a Renfrewshire Dementia Action Plan reflecting the objectives and priorities of the Dementia Strategy for Scotland 2023. N/A Action Plan Developed 2024/25 2024/25 Renfrewshire HSCP 40 Increase the supply of new housing that meets the needs of older people and those with mobility difficulties. New target for wheelchair and accessible new build homes included within this LHS Number of accessible homes completed. N/A Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, Housing Associations 41 Work in partnership with the Housing and Social Care Partnership to Identify specialist housing and housing related support opportunities for people with Discussions ongoing with HSCP to establish the needs of Housing and housing support needs identified and met N/A Ongoing Renfrewshire HSCP, RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Page 234 of 470
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Renfrewshire’s Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028 20 particular needs in Renfrewshire and in taking specific initiatives forward. particular groups 42 Continue to support the various refugee and asylum programmes including the provision of settled accommodation. Actions taken to support programmes and no. of tenancies provided Range of support provided N/A Ongoing Renfrewshire Council, Housing Associations 43 Following the publication of the Scottish Government’s June 2023 Action Plan and the emerging associated toolkit, we will consider options to best meet the housing needs of the Gypsy Traveller community. Number of unauthorised encampments in Renfrewshire: 2021/22: Zero 2022/23: 5 N/A N/A Ongoing RC Environment, Housing and Infrastructure If you require a printed copy of the Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028Action Plan, please email: strategyandplace@renfrewshire.gov.uk or please write to: Economy and Development Team, Chief Executives Service, Renfrewshire Council, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1WB Page 235 of 470
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21 Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Renfrewshire Council Renfrewshire House Cotton Street Paisley PA1 1BR Page 236 of 470
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 31 October 2023 __________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Regulation of Social Housing: Assurance Statement 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 The Council is required to submit an Annual Assurance Statement to the Scottish Housing Regulator in October 2023 demonstrating compliance with the regulatory requirements for local authorities and Registered Social Landlords (RSLs). 1.2 Appendix 1 lists the requirements as set out in Chapter 3 of the Scottish Housing Regulator’s Regulatory Framework and provides evidence to demonstrate Renfrewshire Council’s compliance. 1.3 As Members are aware, regular reports are presented to the Policy Board on housing services performance and benchmarking. These reports demonstrate continuing strong performance across most areas of the housing service in 2022/23 but also highlight some areas for improvement. Section 3 of this reports notes these areas for improvement and highlights several areas where it has not been possible to achieve full compliance. 1.4 The proposed Annual Assurance Statement 2023 for Renfrewshire Council is attached at Appendix 2 for approval by the Policy Board. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Communities and Housing Policy Board: 2.1 note the Regulatory Requirements and evidence of Renfrewshire Council’s compliance as set out in Appendix 1. 2.2 approves Renfrewshire Council’s Annual Assurance Statement 2023 for submission to the Scottish Housing Regulator as attached in Appendix 2. ___________________________________________________________________ Item 8 CHPB311023 Page 237 of 470
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3. Background 3.1 All social landlords are required to prepare and submit an Annual Assurance Statement to the Scottish Housing Regulator each year. The first Annual Assurance Statement from Renfrewshire Council was approved by the Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board and submitted to the Scottish Housing Regulator in October 2019, with subsequent statements being submitted annually thereafter. 3.2 The regulatory requirements for all social landlords include: • Meeting all duties, obligations and responsibilities placed on landlords by legislation and through statutory guidance. • Achieving the standards and outcomes in the Scottish Social Housing Charter • Duties to help people who are homeless, including a statutory duty to prevent and alleviate homelessness. • Duties relating to the safety of tenants’ homes and promoting equality and human rights. • Meeting the requirements and adhering to relevant guidance from other regulatory bodies • Adhering to statutory guidance from the Scottish Housing Regulator and taking account of regulatory advice 3.3 The Scottish Housing Regulator lists the regulatory requirements for local authorities under five headings in its Regulatory Framework. Appendix 1, which is attached to this report, shows how Renfrewshire Council meets each of these requirements and gives details of current evidence which demonstrates compliance. 1. Assurance and notification 2. Scottish Social Housing Charter performance 3. Tenants and service user’s redress 4. Whistleblowing 5. Equality and Human Rights 3.4 Arrangements are in place to report regularly to the Policy Board on a range of matters relevant to the above requirements. This includes tenant and resident engagement, service improvement planning, service performance and financial and risk management. Where appropriate, these reports address areas for improvement as well as highlighting areas where the service is performing well. The normal annual cycle of reports is detailed in the table below: Page 238 of 470
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Table 1. Annual Cycle of Reports Subject Month Housing Revenue Account Budget and Rent Levels (report to Council) February/March Private Sector Housing Grant (PSHG) Programme February/March 3-year Service Improvement Plan March Annual Return on the Charter (and management information on allocations, repairs, homelessness and rent collection) August Service Improvement Plan Mid-Year Monitoring October Annual Housing Performance Benchmarking October Tenant Participation Strategy Progress Report October Charter Half Year Update (and management information on allocations, repairs, homelessness and rent collection) January Budget reports (including Housing Revenue Account) Each cycle 3.5 As part of the preparation for the first Annual Assurance Statement in 2019, a full self-assessment exercise was carried out to see if the Council is achieving the five outcomes and standards in the Social Housing Charter. Subsequent years have seen refresh self-assessments on Housing Options, Value for Money, void management and equalities. This year there was a self- assessment exercise on Housing as Human Right. 3.6 This year’s Charter return noted that there were still some areas of the Service that demonstrated challenging performance, in particular: • Gas Certification: Performance in issuing gas certificates, whilst improving remains an area for further attention. There were 58 occasions that a gas safety check was not completed within 12 months of a gas appliance being fitted or its last check. Since then, further improvements have been put in place, and since April 2023 there have been 6 occasions that a gas safety check was not completed within 12 months of a gas appliance being fitted or its last check. That said, all of these have subsequently been completed. • The Percentage of stock meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) (Indicator 6) increased this year to 67.9%. This increase was achieved despite difficulties in completing our comprehensive EICR programme and associated problems with the construction industry, including resources and materials. We expect our performance in SHQS to continue to improve. Page 239 of 470
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• The Scottish Housing Regulator did not collect EESSH data this year as they are awaiting the outcome of the Scottish Government review of EESSH2. This review will strengthen and realign the standard with the target for net zero heat in houses from 2040 and the outcome of this process will determine the council’s strategy to meet EESSH2 or any other standard which may emerge from the review. However, the Service returned data to Scotland’s Housing Network who collated a return for members. The percentage of homes meeting the EESSH increased to 85.1% from 78.4% Indicator C10). • Adaptations: Expenditure on adaptations increased to around £770,000 over the past year but the number of completed adaptations decreased to 184 adaptations. The average time to complete adaptations (Indicator 21) reduced to 96 days from 142 days in 2021/22. Adaptations work has been impacted by issues within the construction sector, including material supply chain delays and increased demand on labour resources. Management actions have been introduced to increase resource for this workstream through the use of additional external contractual arrangements have helped mitigate this issue. • Re-let timescales: The average length of time taken to re-let properties has improved to 60.6 days from 66 days. Although this is better than the local authority average it remains an area that the Service is keen to significantly improve. 3.7 As reported in the ARC Board report in August there were areas where the Service improved, including: • Tenancy sustainment: The sustainment rate for homeless applicants has improved for each of the last 3 years, in line with our Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan and the overall level of tenancy sustainment remained stable at around 95.3%. • Turnover, the percentage of lettable houses that became vacant over the year reduced to 7.2% from 8.3% last year. • The percentage of rent lost due to voids reduced to 1.86% from 2.00%. 3.8 Our engagement plan for April 2023 to March 2024 notes that that SHR reviewed and compared the data for all Councils from the Scottish Government’s national homelessness statistics and the Annual Returns on the Charter. This was reported to Board in May 2023. As with all other Local Authorities, the SHR has asked that Renfrewshire Council should provide it with the information that it requires in relation to our homelessness service; and make it aware of any emerging issues preventing us from fulfilling our statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation when we should and comply with the Unsuitable Accommodation Order. The SHR meets with local authorities annually and at its meeting with Renfrewshire it is expected that it will discuss the homelessness service and decide whether any additional assurance is required. Each year we provide the SHR our Annual Assurance Statement, and Annual Return on the Charter. Page 240 of 470
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3.9 The Service as taken steps to review and consolidate its responsibilities in relation to tenant and resident safety. The service has established a Housing Landlord Compliance team and developed a comprehensive Landlord Compliance Strategy and associated policies and procedures: • Gas safety • Electrical safety • Water safety • Fire safety • Asbestos • Lift safety The Board received a report in January 2023 and August 2023 on Dampness, Mould and Condensation. This report outlined the processes in place to deal with reports of dampness and mould, and detailed the actions which were taken to review these, as well as setting out further actions to be undertaken. A task force set up to review and improve dampness and mould processes and to develop a Dampness and Mould strategy. 3.10 On Equalities and Human Rights, we can provide assurance that we comply with all of the regulatory requirements and standards, including the requirement on equalities and human rights. Section 5 of Appendix 1 provides full details of our approach and how we comply and adapt service to meet these requirements. 3.11 Social landlords are required to advise the Scottish Housing Regulator of any material changes to Council’s Annual Assurance Statement during the year. Members should note that there were no material changes to our Assurance Statement submitted last year. __________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – None. 2. HR & Organisational Development – None. 3. Community/Council Planning – • Our Renfrewshire is thriving – Providing housing and homelessness services which meet regulatory standards. 4. Legal – None. 5. Property/Assets – None. 6. Information Technology – None. Page 241 of 470
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7. Equality & Human Rights - (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – None. 9. Procurement – None. 10. Risk – None. 11. Privacy Impact – None. 12. COSLA Policy Position – Not applicable 13. Climate Risk - None ___________________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 15 January 2019, ‘Regulation of Social Housing- Response to Consultation by The Scottish Housing Regulator’. Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 25 October 2022 Regulation of Social Housing: Assurance Statement 2022 Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 17 January 2023, Scottish Social Housing Charter Performance: 2022/2023 Half Year Update. Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 22 August 2023, Scottish Social Housing Charter: Annual Return2022/2023. The foregoing background papers will be retained within Communities and Housing Services for inspection by the public for the prescribed period of four years from the date of the meeting. ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Ray Walkinshaw, Housing Regeneration and Development Manager Email: ray.walkinshaw@renfrewshire.gov.uk ___________________________________________________________________ Attachment(s): Appendix 1: Regulation of Social Housing Assurance Statement Appendix 2: Renfrewshire Council Assurance Statement 2023 Page 242 of 470
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1 ANNUAL ASSURANCE STATEMENT 2023 Appendix 1 Page 243 of 470
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2 REFERENCE INDEX REFERENCE REFERENCE DESCRIPTION AHS Access to Housing and Support AICV Additional Information Covid-19 AIG Additional Information General CLR Customer Landlord Relationship CPSP Corporate Plans Strategies & Procedures GVRSC Getting Good Value from Rents & Service Charges HQM Housing Quality and Maintenance HSP Housing Strategies & Policy NC Neighbourhood and Community Page 244 of 470
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3 Checklist of Regulatory Requirements / Standards 1. Assurance and Notification Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance AN1 Prepare an Annual Assurance Statement in accordance with SHR published guidance, submit it to the SHR between April and the end of October each year, and make it available to tenants and other service users. A briefing session and presentation on the Annual Assurance Statement 2023 was provided to members of the Policy Board. The Policy Board has been advised in previous reports of the changes to the Regulatory Framework implemented in 2019. Officers have undertaken a targeted self- assessment exercise on Housing as a Human Right, building on the previous assessments and information gathering exercises to ensure sufficient evidence is available to provide assurance on compliance with the regulatory requirements. Account has been taken of the SHR’s guidance on Annual Assurance Statements in preparing this report. Some areas for improvement have been identified and these are detailed within this report and in other reports to the Policy Board. Annual Assurance Statement Presentation to members of the Policy Board 24 October 2023. CAH Policy Board Report 31 October 2023 – Regulation of Social Housing Assurance Statement. CAH Policy Board Report 16 August 2023 – Response to Consultation on Regulatory Framework 22-23 by SHR on ARC Return. Service Improvement Action Plan for areas of improvement. Annual Assurance Statement 2019 Feedback Letter from the Scottish Housing Regulator, March 2020. Scottish Housing Regulator Engagement Plan 2023-2024 CAH Policy Board Report – 16 May 2023. People’s News and Council Website. Page 245 of 470
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4 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance All Annual Assurance Statements have been approved by Policy Board since 2019 and submitted to the SHR thereafter, with the SHR providing feedback as appropriate. The 2023 Annual Assurance Statement was discussed with the Tenant representatives at the joint tenant meeting held in September 2023. Following Board approval, the Annual Assurance Statement 2023 will be available to tenants and other service users with a link to the Council’s website. SHR Letter on Advice preparing Annual Assurance Statement July 2023. Joint Tenant Meeting, 21st September 2023. AN2 Notify the SHR during the year of any material changes to the assurance in the Council’s Assurance Statement. Service delivery issues remain due to contractors, supplies and resources which have arisen including the coronavirus pandemic. Annual report to charter was submitted to SHR at the end May 2023 and reported to Board in August noting performance in gas safety certification and electrical and smoke detector performance. Procedures are in place to monitor ongoing compliance and any material changes will be reported to the Communities and Housing Policy Board and to the Scottish Housing Regulator. In 2022 the Council appointed a Landlord Compliance Manager and Fire Safety Officer and this year we have appointed a Gas & Electrical Co-ordinator for Domestic Housing. CAH Policy Board Report 31 October 2023 – Regulation of Social Housing: Assurance Statement 2023. Charter Return 2022/2023. Scottish Social Housing Charter: Annual Return 2022/23 CAH Policy Board Report, 22/08/23. Page 246 of 470
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5 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance AN3 Have assurance and evidence that the Council is meeting all its legal obligations associated with housing and homelessness services, equality and human rights, and tenant and resident safety. Customer engagement has taken place to review the strategic outcomes in the new Local Housing Strategy and published in the People’s News Autumn 2023. In 2023 a self-assessment exercise was completed with Tenants and Staff on Housing as a Human Right. Further assessments will be undertaken each year on a rolling basis. We continue to collect and analyse data on new and existing tenants to provide a better understanding of the needs and requirements for all equality groups. The Service works closely with other Council Services to effectively manage Anti-Social Behaviour and Neighbour Nuisance. 2022 – 2025 Renfrewshire Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy was presented to the Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board in March 2022 and a progress report was presented to the Communities and Housing Policy Board in August 2023. Council and Housing Strategies, Plans, Policies and Procedures. New Local Housing Strategy– Update, CAH Policy Board Report 31 October 2023. Tenant Participation Strategy 2022 - 2027 – CAH Policy Board 25 October 2022. Tenant Participation Strategy – Update – CAH Policy Board 31 October 2023. Renfrewshire Anti Social Behaviour Strategy 2022- 2025 - CHAPS Board Report 15 March 2022. Renfrewshire Anti Social Behaviour Strategy 2022- 2025 Progress Report - CAH Policy Board Report 22 August 2023. Housing Regeneration & Renewal programme – CHAPS Policy Board Report 18 May 2021. Housing Regeneration & Renewal Programme Year 2 Update – CAH Policy Board Report 22 August 2023. Self-Assessment exercise on charter outcomes – Housing as a Human Right. Service Improvement Action Plan for areas of improvement. Page 247 of 470
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6 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance The service monitors performance on an ongoing basis, with regular monthly and quarterly reports prepared for internal review. Performance reports are presented to the Communities & Housing Policy Board on a six- monthly basis which contain a wide range of management information relating to housing and homelessness services. These reports are publicly available on the Council’s website. Year 2 regeneration update provides the Board with an update on progress for tenant rehousing and owner acquisitions across all eight regeneration areas within phase 1 of the programme. Performance across the range of housing services is regularly monitored and reported to the Policy Board, including benchmarking over time and with other social landlords. As part of this regular monitoring, areas for improvement are identified and acted upon. A tenant satisfaction survey is carried out every two years by independent consultants. Feedback from the 2022 Tenant Satisfaction Survey was used to identify areas for improvement. Performance and Benchmarking Reports. Technology Enabled Care (TEC) in Housing Charter, CHAPS Policy Board Report 19 January 2021. Technology Enabled Care (TEC) in housing The Story so Far. Communities and Housing Child Protection Procedures. Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee Child Protection Practitioner Guidance – Legislation Update and information for parents/carers. Housing Information & Advice for People with Disabilities. Tenants Satisfaction Surveys. Consultation on Policy changes and rent setting. Housing First Scotland Annual Check Up. Other Regulatory body reports. People’s News – Annual Return on the Charter Tenant Supplement. Tenant Newsletters and Information. Page 248 of 470
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7 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance When new policies or procedures are being developed, officers seek advice from the Council’s Legal Services team to ensure any legal issues are identified and given appropriate consideration. Any relevant issues are highlighted for Elected Members in reports to the Policy Board. The Common Housing Allocation Policy sets out an agreed, common approach that partner landlords use to allocate homes that become available for let. The allocation process is monitored, and targets and outcomes are agreed by the Policy Board annually. Allocation targets are set to ensure that those in housing need receive an equitable share of allocations. We currently provide 216 properties which are made available for use as temporary accommodation as required, this includes 49 supported accommodation properties. Only as a last resort is Bed and Breakfast accommodation used by the Council. B&B accommodation has been used 129 times since the November 2022. It is clear from the rising demand for housing that we are in an emerging housing crisis. Supply of housing is not keeping up with the demand and as a result the number of people needing temporary accommodation is continuing to rise. Corporate Health and Safety Policies and Procedures. Internal Audit Report – Council housing Newbuild Programme Fire Safety Guidance for Existing High Rise domestic Buildings Scottish Government Guidance on Sprinkler Systems for all newbuild home building warrants submitted on or after 1 June 2022 Internal Audit Statement of Compliance. Compliance Certificates – e.g. Gas Safety. Private Sector Housing Investment Programme 2023/2024 CAH Policy Board Report 15 May 2023. Private Sector Housing Grant – Proposed change to Scheme of Assistance in Housing Regeneration Areas. Housing to 2040 CHAPS Policy Board Report, 18 May 2021. Allocations Procedures. Short Scottish Secure Tenancy Guidance. Page 249 of 470
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8 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance We use a range of technologies to keep in touch with tenants – such as Microsoft Outlook Teams and the “Near Me” platform. Other ways to use digital platforms as part of our Tenant Participation Strategy. While the vast majority of annual gas safety checks have been carried out prior to the 12- month due date. In the first half of the reporting year there were 6 occasions where a service wasn’t carried out before it was due. Access has since been achieved and all services are now completed. There continues to be some delays to the Council’s programme of electrical safety inspections which are required to be carried out every five years. Additional resources have been allocated to address. In relation to compliance with tenant health and safety we have allocated resource for three further posts within our Landlord Compliance team and these will be advertised over the coming months. Renfrewshire Common Housing Allocation Policy. Renfrewshire Common Housing Allocation Policy - Council Housing Allocation Targets for 2023/2024. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support joint commissioning of a Housing Options Training Toolkit. Housing Options Advice – Housing Options Form. Secure Tenancy Agreement. Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan Review – CHAPS Policy Board 15 March 2022. Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans 2021-22 Activities & Spend Template – Amended Version – June 2022. Communities and Housing Services, Service Improvement Plan 2022-23 to 2024-25 CHAPS June 2022 and Service Delivery Plan 2021-22 outturn report Communities and Housing Services, Service Improvement Plan 2022/25 outturn Report. CAH Policy Board Report 16 May 2023. Page 250 of 470
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9 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance The Housing first report provides evidence of strong partnership working and compliance to address homelessness and demonstrates making best use of measures to help a difficult client group sustain their tenancies through a range of support mechanisms It also provides evidence of our Housing Support and RRTP budget being deployed appropriately to meet the housing and support needs of those who have experienced repeat homelessness, criminal justice involvement and addiction issues. An increase in grant support for owners in mixed tenure blocks within the eight regeneration areas was approved by Board in May 2023 to assist the council in meeting its EESSH objectives. The Council operates a Housing Options Toolkit, the objective of which are to encourage staff to develop person centred attitudes and beliefs towards service delivery, improve staff understanding of Housing Options principals and philosophy, encourage consistency in the way front line staff deliver Housing Options, and improve knowledge of support, resources and partners involved in delivering Housing Options. Tenant Support Fund Policy. Environment, Housing & Infrastructure Services 2023-2026 Service Improvement Plan CAH Policy Board report 16 May 2023. Housing Repairs Policy. Homeless Services Development Plan. Housing Adaptations within Council Stock Policy. Page 251 of 470
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10 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance We have introduced a new “Tenant Support Fund” (TSF) which aims to assist Council tenants who are experiencing acute financial hardship and finding it challenging to keep up to date with payments of rent. The TSF is intended to supplement the current Rent Collection process and is a temporary measure to alleviate existing and emerging financial stress, prevent and reduce escalating rent arrears and contribute to sustaining Council tenancies in Renfrewshire.“ Homeless Services have produced a Service Development Plan which outlines the areas of strength and potential challenges with the current service delivery arrangements, and assesses areas for development which will help ensure that the Council and partners continue to meet the statutory obligations to homeless households in Renfrewshire. It has a list of key Action Points summarised at the end of this document which is updated and tracked to support us in properly planning, preparing and funding Renfrewshire’s response to tackle and prevent homelessness. Page 252 of 470
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11 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance AN4 Notify the SHR of any tenant and resident safety matters which have been reported to or are being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive, or reports from regulatory or statutory authorities, or insurance providers, relating to safety concerns. Any reportable HSE incidents are logged in the Health & Safety Database and investigated in accordance with the Council’s Corporate Health & Safety Policies and Procedures. The Council now employ a Fire Safety Officer and Landlord Compliance Manager and have recently appointed a Gas & Electrical Co- ordinator for Domestic Housing. In relation to compliance with tenant health and safety we have allocated resource for three further posts within our Landlord Compliance team and these will be advertised over the coming months. The Council has a policy on damp and mould with appropriate procedures. Our stock condition survey (100% over five years) will gather data on mould issues by property. Combined with appropriate policies and procedures on mould and dampness, we would suggest that these methods are an effective way to monitor damp and mould. During the past year, there have been no incidents reported to the HSE. Outcomes of investigations are notified directly to the Council by the HSE and copied to the Director and Head of Service. Corporate Health and Safety Policies and Procedures. Annual Health & Safety Plan – Communities & Housing – CAH Policy Board Report 16 August 2022. Housing Landlord Compliance Strategy, March 2021. Housing Landlord Compliance Strategy – Gas Safety. Housing Landlord Compliance Strategy – Electrical Safety. Housing Landlord Compliance Strategy – Asbestos Safety. Housing Landlord Compliance Strategy – Fire Safety. Housing Landlord Compliance Strategy – Water Safety. Housing Landlord Compliance Strategy – lift Safety. Tackling Dampness, Mould & Condensation – CAH Policy Board report – 17 January 2023. Page 253 of 470
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12 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance There have been no inspections by regulatory authorities this year. Tackling Dampness, Mould & Condensation – Changes Implemented – CAH Policy Board Report – 22 August 2023. AN5 Make the Council’s Engagement Plan easily available and accessible to tenants and service users, including online. The Council’s current Engagement Plan is publicised on the Council’s website and any subsequent plans will be made available online for tenants and service users. The Engagement plan is also promoted to tenants in the People’s News. Council website which includes link to Regulator website. People’s News. SHR Engagement Plan from 31 March 2023 – 31 March 2024. CAH Policy Board Report 31 October 2023 – Regulation of Social Housing Assurance Statement. 2. Scottish Social Housing Charter Performance Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance CH1 Submit an Annual Return on the Charter (ARC) to the SHR each year in accordance with published guidance. The Annual Return on the Charter was submitted to the Scottish Housing Regulator in May 2023. A robust framework is in place for internal data checking prior to submission and a sample data check is independently verified by the Scottish Housing Network. Charter performance is reported bi-annually to the Communities and Housing Policy Board along with an annual report on performance benchmarking to provide comparisons against the Housing Service’s previous performance along with that of other local authorities. Scottish Social Housing Charter: Annual Return 2022/23 CAH Policy Board Report, 22/08/23. The Scottish Social Housing Charter – November 2022. CAH Policy Board report, 31/10/23, Annual Housing Benchmarking Performance Report 2022/23. CAH Policy Board report, 17/01/2023, Scottish Social Housing Charter Half yearly report 2022/23. Page 254 of 470
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13 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance CH2 Involve tenants, and where relevant other service users, in the preparation and scrutiny of performance information. This must include: Agreeing the approach with tenants. Ensuring that it is effective and meaningful – that the chosen approach gives tenants a real and demonstrable say in the assessment of performance. Publicising the approach to tenants. Ensuring that it can be verified and be able to show that the agreed approach to involving tenants has happened. Tenants are consulted on how performance information is presented, what indicators should be highlighted and how performance is benchmarked. This information is contained within the Charter supplement of the Autumn edition of the People’s News and is distributed to all Council tenants and the articles are made publicly available on the Councils website. As part of our ongoing commitment to customer engagement, performance is discussed with representative tenant groups on a regular basis. Benefits of online meetings realised during the covid period have been continued as these have proved successful in meeting the needs of our tenants representatives. Officers and tenant representatives participated in an online meeting to discuss the Council’s Annual Charter Return and the Council’s performance in comparison to other social housing providers. At the Tenant Scrutiny Panel meeting which took place in June 2023, the style and layout of the 2022/23 tenant report on the charter was also discussed. A presentation on the ARC took place 21 September 2023. The Tenants’ report will be issued to all tenants and the Charter performance will be made available on the Council’s website. Presentation and Minutes of Joint Tenant Representative Group Meetings. Tenant Participation Strategy 2022 – 2027 – CAH Policy Board 25 October 2022. Tenant Participation Strategy – Update – CAH Policy Board 31 October 2023 CAH Policy Board Report 17 January 2023, Housing Customer Engagement Annual Report 2021/2022. Outcome of Consultation on draft Customer Engagement Strategy, CHAPS Policy Board Report 10 August 2010. Tenant Satisfaction Survey 2022. Tenant Scrutiny Panel activity. Sheltered Housing and Multi Storey Quality Circle Inspections. 2022/2023 Rent Consultation and Council Board report on rent increase on 2 March 2023. Communities and Housing Services, Service Improvement Plan 2022-23 to 2024-25 CAH Policy Board 7 June 2022 and Service Delivery Plan 2021-22 outturn report. Page 255 of 470
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14 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance Involve other service users in an appropriate way, having asked and had regard to their needs and wishes. The tenant Participation Strategy adopted in October 2022 is reviewed annually with its first progress report going to October 2023 Policy Board. The 2022 Tenants’ Satisfaction Survey noted that 99% of Council tenants said they were satisfied with the opportunities to participate in decision-making processes. The Tenant Satisfaction Survey is carried out every two years with the next one scheduled to be undertaken in 2024. The Council has a range of opportunities for both individuals and groups to participate and monitor performance, such as: surveys, meetings with Tenants and Residents Associations, the Council Wide Forum, Neighbourhood Forums, Quality Circles, the Tenant Scrutiny Panel. The service will continue to work with these groups to review customer feedback and inform future improvements. This year the Council is developing an additional Quality Circle for Estate Management. Neighbourhood renewal groups have been established in 2 of the 8 regeneration & renewal areas. This offers tenants and residents the opportunity to suggest improvements in each area. Environment, Housing & Infrastructure Services 2023-2026 Service Improvement Plan CAH Policy Board report 16 May 2023. Communities and Housing Services, Service Improvement Plan 2022/25 outturn Report. CAH Policy Board Report 16 May 2023. Council Wide Forums. Tenant & Resident Association Meetings. Tenant Scrutiny Panel, Letting Standard Report, March 2014. Regeneration & Renewal Area Pop-Up Events Attendance Log. Housing-led Regeneration & Renewal Programme – Consultation Update – CHAPS Policy Board 15 March 2022. Link to Council website for eight Regeneration & Renewal areas. Housing-led Regeneration & Renewal Programme – Consultation – CHAPS Policy Board 18 January 2022. Housing Regeneration Newsletters. Page 256 of 470
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15 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance Housing-led Regeneration & Renewal Programme – 1 year Update– CAH Policy Board 16 August 2022. Housing-led Regeneration & Renewal Programme – 2 year Update– CAH Policy Board 22 August 2023. CH3 Report performance in achieving or progressing towards the Charter outcomes and standards to its tenants and other service users (no later than October each year). The format of performance reporting must be agreed with tenants, ensuring that it is accessible for tenants and other service users, with plain and jargon- free language. Each year tenant representatives are consulted on how performance information should be presented, what indicators should be highlighted and how performance is benchmarked. The annual Report to Tenants is delivered to all Council tenants as a supplement to the People’s News each year. The Councils performance against charter indicators is also publicised on the Council Website. Presentation and Minutes of Joint Tenant Representative Group Meetings. People’s News – Annual Return on the Charter Tenant Supplement. Council website. Page 257 of 470
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16 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance CH4 When reporting performance to tenants and other service users, this must: Include providing them with an assessment of performance in delivering each of the Charter outcomes and standards which are relevant to the Council. Include relevant comparisons – these should include comparisons with previous years, with other landlords and with national performance. Set out how and when the Council intends to address areas for improvement. Give tenants and other service users a way to feed back their views on the style and form of the reporting. Tenant feedback is used to develop the annual Report to Tenants which includes current performance against previous years and benchmarking against Scottish averages. The Report to Tenants provides a balanced appraisal of performance and highlights areas of success as well as areas that will be focussed on for improvement. A self-assessment exercise took place on 12th October 2023 with the tenant scrutiny panel as part of the preparation for the Annual Assurance Statement. Charter information presented to tenant groups includes performance information, comparisons with previous years’ data and other social landlords. The annual report to the Policy Board on the Charter Return includes areas for improvement that have been identified with actions this year including a focus on average days to re-let properties, adaptations, void management and gas safety. A new department was formed now called Environment, Housing & Infrastructure. The three-year Service Improvement Plan for the new service provides details of service review and development across housing, neighbourhood and homelessness services. Scottish Social Housing Charter: Annual Return 2022/23 CAH Policy Board Report, 22 August 2023. Tenant Satisfaction Survey 2022. Self-Assessment exercise on charter outcomes on Equalities. Communities and Housing Services, Service Improvement Plan 2022-23 to 2024-25 CAH Policy Board 7 June 2022 and Service Delivery Plan 2021-22 outturn report. Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Services, Service Improvement Plan 2023-2026. Communities and Housing Services, Service Improvement Plan 2022/25 outturn Report. CAH Policy Board Report 16 May 2023. People’s News – Autumn edition - Annual Return on the Charter Tenant Supplement. CAH Policy Board report, 25 October 2022, Annual Housing Benchmarking Performance Report 2021/22. CAH Policy Board report, 17 January 2023, Scottish Social Housing Charter Half yearly report 2022/23. Page 258 of 470
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17 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance The People’s News provides opportunities for tenants to “Tell us what you think” inviting comments on the format and content of the newsletter. The content and design of the newsletter is also discussed regularly with tenant groups. Presentation and Minutes of Joint Tenant Representative Group Meetings. Council website. CH5 Make the report on performance easily available to tenants, including online. The annual Report to Tenants is delivered to all Council tenants as a supplement to the People’s News each year. The Councils performance against charter indicators is published on the Council Website. People’s News – Annual Return on the Charter Tenant Supplement. Council website. Page 259 of 470
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18 3. Tenants and Service Users Redress Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance TS1 Make information on reporting significant performance failures, including the SHR’s leaflet, available to tenants. Information for tenants on reporting significant performance failures, including the SHR’s leaflet, is available from the Council website. A link to the SHR’s website is also publicised on the Councils website. Council website includes a link to the Scottish Housing Regulator’s website. SHR Significant Failures Leaflet. TS2 Provide tenants and other service users with the information they need to exercise their right to complain and seek redress and respond to tenants within the timescales outlined in the Council’s service standards, in accordance with guidance from the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO). Information on how to complain is publicised widely, including online and in tenant newsletters. The Council adheres to the SPSO guidance in relation to complaint timescales. The Council monitors complaints handling, and this is reported to the Scottish Housing Regulator through the Annual Return on the Charter. Complaints performance information is covered in the Annual Report to Tenants within the Autumn issue of the People’s News. Complaints Handling Procedures: • Customer Guide • Complaints Form People’s News. Council website. Scottish Social Housing Charter: Annual Return 2022/23 CAH Policy Board Report, 22 August 2023. CAH Policy Board report, 31 October 2023, Annual Housing Benchmarking Performance Report 2022/23. Page 260 of 470
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19 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance TS3 Ensure the Council has effective arrangements to learn from complaints and from other tenant and service user feedback, in accordance with SPSO guidance. Complaints are analysed to identify any themes that require addressing. Officer meetings are held to gain insight into complaints. As part of the 2022 Tenant Satisfaction Survey, tenants were asked about the main reason for complaints and their experience of making a complaint. Around 5% of respondents said they had made a complaint, with the main reasons related to repairs or anti-social behaviour, of those who did complain 75% said they found it easy to do so. Good News section of Sheltered Housing Newsletter and Housing Support Newsletter. Corporate Complaints Handling Procedures. Complaints by Service Area Spreadsheet. People’s News. SMT Weekly meetings. SPSO – Link on Council website. Sheltered Housing Newsletters. Sheltered Housing Good News. Housing Support Newletters. Communities and Housing Services, Service Improvement Plan 2022-23 to 2024-25 CAH Policy Board 7 June 2022 and Service Delivery Plan 2021-22 outturn report. Communities and Housing Services, Service Improvement Plan 2022/25 outturn Report. CAH Policy Board Report 16 May 2023. Environment, Housing & Infrastructure Services 2023-2026 Service Improvement Plan CAH Policy Board report 16 May 2023. 2022 Tenant Satisfaction Survey. Page 261 of 470
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20 4. Whistleblowing Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance WB1 Have effective arrangements and a policy for whistleblowing by staff and elected members which the Council makes easily available and which it promotes. The Council’s Staff Code of Conduct includes information on Whistleblowing. This is available for staff and elected members on the Councils intranet site. Following the local government elections in 2022 all councillors in the new administration were provided with a briefing pack which contains key aspects of services. Elected members must comply with the Councillors’ Code of Conduct which is available on the Standards Commission website. Staff Code of Conduct. Councillors’ Code of Conduct. Convenor Pack. New Councillor Introduction to Wards 1- 12. New Councillor Presentation 2022. Page 262 of 470
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21 5. Equality and Human Rights Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance EH1 Have assurance and evidence that the Council considers equality and human rights issues properly when making all of its decisions, in the design and review of internal and external policies, and in its day-to-day service delivery. All matters being reported to Board are reviewed for any equality and/or human rights implications. The Council monitors equality outcomes corporately with all policy changes subject to Equality Impact Assessments are carried out and noted by the relevant Board. In 2023 a self-assessment exercise was completed on Housing as a Human Right. Further assessments will be undertaken each year on a rolling basis. The Service Improvement Plan includes a statement annually relating to equalities. The Tenant Satisfaction Survey results highlight high satisfaction rates for access to services and for participation opportunities, with respondents noting that they find it easy to participate. As part of the annual update on the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, a consultation exercise takes place to provide individuals and groups an opportunity to provide comments on the proposals. Council Guide for Assessing Equality and Human Rights Impacts. Collecting Equality Information: National guidance for Scottish social landlords, June 2022. Progress Report on Equality Mainstreaming Equality 2023. Housing Information & Advice for People with Disabilities. Digital Support for Council Tenants. Digital Support for Council Tenants – Digital Participation Overview 2022-2023. Link to Language Line translation service & Alternative formats are available on request. Wheelchair accessible customer service centre with Loop hearing systems in place. Renfrewshire Common Housing Allocation Policy. Housing Options, mobility, Sheltered and HSPC housing application process. Tenant Information Booklet – Polish Translation. Page 263 of 470
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22 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance The Renfrewshire Council Newbuild Specification document has been designed to ensure properties meet housing for varying needs standards and a mix of property types and sizes are delivered to meet current and future needs, including an element of wheelchair accessible homes in suitable locations and homes that are future proof for changing needs. The specification is continuously updated to improve the quality of housing being delivered. The new housing developments planned for Ferguslie/Broomlands, Gallowhill and the Howwood Road Area will use the most up to date Newbuild Specification. The housing-led regeneration and renewal will not only enhance a significant proportion of the Council’s housing stock but will also contribute to the wider transformation of Renfrewshire as a place and will be central to the economic and social recovery of Renfrewshire, thus improving the outcomes and opportunities of residents in datazones in the lowest deciles of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). The Council has introduced hybrid ways of working and staff will continue to deliver services whilst both working remotely and in neighbourhood offices. Tenancy Agreement Polish Translation. Annual Re-registration process for housing applicants. Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan Review 2022. Renfrewshire Homeless Partnership multi- agency approach. Housing Providers Forum. Renfrewshire Common Housing Allocation Policy Equalities Impact Assessment. Housing-led Regeneration and Renewal Programme for Renfrewshire - Equalities Impact Assessment. Communities and Housing Services, Service Improvement Plan 2022-23 to 2024-25 CAH Policy Board 7 June 2022 and Service Delivery Plan 2021-22 outturn report. Communities and Housing Services, Service Improvement Plan 2022/25 outturn Report. CAH Policy Board Report 16 May 2023. Environment, Housing & Infrastructure Services 2023-2026 Service Improvement Plan CAH Policy Board report 16 May 2023. Page 264 of 470
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23 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance The ‘Near Me’ online platform is used to provide an additional method of communication with tenants. All customers who are looking for alternative accommodation are invited to discuss their housing options with a housing expert. The discussion will include options that best suit each customer's housing need, such as Council housing, other social housing providers, the private rented sector or owner occupation. The Council also employs a specialist Housing and Disabilities Advisor who can provide information and advice to older and/or disable people in more complex cases, for example those that relate to hospital discharge, or to people who are housebound. A member of staff will make a referral to them on your behalf where appropriate. Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan Review 2022 was sent to the Scottish Government. We completed these returns at request of Scottish Government, but there have been no requests or templates sent out so far this year. Tenants Satisfaction Survey 2022. Draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024- 2029, Consultation CAH Policy Board 22 August 2023. Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2022-2029, CAH Policy Board 31 October 2023. Renfrewshire Council Newbuild Specification. Front line service adjustments – ‘Near Me’ online platform. Page 265 of 470
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24 Ref Requirement How we Comply Evidence of Compliance EH2 To comply with these duties, landlords must collect data relating to each of the protected characteristics for their existing tenants, new tenants, people on waiting lists, governing body members and staff. Local authorities must also collect data on protected characteristics for people who apply to them as homeless. Landlords who provide Gypsy/ Traveller sites must also collect data on protected characteristics for these service users. As part of the Housing Options process we ask all housing applicants for information in relation to protected characteristics. The Council collects protected characteristic information from existing tenants, waiting list applicants and new tenants (where they have chosen to provide this information) and anonymised in the Tenants Satisfaction Survey. The Service Improvement Plan outlines how the Service aligns with the 5 strategic outcomes within the Council Plan 2022/27 and each of the actions within the SIP is grouped under one of the 5 outcomes. There are currently no Gypsy/Traveller sites in Renfrewshire. Scottish Social Housing Charter: Annual Return 2022/23 CAH Policy Board Report, 22 August 2023. Communities and Housing Services, Service Improvement Plan 2022-23 to 2024-25 CAH Policy Board 7 June 2022 and Service Delivery Plan 2021-22 outturn report. Communities and Housing Services, Service Improvement Plan 2022/25 outturn Report. CAH Policy Board Report 16 May 2023. Environment, Housing & Infrastructure Services 2023-2026 Service Improvement Plan CAH Policy Board report 16 May 2023. Final ARC Submission 2022/23 – May 2023. Unauthorised Encampments Procedures (Gypsy/Travellers). Page 266 of 470
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25 Environment, Housing & Infrastructure Renfrewshire Council Renfrewshire House Cotton Street Paisley PA1 1BR Page 267 of 470
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APPENDIX 2 Renfrewshire Council Assurance Statement 2023 Renfrewshire Council complies with the regulatory requirements set out in Chapter 3 of the Regulatory Framework. We achieve the standards and outcomes in the Scottish Social Housing Charter for tenants, people who are homeless and others who use our services. In relation to equalities data collection and human rights, the Council has established policies and procedures in these areas which are embedded in service delivery. We review and adjust our approach in the collection of equalities and human rights information along with any other changes in accordance with statutory requirements or regulatory guidance. The Service as taken steps to review and consolidate its responsibilities in relation to tenant and resident safety. The service has established a Housing Landlord Compliance team and developed a comprehensive Landlord Compliance Strategy and associated policies and procedures covering the following areas: • Gas safety • Electrical safety • Water safety • Fire safety • Asbestos management • Lift safety The Board received a report in January 2023 and August 2023 on Dampness, Mould and Condensation. This report outlined the processes in place to deal with reports of dampness and mould, and detailed the actions which were taken to review these, as well as setting out further actions to be undertaken. A task force has been established to review and improve dampness and mould processes and to develop a Dampness and Mould strategy. Page 268 of 470
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With regards to service performance there are areas that the Board have been advised: • Performance in several areas, as reported to Board, including repairs performance, adaptations and re-letting empty properties. • Although improving, complete compliance with the requirements on annual gas safety checks remains to be achieved. • The Council is working to towards full electrical testing and smoke alarm compliance. • The Council’s SHQS compliance improved over the past year but is still working towards full compliance and meet the interim target for the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) There have been limitations on the amount of repairs performance reports available following the introduction of a new repairs ICT system, Workhub. We are continuing to work with our colleagues in Building Services to improve the quality of the data and develop further reports to improve the performance management and service delivery for repairs. The background papers that support our Assurance Statement for 2023 advise that there had been no reportable Health and Safety incidents. The Council’s Communities and Housing Policy Board regularly receives reports which provide information and evidence to support assurance. The Annual Assurance Statement 2023 was considered and approved by the Communities and Housing Policy Board on 31 October 2023. Signed: ____________________________________ Councillor Marie McGurk Convener of the Communities and Housing Policy Board Date: ____________________ Page 269 of 470
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 31 October 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Annual Housing Performance Benchmarking Report 2022/23 ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Each year the Council submits its return to the Scottish Housing Regulator on the Scottish Social Housing Charter. Our return for 2022/23 was reported to Board in August this year. 1.2 Through membership of Scotland’s Housing Network, the Council can compare its performance against other social housing providers each year. This report provides information on the Council’s performance in 2022/23 on the key Social Housing Charter indicators compared to other local authorities and Registered Social Landlords (RSLs). 1.3 The report identifies areas where performance has improved and where the service performs well against other providers, as well as identifying areas for improvement and setting out some key actions to drive service improvements over the course of this year. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Communities and Housing Policy Board: 2.1 Notes the Council’s performance in 2022/23 on key Housing Charter indicators compared to other social landlords. ___________________________________________________________________ Item 9 CHPB311023 Page 271 of 470
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3. Background 3.1 The Scottish Social Housing Charter enables each social housing provider to compare its performance against all social landlords in Scotland. The Annual Charter Return consists of 32 performance indicators and 14 contextual indicators and is submitted to the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) at the end of May each year. A report on Renfrewshire Council’s performance against the Charter in 2022/23 was presented to the Policy Board in August 2023. This report focuses on the 32 performance indicators. 3.2 Renfrewshire Council is a member of Scotland’s Housing Network which collects data from participating landlords and produces benchmarking information. The benchmarking data from Scotland’s Housing Network allows the Council to compare performance with a peer group of 26 local authorities. This report draws on that peer group data to benchmark Renfrewshire Council’s performance in 2022/23. 3.3 In addition, comparison with all landlords from the Scottish Housing Regulator’s Charter data is included (i.e. local authorities with housing stock and all Registered Social Landlords in Scotland, irrespective of size) to allow comparison with a Scotland-wide average. 3.4 Benchmarking is designed to assist with service improvement planning through comparison with other organisations. Key benchmarking results are summarised in section 4 of this report. This shows where Renfrewshire Council performs well compared to other social landlords as well as several areas where there is scope for further improvement. 3.5 A full list of the Charter performance indicators for 2022/23 is provided at paragraph 4.11 of this report where our performance is compared both to all local authorities and to the Scottish average where data has been supplied from the Scottish Housing Regulator. Additionally, there are graphical comparisons for some of the key indicators throughout the report. 4. Benchmarking Analysis 2022/23 4.1 As reported to Board in August, the Charter data for 2022/23 displays improved or stable performance in the majority of indicators, with 18 of the 32 indicators showing improved performance and 7 showing stable performance. The service has seen some improvements in some key indicators, including: Significant reduction in timescales for non-emergency repairs and an increasing proportion of repairs completed Right First Time. Strong performance in tenancy sustainment, including lets to homeless households. Significant improvement in rent collected as a percentage of rent due. Page 272 of 470
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Bucking the trend in terms of current arrears, although former tenant arrears continue to rise. Continuing improvement in void property relet times, which are now below local authority average. Improved satisfaction with the standard of home when moving in. Good level of satisfaction amongst factored owners. Average days to let, although high is now lower that the national average. Whilst this improvement in performance in welcome, this remains an area of special focus for the service so that a further reduction in re-let times is achieved. Work is currently underway to review the ‘end to end’ process of void property management to identify specific areas for improvement, with officers from all areas of the process contributing to this exercise. 4.2 A total of 7 indicators are identified where performance has declined in 2022/23. Some of these are noted below, along with other areas where performance may already be improving, but which will remain subject to continued attention to drive further improvements. Areas to note include: Although some improvement noted in SHQS compliance, this remains an area for further improvement. Increase in average time to complete emergency repairs and reduction in repairs satisfaction. The ongoing review of all aspects of the housing repairs service will seek to drive improvements in this area. Officers are currently working with Savills consultants to progress this key priority area for improvement. The number of gas safety fails whilst improved from last year, remains higher than pre-pandemic levels and is an area of focus for further improvements this year. About a third of lets to homeless households - fewer applications per head than other LA’s and good RSL contribution. Relatively high level of abandonments as a percentage of stock – but down from last year. Gross rent arrears increased slightly to 8.6% from 7.99% of rent due. This is an area of key priority for improvement and will continue to be closely monitored throughout the coming year. 4.3 The Charter requires landlords to carry out a satisfaction survey at least every three years. Our most recent survey was conducted in 2022 and reported to Board in August 2022. The table below provides how the Service’s performance compares to this year’s local authority and Scottish averages. Page 273 of 470
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No. Indicator Renfrewshire Council LA Average Scottish Average (LAs and RSLs) 1 Percentage of tenants satisfied with the overall service provided by their landlord. 82% 82% 86.7% 2 Percentage of tenants who feel their landlord is good at keeping them informed about their services and decisions. 91% 85% 89.7% 5 Percentage of tenants satisfied with the opportunities given to them to participate in their landlord’s decision-making processes. 99% 81% 85.9% 7 Percentage of existing tenants satisfied with the quality of their home. 79.9% 81% 84.2% 13 Percentage of tenants satisfied with the landlord’s contribution to the management of the neighbourhood they live in. 87% 82% 84.3% 25 Percentage of tenants who feel that the rent for their property represents good value for money. 83% 81% 81.8% 4.4 Customer and Landlord Relationship In 2022/23, 97.9% of all 1st stage complaints (graph below) were responded to in full, which is better than the local authority average of 92.4% and the Scottish average of 92.5%. 84.6% of all 2nd stage complaints were responded to in full within Renfrewshire which is below both the local Aathority (92.4%.) and Scottish (92.5%) averages. These figures are skewed as there are very few 2nd stage complaints and just one or two over the time limit can cause a significant percentage shift. Page 274 of 470
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4.5 Housing Quality and Maintenance The percentage of stock meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) (Indicator 6) increased to 67.9%, from 57% in the previous year. The local authority average for SHQS compliance was 70.9% and the Scottish average was 79%. Generally landlords have seen an increase in the percentage of SHQS failures over the last two years as compliance with 5 yearly EICR checks and the new smoke and heat detector standard are now included within the calculation of this PI. For information, if these elements were removed from our 2022/23 calculation, 81.9% of our stock would comply with SHQS. Renfrewshire Council’s average time to complete emergency repairs increased to 9.8 hours from 7.1 hours in the previous year. This is longer than the local authority average (4.7 hours) and the Scottish average (4.2 hours). Compared to all local authorities, Renfrewshire’s time to complete emergency repairs is the longest. As previously reported to the Board, a new system for raising and managing repairs was introduced in March 2022 which means the majority of emergency repairs being raised and updated in real time. Prior to this, these were updated manually from paper records. Whilst it is expected that the real time updates are generally accurate, there have been some user errors and system issues with the new technology that may have had an impact on the accuracy of some of the data. We will continue to closely monitor this indicator over the coming months to ensure that user errors are minimised, jobs are updated promptly and that any corrections are made to the data if found to be inaccurate as a result of system issues. Page 275 of 470
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In contrast, at 6.1 days Renfrewshire’s average time to complete non- emergency repairs was one of the best performances compared to other local authorities, better than the local authority average (9.4 days), and the Scottish average (8.7 days). Nationally, performance in this indicator among local authorities continues to worsen. 90% of non-emergency repairs were completed ‘right first time’ which is better than last year (85%) and better than the local authority average (88.1%) and the Scottish average for 2022/23 (87.8%). Page 276 of 470
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73.3% of tenants who had repairs carried out were satisfied with the repairs service. This is lower than the local authority average (88.5%) and the Scottish average (88%). It is noted that the methodology of collecting satisfaction feedback changed last year from outbound telephone calls to automated text messaging of a digital survey on completion of the repair. This new method of collating feedback only started in January 2023, therefore this figure reflects only three months of surveys and a relatively small sample size. We will continue to closely monitor this indicator over the coming months and analyse feedback from tenants to identify where improvements to the housing repairs service may be required. This information will also support the work with Savills consultants to review the housing repairs service. 4.6 Estate Management, Anti-social Behaviour, Neighbourhood Nuisance, Tenant Disputes The Council’s rate of refusal of tenancy offers was 39.3%. This is broadly similar to the overall local authority average (38.6%), but it is among the authorities with the higher refusal rates and higher than the overall Scottish average (30.9%). 98% of anti-social behaviour cases were resolved. This is better than the local authority average (91.4%) and the Scottish average (94.2%). 4.7 Housing Options and Access to Housing 7.2% of lettable houses became vacant during the year which is a reduction from last year’s figure of 8.3%. Renfrewshire Council’s turnover is slightly below the local authority average (7.4%) and the Scottish average (7.4%). Page 277 of 470
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It took an average of 60.6 days to re-let properties, which is a continued improvement on last year’s figure of 66 days. Our average days to let is now below the local authority average of 66.9 days and is moving in the right direction when compared with local authority performance generally, which is showing an increase in the average days to let. We remain higher than the Scottish average of 55.6 days. It is noted that most local authority landlords are reporting significant difficulties with this indicator due to a range of issues relating to the construction sector such as materials, supplies and resource which are widespread throughout the sector nationally. There are also ongoing challenges with the utilities sector causing further delays to returning empty houses to the letting pool. Whilst this issue is not unique to Renfrewshire and many landlords are experiencing the same issues, improvements to the void relet process are a high priority for the service and a full review of the end to end process for void property management is currently underway as part of the work with Savills consultants. The average time to complete approved medical adaptations in 2022/23 reduced to 96 days from 142 days, however our average time remains poorer than most local authorities. The local authority average was 46.9 days and the Scottish average was 46.8 days. Adaptations work has been impacted by issues within the construction sector, including material supply chain delays and increased demand on labour resources, however management actions to increase resource for this workstream through the use of additional external contractual arrangements have helped mitigate this issue somewhat. Page 278 of 470
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The Council’s tenancy sustainment figure continues to improve with the overall sustainment figure (all new tenancies sustained for more than a year) increasing to 95.3% from 92.2%. This is better than both the local authority average of 91.4% and the Scottish average of 91.2%. Compared to other local authorities, Renfrewshire Council is one of the better performers in this indicator. Nationally local authority performance has improved over the past year. The rate of tenancy sustainment for new tenants who were formerly homeless also continues to improve (91.6%) and is better than the Local Authority average of 90.1% and the Scottish average of 90.3%. 4.8 Homelessness 28.2% of homeless households were referred to RSLs under ‘Section 5’ arrangements and through other referral routes which is higher than the local authority average of 26.7% and the SHR average of 26.4%. Page 279 of 470
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However, the increasing volume of homeless applications means more support is needed from our RSL partners to improve performance on this indicator further and officers have engaged local RSLs in early discussions to encourage further support to address housing need for homeless applicants in Renfrewshire. 4.9 Good Value from Rents & Service Charges The amount of rent collected as a proportion of the total rent due in the reporting year was 100.3% which is higher than the local authority average of 98.8% and the Scottish average of 99%. The gross value of rent arrears as a percentage of rent due dipped slightly in 2022/23 to 8.6% from 8.00%. Performance on gross rent arrears remains better than the local authority group average (9.6%) and Renfrewshire is performing better than most local authorities. However, we remain higher than the Scottish average (6.9%). This is an area of key priority for improvement and will continue to be closely monitored throughout the year. Although we improved on the proportion of rent lost through empty properties (1.86%), this indicator remains higher than the local authority group average of 1.7% and is among the local authorities with the higher percentages. It is also higher than the Scottish average of 1.4%. Page 280 of 470
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4.10 Priority Areas for Improvement and Actions for 2023/2024 As noted within this report, the service has identified key areas for improvement during the course of the current year and a range of actions will be implemented and monitored by officers throughout the year, as follows: We will receive quarterly reports on customer complaints to identify any trends and issues that need addressing. SHQS, despite an improving figure, around 32% of stock failing or in abeyance for SHQS. We will compare abeyance reasons with other local authorities and review accordingly, whilst continuing to put in place measures to improve EICR and smoke detector compliance in properties where tenants have repeatedly refused to provide access for these important works. Emergency repairs has seen a steep increase in average time to complete, there has also been a reduction in repairs satisfaction. We will analyse the satisfaction survey response from tenants and continue to monitor performance data whilst the new housing repairs system beds in. The number of times a gas certificate was issued after its anniversary date was high. This will be monitored to ensure our robust gas servicing procedures are followed to drive improvements in this indicator. There was a relatively high level of abandonments as a percentage of stock, but down from last year. We will investigate reasons for abandonment/refusals and identify specific links to mitigate abandonments and refusals. Medical adaptations taking some time to complete, with around 51% completed. We will monitor this area to ensure adequate contractor resources are maintained throughout the year. Although better than LA average, re-let time remains high. The service will review our ‘Low Demand’ housing stock analysis and review the end to end voids process with Savills consultants, as part of the overall review of the housing repairs service. Page 281 of 470
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4.11 Housing Charter Indicators INDICATOR Renfrewshire Council Local Authority Average Scottish Average (LAs and RSLs) 2021/2022 2022/2023 DOT 22/23 22/23 1 % satisfied with the overall service provided 82.4% 82.4% 82% 86.7% 2 % satisfied with keeping tenants informed 91.1% 91.1% 85% 89.7% 3 % of all complaints responded to in full at 1st stage 95.9% 97.9% 92.4% 95.3% % of all complaints responded to in full at 2nd stage 96.2% 84.6% 92.1% 92.5% 4 Average time in working days for a full response at Stage 1 6.6 5.8 5.6 5.7 Average time in working days for a full response at Stage 2 16.6 14.5 19.9 9.3 5 % satisfied with opportunities to participate 99% 99% 80.9% 85.9% 6 % meeting the SHQS % stock 57.1% 67.9% 70.9% 79% 7 % Satisfied with quality of home 79.9% 79.9% 81.1% 84.2% 8 Average length of time taken to complete emergency repairs (hours) 7.1 9.8 4.7 4.2 9 Average length of time taken to complete non-emergency repairs (days) 14.6 6.1 9.4 8.7 10 % of non-emergency repairs completed right first time 85% 90% 88.2% 87.8% 11 How many times in the reporting year did you not meet your statutory obligations to complete a gas safety check within 12 months of a gas appliance being fitted or its last check. 142 58 877 total 1032 total 12 % Satisfaction with repairs service 95% 73.3% 88.5% 88% 13 % of tenants satisfied with the landlord's contribution to the management of the neighbourhood they live in 87% 87% 82.1% 84.3% 14 % of tenancy offers refused 39.6% 39.3% 38.6% 30.9% 15 % of anti-social behaviour cases reported in the last year which were resolved. 99.7% 98% 91.4% 94.2% 16 % of new tenancies sustained – Overall 92.2% 93.5% 91.4% 91.2% Existing Tenants 93.5% 95.2% 94.4% 94.5% Homeless Tenants 89.4% 91.6% 90.1% 90.3% Housing List 94.5% 94.5% 91.2% 90.9% 17 % of Lettable Houses that became vacant in last year 8.3% 7.2% 7.4% 7.4% Page 282 of 470
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INDICATOR Renfrewshire Council Local Authority Average Scottish Average (LAs and RSLs) 2021/2022 2022/2023 DOT 22/23 22/23 18 % of rent due lost through properties being empty during the last year 2% 1.86% 1.7% 1.4% 19 No of Households currently waiting for adaptations 107 177 3042 total 5065 total 20 Total Cost of adaptations completed in the year by source of funding £608,555 £769,216 £1.9m total £4.3m total 21 Average time to complete approved adaptations (days) 142 96 46.9 46.8 22 % of court actions initiated which resulted in eviction - all reasons 0.8% 5% 13.5% 17.2% 24 Homelessness - % of homeless households referred to RSLs under section 5 and through other referral routes 32% 28.2% 26.7% 26.4% 25 % tenants who feel rent represents value for money 83.4% 83.4% 81.3% 81.8% 26 Rent collected as % of total rent due in the reporting year 98.2% 100.03% 98.8% 99% 27 Gross rent arrears (all tenants) as at 31st March each year as a % of rent due for the reporting year 7.99% 8.6% 9.6% 6.9% 28 Average annual management fee per factored property £57.70 £108 £58.43 £107.59 29 Owners satisfied with factoring service 60.4% 71.2% 51.2% 61.8% 30 Average length of time taken to re-let properties in the last year (days) 66 60.6 66.9 55.6 31 Gypsies/travellers - Average weekly rent per pitch No sites in Renfrewshire 32 % of gypsies/ travellers satisfied with the landlord's management of the site Legend Performance improving Remains same Performance worsening Data only Source: (1) Scottish Housing Network website (LAs) (2) Scottish Housing Regulator Website (LAs & RSLs) ___________________________________________________________________ Page 283 of 470
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Implications of the Report 1. Financial – None 2. HR & Organisational Development – None 3. Community/Council Planning Building strong, safe, and resilient communities – Improving and maintaining neighbourhoods and homes. Working together to improve outcomes - Increasing resident satisfaction with neighbourhoods and communities. 4. Legal – None 5. Property/Assets – None 6. Information Technology – None 7. Equality & Human Rights – The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report because it is for noting only. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety - None 9. Procurement - None 10. Risks - None 11. Privacy Impact - None 12. COSLA Policy Position - N/A 13. Climate Risk – None __________________________________________________________________ Background Papers Report to the Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 25 October 2022, ‘Annual Housing Performance Benchmarking Report 2021/22’. Page 284 of 470
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The foregoing background papers will be retained within Communities, Housing and Planning Services for inspection by the public for the prescribed period of four years from the date of the meeting. ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Ray Walkinshaw, Housing Regeneration and Development Manager Email: ray.walkinshaw@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 285 of 470
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_________________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 31 October 2023 _________________________________________________________________________ Report by: Head of Policy and Partnerships - Chief Executive’s Service _________________________________________________________________________ Heading: Community Learning and Development Strategy (2021-2024) - Year 2 Progress update ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Renfrewshire’s Community Learning and Development Strategy 2021-2024 was approved by the Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 17 August 2021. This report represents the second annual update to be provided to the board in terms of the delivery of the strategy, and specifically provides a summary of the key activities undertaken during 2022/23. 1.2 A wide range of statutory, voluntary and community groups and partners have actively contributed during 2023/23 to the delivery of the action plan, which is aligned to Renfrewshire’s Community Plan and underpinned by the shared values identified by the Community Learning and Development Standards Council: Self Determination, Inclusion, Empowerment, Working Collaboratively and Promotion of learning as a lifelong activity. 1.3 The vision for Renfrewshire’s Community Learning and Development Strategy is: “Working together to ensure our communities, people and families living in Renfrewshire have the capacity, support, resilience and opportunities they need to survive”. 1.4 This report provides members with a summary update on the progress achieved during 2022-2023 with more detail provided within the full annual report attached as Appendix 1. Information is provided under the following three themes which the Strategy has adopted: • Universal Provision • Targeted Provision • Community Capacity / Connecting Communities 1.5 The Community Learning and Development Service continually monitors, reviews, and evaluates progress against the agreed actions to ensure there is a strong focus on achieving positive outcomes with service users and communities across the whole of Renfrewshire. Key actions from the strategy are incorporated within our Council Plan and Community Plan and progress is also reported through Council and community planning governance structures. Item 10 CHPB311023 Page 287 of 470
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1.6 In order to further enhance scrutiny and oversight of local community learning and development activities, it is proposed that six monthly updates are provided to the board going forward. 1.7 Elected members are asked to note that Education Scotland are currently undertaking a programme of inspection visits across all 32 local authority areas, and local services in Renfrewshire will also receive an inspection visit over the coming months. It is anticipated that 4 weeks' notice will be given by Education Scotland prior to any visit taking place, with the focus being on the progress that is being made locally in terms of the delivery of the Community Learning and Development Strategy. Officers will provide further updates to elected members to update on the outcome of this inspection visit. ____________________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that members of the Communities and Housing Policy Board note: (i) the progress achieved against the Community Learning and Development Strategy in 2022/23 by local services, partners and communities as outlined in appendix 1 of this report (ii) That six monthly progress updates will be provided on the delivery of the strategy going forward (iii) That the service is anticipating an inspection visit from Education Scotland during 2023/24 to review local progress on the implementation of the strategy and will report back any inspection findings to the board once these become available. ____________________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 In line with the Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013, the Council has a statutory duty to develop and publish a Community Learning and Development Plan. Renfrewshire’s current 3-year plan was approved by the Communities, Housing and Planning Board on 17 August 2021, following an extensive programme on consultation and engagement with partners and communities. 3.2 The CLD Strategy is aligned with Renfrewshire’s Community Plan which puts Renfrewshire communities and community wellbeing at the heart of shaping all of the work of community learning and development partners. 3.3 Our local vision as outlined in the Community Learning and Development Strategy is: “Working together to ensure our communities, people and families living in Renfrewshire have the capacity, support, resilience and opportunities they need to survive”. 3.4 During 2022/2023 our focus has continued to be on collaborating with a wide range of delivery partners to ensure capacity and availability of resources targeted to support individuals and communities to access and engage with Community Learning and Development services. The Appendix to this report provides full details of the progress achieved which includes: Page 288 of 470
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Universal Provision • Adult and family learning service have continued to actively reconnect with learners and partners which has resulted in 600 people engaging in community-based learning provision.175 community-based adult and family learning activities being delivered across Renfrewshire in 6 Community Learning and Development learning centres, 5 primary school campuses and in community partner venues. • 6,014 young people engaged with Youth Services, with 744 young people attending regularly as part of structured informal learning youth work projects over the year. • 28,282 young people under 22 years old now have access to free bus travel scheme by using the Young Scot National Entitlement Card. • 359 young people from Renfrewshire are participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award with young people gaining the Disadvantaged and Duke of Edinburgh Award. The Duke of Edinburgh Award Programme has delivered: • 2,366 Community Volunteering hours by DofE participants with an estimated social value of over £11,000 • Supported DofE Mary Russell – Volunteering Opportunities with Glen Park countryside rangers and Forest and Land Scotland. Funding partnership with school • 7 Bronze and 3 Silver passes and 17 DofE Achievement Awards • 75 volunteer DofE leaders and helpers in Renfrewshire supporting participants on their DofE journey. • Youth Services has continued to actively deliver a range of programmes to support young people to achieve accredited awards. 174 awards have been achieved in the following Award categories; Hi5, Hi5 Climate Action, John Muir, Dynamic Youth, Lowland Leaders Outdoor First Aid Training, DofE Sectional Awards, Food Hygiene course and Climate Change Training. • Street Stuff continued to deliver their core programme of activities as well as additional activities during the school holiday period including the provision of a healthy meal, • 16,000 attendances have been recorded for both core activities including additional activities during October, Festive and Spring breaks. (Summer holiday provision is recorded separately. • 70 young people per week are engaging with Street Stuff as part of the new Street to School programme. • Over 2000 pupils have been involved in the programme organised by Street Stuff as part of their St Mirren Football Club role Targeted provision • We continued to support the implementation of the Promise and Future Paisley strategic programmes with care experienced young carers and vulnerable young people to participate in various arts and cultural activities. This included supporting 65 care experienced, young carers or vulnerable young people who participated in various arts and cultural activities delivered by The Promise Arts and Cultural Programme. • 10 young people are involved in Creative Young Producers Group Art Boss delivered in partnership with Youth Services and One Ren. • ESOL has been a huge focus for Adult and Family Learning in Renfrewshire with the increase of Ukrainians and refugees forming part of our communities. Partnership working has been key to the delivery of sessions. • Over 300 people have engaged with the Adult and Family ESOL team delivering sessions for Beginner's in person and online • 24 ESOL learners engaged with arts project delivered in partnership with The Art Department and funded by Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership. • 3 ESOL learners completed 6-month Invest traineeships with the ESOL team. Page 289 of 470
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Community Capacity and Connected Communities • 2000 P6 children had the opportunity to attend the Safe Kids events and participate in workshops delivered by Fire & Rescue, Transport Police, Police Scotland, The Wardens, Youth Team, Civil Contingencies, Drugs & Alcohol Service. Workshops included water safety, railway safety, antisocial behaviour in the community and what do to in an emergency. • The Team Up to Clean Up campaign continues to make significant progress highlighting the impact of actions on climate and successfully raising awareness through educational inputs to schools as well as physical improvements. • 48 schools have received an input on Environment impact focussing on litter and the negative impact on local environmental quality including animal, marine harm and the negative effect on neighbourhoods and green spaces. • 120 school bins to be wrapped leading to favourite lunchtime takeaway vendors and using stencils in waste gullies e.g., ‘the sea starts here’ to raise awareness of the impact of dropping litter. • Open spaces are being improved through Team Up to Clean Up which has provided resources to volunteers to support their community efforts. • To address community concerns of fly tipping and littering under the banner of Team Up to Clean Up the following measures are in place: • The Environmental Task Force was created with a focus on fly tipping. • Good results are being produced indicating an increase in Fixed Penalty Notices, building new relations with housing associations, private landowners and communities. • Work has been undertaken with local businesses to support the Sustainable Business Scheme progress includes: • 300 hot food vendors in Renfrewshire have been visited by Environmental Taskforce and Building Communities Team in partnership with SWECO. • 140 businesses were issued with letters regarding Single Use Plastics legislation fully implemented in August 2022 • Bio-diversity workshops have been delivered with Jenny’s Well, Inchinnan Development Trust and Bee Happy Houston • Support continued to be provided for the Celebrating Renfrewshire youth participatory budgeting fund programme with 1683 young people participating in the voting process for their favourite projects to receive funding. In total 71 projects received funding and All members of the Steering Group gained a Saltire Award for their volunteering hours. ____________________________________________________________________________ 4. Priorities for 23/24 4.1 As we move into the final year of the delivery of the current plan, it will be important to continue to focus on the key priorities that have been identified within the Strategy, whilst also beginning to look ahead to inform the development of the next plan. 4.2 The current context in which community learning and development activities are delivered continues to develop and evolve, and services and partners need to continue to be flexible in order to respond to emerging needs and also opportunities. Not withstanding these challenges, a number of priority actions have been identified for progression with partners during the next 12 months. These include: Page 290 of 470
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• Responding to the findings of a recent youth survey which has sought to identify current need, connection to community and issues and barriers faced by young people • Identifying opportunities to develop and enhance youth empowerment by supporting and promoting young people’s learning around democratic processes, voting, participating in budgetary decision-making process, and an enhanced ability to influence positive changes in schools and communities to achieve better outcomes. This includes successful coordination of the Scottish Youth Parliament elections in Renfrewshire in November 2023. • Continuing to progress and support the delivery of the Mentors against Violence Programme in Renfrewshire and UNCRC agendas to promote rights, equalities and opportunities and reduce violence and discrimination. • Undertaking consultation and outreach with in under-represented areas to develop the youth voice in the community. Youth Services will work in partnership with Renfrewshire Youth Voice and MSYP’s to deliver workshops and events in communities to encourage young people to share their views on what they would like to see happening and changes they want to effect in their neighbourhoods. Results and outcomes will inform and shape the local Youth Action Plans to target funding and resources to put ideas into action to address priority needs. • Efforts and focus for the future on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme will include identifying and developing ideas to support young people in completing the award. This will include strengthening the links to volunteering opportunities within youth and community settings. An inaugural DofE in Renfrewshire Celebration Event will be held in February 2024 to showcase the Award Programme, achievements and contributions of young people and adults across the authority. • Street Stuff will work with schools to develop and deliver the new Street to School programme delivering multi-sports, field trips, educational activities, healthy eating and explore new opportunities for accreditation. They will also continue to support the childcare and holiday provision agenda during school holiday periods with the provision of a healthy meal. Targeted provision – key priorities • Adult and Family Learning Services will continue to actively reconnect with learners and partners continuing to offer blended options of ESOL and Adult Literacies. As well as develop learning programmes that enhance engagement in formal and non-formal learning in community-based settings. • New Digital Skills courses will be delivered for people with little or no experience of using digital devices in each of the learning centres across Renfrewshire, encouraging safe and practical digital participation using laptops and tablets. • Weekly Work Clubs will be reintroduced into CLD learning centres to support jobseekers by providing access to online job searches and help with form completion and updating Claimant Commitments. • A new family learning programme will be developed encouraging families to be more environmentally conscious and to take positive action in their communities. • The family learning maths programme will be refreshed in response to Multiply, the 3-year UK-wide numeracy initiative and piloted with families in selected primary schools. (Multiply) Community capacity • Action is being undertaken to develop a Locality Model: Community Learning and Development Services, which will ensure regular attendance at local partnerships meetings creating close links with key community members and local concerns. Page 291 of 470
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• Work will continue with schools, exploring ideas around personal responsibility, civic pride and the power of working as a community to provide young people with a greater understanding of the consequences of positive and negative actions. • The Team Up to Clean Up campaign will work to boost increased engagement with schools, increasing bin provision and subtle nudge techniques around schools encouraging the use of bins. Presentations and discussions to raise awareness of the impact of decisions on the community and highlight the impact of actions on the climate will be developed. • Volunteering opportunities will be increased through Team Up to Clean Up providing volunteers with continued opportunities to achieve their aspirations including issuing tools to clear leaves and weeds, waterproof clothing/footwear or benches, planters, and plants to increase the appeal of a community. • A training needs analysis for staff and volunteer development is underway and relevant training opportunities to address skills gaps sourced to refresh and up-skill current and new staff across CLD. ____________________________________________________________________________ 5. Update on inspection 5.1 Elected members are asked to note that Education Scotland are currently undertaking a programme of inspection visits across all 32 local authority areas, and local services in Renfrewshire will also receive an inspection visit over the coming months. It is anticipated that 4 weeks' notice will be given by Education Scotland prior to any visit taking place, with the focus being on the progress that is being made locally in terms of the delivery of the Community Learning and Development Strategy. 5.2 Specifically, Education Scotland will be seeking to identify evidence in relation to two key questions: 1. How effective is the leadership of the local authority and their CLD partners in improving outcomes? 2. How well does the performance of the local authority and their CLD partners demonstrate positive impact? 5.3 As part of the inspection visit, the Education Scotland team will meet with learners, young people, staff, partners and wider stakeholders. Officers will provide further updates to elected members to update on the outcome of this inspection visit once this is available. ____________________________________________________________________________ 6. Next steps 6.1 In order to strengthen oversight and scrutiny of the strategy, it is proposed that 6 monthly progress updates are provided to the board going forward. ____________________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial - None 2. HR & Organisational Development – None. 3. Community/Council Planning – Community learning and development activities are key to the delivery of the Community Plan. 4. Legal - None Page 292 of 470
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5. Property/Assets - None 6. Information Technology - None 7. Equality & Human Rights (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – None. 9. Procurement - None 10. Risk - None 11. Privacy Impact - None. 12. COSLA Policy Position – Not Applicable 13. Climate Risk – None _______________________________________________________ List of Background Papers _________________________________________________________________ Author: Laura McIntyre, Head of Policy, and Partnership. Email: laura.mcintyre@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 293 of 470
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Community Learning and Development Strategy 2021-2024 Year 2 progress 2022-2023 Page 294 of 470
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Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................... 3 Governance and Monitoring ........................................................................... 3 Background .......................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Partnership Approach .......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Year 2 Progress 2022-2023 ............................................................................. 3 Universal Provision ......................................................................................... 4 Targeted Provision .......................................................................................... 9 Community Capacity / Connected Communities ........................................ 13 Year 3 – Priorities for 2023-2024 ................................................................... 16 Universal Provision ....................................................................................... 16 Targeted Provision ........................................................................................ 17 Community Capacity/ Connected Communities ......................................... 19 Appendix 1 ..................................................................................................... 21 Page 295 of 470
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Introduction Local authorities are required to produce a three-year plan in relation to the delivery of community learning and development activities, in line with the provisions of the Community Learning and Development (Scotland) regulations 2013. Renfrewshire’s Community Learning and Development Strategy 2021-24 was approved in August 2021, and this report provides detail on the progress that has been achieved during Year 2 (2022/23) of the delivery of the strategy. The report specifically highlights examples and provides evidence of how the support, assistance and opportunities provided by Community Learning and Development (CLD) service and with our wider partners, continues to support better outcomes for individuals, families and across a wide range of communities in Renfrewshire. Governance and Monitoring Partnership is key to the delivery of our local strategy and the priorities and actions identified within the strategy are embedded within partnership plans and the overarching Community Plan for Renfrewshire. The range of partners who contributed towards achievements and progress of the CLD Strategy is attached as Appendix 1. The vision outlined in our local strategy is underpinned by the shared values identified by the Community Learning Development Standards Council: • Self Determination • Inclusion • Empowerment • Working Collaboratively • Promotion of learning as a lifelong activity Progress reports on activities undertaken are provided on an annual basis to the Council’s Communities and Housing Board, and to ensure enhanced scrutiny and oversight this will now take place on a 6 monthly basis from 2023. Year 2 Progress 2022-2023 Local partners have worked proactively over the period to progress the strategy, and to respond to some emerging needs and challenges across our communities, including the cost of living crisis, support for refugees and asylum seekers and strategic priorities such as the Promise, Fairer Renfrewshire and Future Paisley. There has been a need for us to work more flexibly than ever to meet these challenges together as partners. Despite these challenges, excellent progress has been achieved during this second year of the delivery of our local strategy. Detailed commentary on activities and achievements over the period- August 2022 to August 2023 is reported within this report under the following headings: • Universal Provision - ensuring no-one is left behind promoting and providing opportunities for all. • Targeted Provision– targeting specialist resource and support towards those most vulnerable or with restricted capacity. • Community Capacity/ Connecting Communities- working with individuals, families and groups that have capacity, to support them in shaping community aspirations and to develop, deliver and maintain the services and facilities they want locally. Page 296 of 470
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Universal Provision Youth Work activities continued to be developed and delivered through proactive partnership engagement and by actively consulting with children, young people, and families to shape provision and activities. A key priority identified has been to support to young people to engage and meet their peers in age-appropriate groups and activities, junior (8-12yrs) Teen (12-16yrs) Senior (16-18yrs). Key activities to highlight include: • 286 attendees consisting of young people and families from 9 Renfrewshire Community venues participated in a Youth Voice Summer Road Show, “Fantastic Truth or Fayre” delivered by Youth Services in partnership with Renfrewshire Youth Voice. The event also provided an opportunity to promote a wide range of forthcoming youth campaigns on Climate Change, Gender Based Violence, and the SYP elections. • 6,014 young people engaged with Youth Services, with 744 young people attending regularly as part of structured informal learning youth work projects over the year. • Youth Services has continued to actively identify opportunities to develop and enhance youth empowerment. Following the February Love2Lead event all Youth Voice members actively participated in Youth Leadership Training to build on key skills, networking, confidence building, influencing positive changes, understanding decision making process and achieve better outcomes by leading and progressing chosen campaigns. • Young people’s participation in a range of local and national campaigns continues to improve for example an average of 7 young people attended the Climate Change Champions twice a week. Young People of Renfrewshire as young leaders delivered workshops for younger children working on the climate emergency, contributing to the design of a young people friendly version of the Renfrewshire Council Net Zero strategy and created a campaign to promote responsible choices regarding their own consumption and pressured governments and businesses for real change. • New ideas are being explored to support care experienced young people by the Promise Champions (“Champs”) which resulted in a peer-led summer activity programme as an ongoing opportunity on connecting with care experienced young peoples as well as planning monthly trips/experiences, family/sibling events and workshops. • A “Welcome to your Vote” youth event was held on 30th March in partnership with Renfrewshire Youth Voice (RYV), Renfrewshire Members of Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP), Young Scot, the Electoral Commission, and the Renfrewshire Joint Valuation Board. This event promoted youth democracy opportunities in Renfrewshire, registering to vote for young people fourteen and over in age. • Scottish Youth Parliament elections will take place during 16 to 19 November 2023. There are 5 seats in Renfrewshire and preparations for candidate training and support for the campaign is underway. The current MSYP’s attended a national sitting in Orkney as part of their national working on motions, debates, and committees, and linking to local plans as part of Renfrewshire Youth Voice. Next siting is in October 2023 in Aberdeen, this will be the last of the term before Elections. • A total of 105 young people attended the "Welcome to Your Vote” event in Coats Paisley to participate in workshops developed to engage young people in a Campaign Toolkit produced by Youth Services to plan out their social action project. This event also provided an opportunity for young people to vote and decide the 6 key priorities for this Years Celebrating Renfrewshire Fund. Young people also focussed on ideas for action projects in their school with an opportunity to apply to Celebrating Renfrewshire Page 297 of 470
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fund and enabling access to a £200 grant from the Scottish Government facilitated by Young Scot and the Electoral Commission to promote democracy and voting. • The event is being followed up by Youth Services linking to each school through modern studies classes, pupil voice and the Rights Respecting leads to consolidate some of the ideas generated and to support young people to deliver their proposals in 2023. Links to school and Further Education campuses to offer a further “Welcome to Your Vote - Pop Up” to promote voter registration, Young Scot National Entitlement Card, advertising Scottish Youth Parliament candidate nominations, and the Celebrating Renfrewshire Fund, and the forthcoming SYP Elections have also been established. Mentoring in Violence Prevention • 250 participants attended the two Youth Assemblies organised by Equally Safe in Renfrewshire. The first assembly provided the opportunity to engage with young people in high schools to identify and prioritise the issues within their own community in Renfrewshire for the Youth Led Campaign. 44 Young people from six secondary schools attended the second assembly. This event provided the opportunity for young people trained in Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) together to explore further issue around Gender Based Violence, attending a series of workshop on campaign branding, podcasting, creating ice breaker resources and social media) and to begin building the campaign. • Young people who formed part of the Young and Equally Safe programme worked in partnership with Soundplay and YMCA Paisley participating in animation/projection workshops to mark the 16 Days of Action – Against Gender Based Violence Campaign running from 25 November to 10 December. The event was an opportunity for MVP to enhance and connect with a wide range of partners and individuals involved in the Gender Based Violence Strategy Group, youth work partners, and other funded projects. It is estimated that over 200 people in Renfrewshire marched together to ‘Reclaim the Night’. • 200 people have been trained in Mentoring in Violence Prevention (MVP) from funding secured from Education Scotland enabling us to build the largest training team of any authority across Scotland represented by Education, One Ren, Youth Services and 3rd sector. The funding secured has enabled the MVP message to be extended across Renfrewshire communities and meet funding required for trainers and offer flexible bespoke training which includes monthly awareness raising sessions, full day training, training over three evening sessions. • Capacity building continues in schools with two (one day) training sessions offered per year. Community training has taken place with a range of partners from 3rd Sector Organisations, Sport’s Clubs, Active Schools, Social Work, Sports’ Scotland, School Nursing Team and Health. • Young Equally Safe have been present in Secondary and Primary schools. Feedback received from class teachers has been positive, increasing the awareness of young people on various ‘taboo’ subjects including consent, misogyny, gaslighting. A Primary Edition of the Young and Equally Safe Icebreaker ‘Up in the Air’ was used to engage young people in Primary School. An event was held in October 2022 providing several workshops in marketing and branding campaign work and podcast training. Consultation using discussion groups took place on how the young people would like their views and opinions heard as well as creatively designing and deciding their campaign goals. Page 298 of 470
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Youth voice and leadership • A successful ‘Leadership’ workshop at the Your Vote event on the 30th of March was presented by Renfrewshire Youth Voice, empowering young people to recognise the importance of their vote and voice and actively registering. The event also generated an interest amongst young people in Youth Voice opportunities and future Leadership Training. • 31 young people expressed an interest in volunteering, being more involved in organising youth voice and activities, supporting the organisation of youth voice. The young people’s interest is the result of the Youth Leadership consultation days held to co-design summer Roadshow during February to July. • Young people of Renfrewshire Youth Voice successfully planned and delivered the10th Positive About Youth Awards to combat negative stereotypes of young people, celebrating the achievements and determination of young people aged 12-25 years who demonstrate outstanding work within their community. • Summer Roadshow across various locations in Renfrewshire was delivered in partnership with Youth Services and Renfrewshire Youth Voice. The aim of the programme was to raise awareness for example, LGBTI+, relationship safety, Environmental Awareness. The event was also used an opportunity to engage and consult to establish the type of activities in local areas are of interest to young people. Accessing information and entitlements • 28,282 young people under 22 years old now have access to free bus travel scheme by using the National Entitlement Card. Youth Services continue to support young people and families with the process to apply and work with organisations and services such as Blue Triangle Housing Association, Renfrewshire Council Social Work, Young Carers, Refugee Resettlement Team, Invest, residential units and flexible learning services and Mary Russell ASN school. • 12 active organisations known as Trusted Verifiers vetted by Youth Services are supporting young people to access a range of benefits such as free bus travel, voluntary proof of age, discounts, the ability to participate in democratic voting or rewards for doing positive things in their community. • 105 young carers in Renfrewshire have signed up for the Young Carers Package and have claimed/entered to win Carer-entitlement 1,999 times. This has been achieved because of sharing promotional materials across the schools and the Youth Work Network and the Young Carers Package. • 5,975 visits recorded from Renfrewshire Young People to access information on handling the Cost Crisis on the newly relaunched Young Scot site this year. 3,015 direct visits and 1,238 visits to the Activate Your Rights information campaign. Young Scot voting platform continues to be used to support participatory budgeting and voting based projects including Celebrating Renfrewshire. • A pilot project is in progress enabling better use of GLOW Teams to maintain the Young Scot School Partnership. Teaching Staff have welcomed the initiative as an improved method of communication. Duke of Edinburgh Page 299 of 470
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• The Duke of Edinburgh Award Programme has been enhanced and modified to strengthen links to volunteering opportunities within youth and community settings. The changes have reinvigorated and increased enthusiasm of young people in Renfrewshire to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) programme including those with additional support needs (ASN). ➢ 2,366 Community Volunteering hours by DofE participants with an estimated social value of over £11,000 ➢ Supported DofE for ASN volunteers at Mary Russell – Volunteering Opportunities with Glen Park ➢ Countryside Rangers and Forest and Land Scotland. Funding partnership with school, ➢ 7 Bronze and 3 Silver passes. ➢ 17 DofE Achievement Awards ➢ 75 volunteer DofE leaders and helpers in Renfrewshire supporting participants on their DofE journey • 359 young people from Renfrewshire are participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award with support from Renfrewshire Youth Services this has resulted in young people gaining the Disadvantaged and Duke of Edinburgh Award at all three levels details below, Duke of Edinburgh Awards achieved ➢ 128 young people achieved bronze award with 267 actively participating. ➢ 11 young people achieved silver award with 84 actively participating. ➢ 2 young people achieved gold award with 8 actively participating. Disadvantaged Awards achieved. ➢ 27 young people achieved bronze award with 78 actively participating. ➢ 4 young people achieved silver award with 16 actively participating. ➢ 1 young person achieved gold award • Youth Services has successfully continued to actively deliver a range of accreditation including Hi5, Dynamic Youth Award, Participatory Democracy Award, the Participatory Budgeting Award, Community Empowerment Award, and the Arts Award achieved by young people as follows, ➢ 87 young people have completed/achieved Hi5 Award ➢ 36 young people have completed/achieved Hi5 Climate Action Award ➢ 20 young people have achieved the John Muir Award ➢ 9 young people have completed/achieved Dynamic Youth Award ➢ 5 Young people have completed the Lowland Leaders Award ➢ 5 Young people have completed Outdoor First Aid Training ➢ 4 Young people have completed/achieved DofE Sectional Awards ➢ 4 Young people have completed Food Hygiene course. ➢ 4 Young people have completed the Climate Change Training Street Stuff • Street Stuff has enhanced and extended its core provision, providing daytime activities in partnership with 8 high schools in Renfrewshire. The new Street to School programme includes educational awareness on behaviour within the school setting and the impact on the wider community and includes educational field trips to a range of historical locations as well as physical activity such as hill walks and other multi-sport activities. Page 300 of 470
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• Holiday programmes have continued with the delivery of activities including the provision of a healthy meal. Food has also been introduced as part of the core evening programme as part of the Fairer Renfrewshire programme. Achievements include; • 16,000 attendances recorded for both core activities including additional activities during October, Festive and Spring breaks. • 70 young people per week engaging with Street Stuff as part of the new Street to School programme. • Over 2000 pupils involved in a programme organised by Street Stuff as part of the St Mirren Football Club role delivering coaching sessions in primary schools and supporting families with free tickets to St Mirren Football Club home games and fun and interactive activities for 7 pre match home games at St Mirren Football Club including football, games bus and shoot4goal with hundreds of families participating at each game. • Volunteering opportunities as part of the match day experience and participating as Ball attendants on match days at St Mirren continues to be enhanced as part of the core Street Stuff programme. • A significant number of young people and families participated in the fun and interactive activities provided by Street Stuff during major events including the Gala days held at Barshaw, Elderslie and Renfrew and at the Renfrew Pipe Band competition. • 1200 hours of volunteering has been achieved by 25 young people participating in a range of activities at Street Stuff. • 750 hours achieved at St Mirren FC Match Day Ball attendants. • 200 hours achieved at Holiday camps. • 250 hours achieved at Street Stuff Core activities. • 4 school pupils gained work experience and 4 young people employed from the Street to School programmed by St Mirren Football Club • Street Stuff have delivered activities where required in partnership with Ukrainian refugees and continue to work with settled Ukrainians within Renfrewshire. Street Stuff continued to support the Refugee Resettlement Football Festival in July 2023. Community capacity • Communities and Public Protection have continued to work with schools, communities, local and national partners developing and delivering sessions around specific emerging trends to raise awareness of community safety issues impacting on individuals and communities, progress includes • 48 presentations delivered to Renfrewshire educational establishments encouraging proactive behaviours to improve environmental quality within local neighbourhoods. • 4930 posts on the Team Up to Clean Up Facebook platform indicating growth in member number and engagement. • 2,000 litter-picks undertaken since September 2022. • 65 Fixed Penalty Notices issued for fly tipping by Environmental Taskforce since 1 December 2022 Page 301 of 470
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• 35 community groups have received Green Spaces, Parks and Play Areas and Villages Fund to deliver projects which enhances and improves areas in their communities. Targeted Provision • Adult and family Learning Services have continued to actively reconnect with learners and partners to develop learning programmes that enhance engagement in non-formal learning in community settings. This has resulted in, • 600 people engaged with Adult and Family Learning Services, during September 2022 to August 2023 actively participating in non-formal community-based settings, • 175 community-based adult and family learning activities have been delivered across Renfrewshire in 6 Community Learning and Development learning centres, 5 primary school campuses and in community partner venues. • As part of the commitment to continuous improvement and meet the learning needs of adults an online survey is in progress and results will help to shape future provision as well as update the Local Partnerships. • Flexible and wide range of learning opportunities continue to be developed offering a range of activities and delivering a learning programme to raise and reinforce sustainable options and healthy choices which includes, • “Helping Your Community Grow” award offered by Dobbie’s Braehead store has been won by Southend Action Centre groups who are growing fruit, vegetables, and herbs, and have created an outdoor space for family learning activities • One Personal Social Development Learner has been awarded Scotland’s Learning Partnership Adult Learner’s Award, from Southend Action Centre and is now an active volunteer with Adult and Family Learning Service • More Mend, Less Spend group in Johnstone and Crafting and Mending in Erskine enabling and encouraging people to learn and share skills which reduce impact on the environment and save money. • Personal and social development groups in Erskine and Ferguslie continue to make a positive difference and focus on making positive choices and self-care to promote wellbeing. • A digital recipe book was produced by learners at Johnstone Castle demonstrating how skills can be gained for basic of home • A discreet learning group for jobseekers in partnership with Enable Works continuous to support confidence building programme and progression to access wider community-based adult learning progress. Achievement of learners from Enable Works includes, • Successfully completing 2 learning programmes consisting of 10 ‘Lessons for Life’ and ‘Exploring Equalities’ • 2 Learners have progressed into work and one learner is attending college course • 20 new digital skills courses have been delivered for people with little or no experience of using digital devices across Renfrewshire in the following venues: West Johnstone; Southend; Moorpark; Foxlea; Erskine and Johnstone Castle learning centres. • Weekly Work Clubs have been reintroduced to support jobseekers by providing access to online job searches and help with completing forms and updating Claimant Commitments. The Work Clubs are fully established in Page 302 of 470
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West Johnstone, Southend, Bargarran, Glenburn and Moorpark learning centres. • A new family learning programme “Gab ‘n Grub” has been successfully piloted in Glencoats PS and St David’s Primary School working with Primary 1 and Primary 3 families. The course encourages positive family relationships by reinforcing mealtimes as an opportunity for dialogue and supports parents with cooking on a budget and making healthy choices. • Ault Literacies have developed 5 adult literacies groups currently held in West Johnstone, Southend, Foxlea, Bargarran and University of West of Scotland, a weekly online evening session is also offered. • 60 BA Education Students from University of West of Scotland received an input on the issues facing parents with low literacy levels. • Families of Primary 4 and Primary 5 successfully completed the Pilot of “Fun with Numbers” exploring mathematical concepts though a variety of games and creative activities. 4-session “Quick Hits” everyday maths inputs have been successfully delivered to 3 groups. During April to June 3 homework groups were trialled to support parents, further maths homework groups will be delivered. • ESOL classes continue to be delivered in the community for people with little or no English, and who want to improve language skills to access support and services or participate in cultural and leisure opportunities in their communities, progress achieved, • 300 people engaged with Adult and Family ESOL team. • 8 ESOL for Beginners delivered in the community in Renfrew, West Johnstone, and Southend • ESOL for Beginners Online, 1 session per week. • Culture and Conversation, 1 session per week for language practice. • A weekly ESOL guidance and support session is delivered weekly at the Welcome Hub near Glasgow Airport • 2 groups have been established in Bargarran and West Johnstone providing opportunities for people to practice their English in a groupwork setting and out • All Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children over 16 years referred to the service continue to be allocated a place in and ESOL class in Southend or Moorpark learning centres. • 24 ESOL learners engaged with arts project delivered in partnership with The Art Department and funded by Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership to develop language skills and promote wellbeing though arts and crafts activities. • To meet the demand and relocation of learners ESOL sessions have moved to Ferguslie Library and West Johnstone providing wider access. ESOL support for Work Club, ESOL Digital group and ESOL support for PSD are held in Moorpark • A picture book has been produced illustrating the work undertaken by a group of Syrian learners supported by ESOL staff working with Museums to showcase Paisley’s Syrian glass collection • New Scots funding has been secured from Scottish Refugee Council and Scottish Government to provide additional language support for social integration using a "Sharing Lives, Sharing Languages” approach, enabling the establishment and development of a further two groups. Page 303 of 470
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• 65, care experienced, young carers or vulnerable young people who may require care participated in various arts and cultural activities offered by The Promise Arts and Cultural Programme, the range of creative projects, workshops and cultural events and trips, included the following: • The Gallowhill Mural Project: delivered in partnership with St Catherine’s Primary, Paisley Grammar School, and artist Ursula Cheng. • Dinosaur Graffiti project: with West Primary School and Graffiti artist Tragic O’Hara. • Moving Relationships: An animation project in partnership with Who Cares? Scotland and animation studio Toad’s Caravan. • It’s A Stick Up! A sticker making project in partnership with Renfrewshire Carers Centre and artist Ursula Cheng. • T-shirt design and printing project delivered in partnership with artists from Reload, for young people from the Ukrainian Refugee Community in Renfrewshire. • The Mary Russell Mural: Mary Russell School designed and painted by pupils with artist Ursula Cheng • Ceramics project in partnerships with Renfrewshire Carers Centre and artists from Sculpture House Collective based in Ferguslie Park. • The programme continues to work with care experienced young people across the four Children’s Houses in Renfrewshire and recently, a group of young people from the houses visited the Banksy exhibition at GOMA followed by a practical Graffiti workshop at a centre of excellence for Graffiti Art: SWG3. The young people had the opportunity to work with a Graffiti Artist to explore the tools and techniques of Street Art to make their own Graffiti pieces. • 10 young people are involved in Creative Young Producers Group Art Boss, which isdelivered in partnership with Youth Services and One Ren. A further 8 young people are YO Producers meeting weekly. There has been an increase in membership as young people are referred from Social Work and HomeLink Services to work with arts professionals to produce music, literature, gain new skills, enhance knowledge, and explore arts and culture projects which includes, • My world in a box art project • Comic illustration sessions with Meta Phrog artists • Interactive map project for the new Paisley Museum • My arts inspiration presentation using Canva • The museum Youth Ambassadors pilot project • Edinburgh Cultural trip attending the Playhouse theatre to see Charlie and the Chocolate factory the music, enjoy a meal out together and explore Edinburgh city the following day through a camera lens • The EVOLVE Personal and Social Development programme continues to offer targeted learning programme to groups identified in primary, secondary and post school age young people. 92 young people have participated in the programme which aims to promote health and wellbeing, negotiating their learning programme, building on inter-personal skills, and supporting connections with school and community through voluntary social action. • Most high school young people received free gym passes as part of the Personal and Social Development enabling attending at a time that suits their Page 304 of 470
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lifestyle to improve health and wellbeing. This initiative is part of the 3-year pilot programme funded through Cashback for Communities and continued with Pupil Equity Fund in 2022-2023 • Activities also included accredited food & hygiene certificate, shopping and cooking on a budget, educational awareness around vaping, gender-based violence and positive relationships, art, and intergenerational activities with care homes and veterans, Young Person’s Place Standard Toolkit, and wider achievement awards (, Hi5, Hi5 Climate Action Award., Duke of Edinburgh’s Award • The schools-youth work partnership model was shared as good practice with West Partnership RIC as part of a Collaborative Enquiry with Youthlink Scotland. It was also shared at a national Youthlink Conference as part of spotlight and supported by Education Scotland. The programme was shortlisted for a national Youthlink Youth Work Award in the category of “Recognising Skills and Achievement”. • Continued support for LGBTI young people continued to be supported meeting are held in the Foxbar Youth Drop to organise a National Calendar of events throughout the year. The LGBTI has 50 members with an average attendance of 15 per week. • Youth Services celebrated the National Youth Work Week using social media to promote and highlight youth work across the local authority and how youth work can ‘change lives. • Youth Services continued to support the development of Ren10, and the collaborative work across Renfrewshire Council and the Health and Social Partnership to develop services to support Children and Young People’s Mental Health. Some of this work included supporting the development and signposting to the “Together-all” on-line support, promotion of the Exchange Counselling Service, and the “Shout” 24/7 text based support. In addition, Youth Services has also contributed to the work of the Mental Health Action Group in producing a Policy that reaches across schools, Third Sector and communities. Part of this on-going work is to promote joined up approaches to sharing training resources, and culture of learning and training across sectors to achieve better impact and outcomes. • In order to enhance skills of staff, volunteers, and trainees relevant to Community Learning and Development practices, Youth Services have provided 4 Kickstart traineeships resulting in, • 3 progressing to part-time sessional youth work posts • 1 securing temporary full-time employment on a grant funded youth project, • 1 Adult Trainee was able to successfully complete a 6-month workplace placement. • The Adult and Family Learning team also delivered a weekly programme of fun, games and lunch in Moorpark Leaning Centre, Southend Action Centre, West Johnstone Shared Campus, and the Tannahill Centre throughout July, • 47 families were involved in the activities with 49 adults and 93 children participating • Youth Services provided a targeted summer programme including Print Screen Painting, General Arts and Crafts and youth work activities for 14 young people from Mary Russell school 1 day per week throughout July. Page 305 of 470
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• Youth Services work in partnership with Mary Russell and Riverbrae schools to provide junior and senior youth clubs for their pupils who have ASN. 105 young people have attended 40 weeks of youth work activities after school including arts and crafts, games, and groupwork activities to promote confidence building, social skills and youth voice. Community Capacity / Connected Communities • Senior Development Officers have been identified for each local partnership area and are regularly attending the meetings and networking with key community members to establish local concerns and provide support to find solutions. • Community Learning and Development are investing in training on the national community database namely ALISS.ORG. The database will signpost and enable individuals/groups to carry out post code searches to find out what’s going on in their areas. • Work with schools continues to explore ideas around personal responsibility, civic pride and the power of working as a community to provide young people with a greater understanding of the consequences of positive and negative actions • 2000 P6 children had the opportunity to attend the Safe Kids events and participate in workshops delivered by Fire & Rescue, Transport Police, Police Scotland, The Wardens, Youth Team, Civil Contingencies, Drugs & Alcohol Service. Workshops included water safety, railway safety, antisocial behaviour in the community and what do to in an emergency. • Work has been undertaken to ensure that aspirations of the communities is being achieved from the allocation of Funding from the Green Spaces and Villages Improvement Fund. Since September 2022 fourteen community projects have secured the funding namely, • Bee Happy Houston – Local Community Gardening Club • Bishopton Christmas Lights • Cross Road Community Planting Group • Elderslie Community Council – Dog Fouling Bag Dispensers • Howwood Parent Council – MUGA • Howwood Wildlife Group – Improvements to Green Spaces • Inchinnan Community Council – Village Planters • Improvements to Glencorse Woodland • Langbank Bowling Green – Improvements • Lochwinnoch Arts Festival • Jenny’s Well Mural and Nature Trail • Pachedu & RAMH Community Garden • Robertson Bowling Club – Irrigation System • St Mirren Youth Team – Secure Perimeter Fencing on Inchinnan Playing Field • Team Up to Clean Up campaign continues to make significant progress by boosting increased engagement with schools, increasing bin provision and subtle nudge techniques around schools encouraging the use of bins. Highlighting the impact of actions on climate and successfully raising awareness which includes • 48 schools have received an input on Environment impact focussing on litter and the negative impact on local environmental quality including animal, marine harm and the negative effect on neighbourhoods and green spaces. Page 306 of 470
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• 120 school bins to be wrapped leading to favourite lunchtime takeaway vendors. • Using stencils in waste gullies e.g., ‘the sea starts here’ to raise awareness of the impact of dropping litter • To enhance and improve open spaces, and to increase and generate new interest during 20222 Team Up to Clean Up has provided, • 15 handy carts to volunteers to aide litter picking. • 8 volunteers have been provided with PPE, waterproof trousers, and boots. • 3 volunteers supplied with tools to aid with leaf blowing, strimming and hedge cutting. • 3 Volunteers secured funding to develop and improve the appearance of their communities to improve flowerbeds, install planters and vegetation. • To address community concerns of fly tipping and littering with support and assistance of the Environmental Taskforce introduced under the banner of Team Up to Clean Up the following measures are in place, • The Environmental Task Force was created with a focus on fly tipping. • Good results are being produced indicating an increase in Fixed Penalty Notices, building new relations with housing associations, private landowners and communities. • Work has been undertaken with local businesses to support the Sustainable Business Scheme encouraging businesses to be more environmentally conscious, reducing their impact on the surrounding community and becoming more active to present a cleaner, more appealing premises for their customers, progress includes, • 300 hot food vendors in Renfrewshire have been visited by Environmental Taskforce and Building Communities Team in partnership with SWECO The Environmental Taskforce along with the Building Communities team, in partnership with SWECO, to conduct a survey measuring sustainability and launch a Sustainable Food Business Scheme. • 140 businesses were issued with letters regarding Single Use Plastics legislation fully implemented in August 2022. Further visit will be undertaken by SEWCO to identify businesses still not complying with the legislation. • Opportunities continue to be identified working actively with key partners and Local Partnerships. Officers have been allocated to Local Partnerships and attend meetings. Continuing to work actively on mapping of areas which enables better input into Local Partnerships discussions. • Team Up to Clean Up (TU2CU) are actively enhancing and increasing volunteering opportunities as well as providing volunteers with continued opportunities to achieve their aspirations. The TU2CU is continuing to grow with good community movement and engagement in the picking up of litter across Renfrewshire. • 3 Bio-diversity workshops have been delivered with Jenny’s Well, Inchinnan Development Trust and Bee Happy Houston. • Support continued to be provided with Celebrating Renfrewshire participatory budgeting funding programmes including: • 200 young people participated in the voting process for their favourite projects to receive funding. In total 58 projects received funding • Members of the Steering Group will each gain a Saltire Award for their volunteering hours • Celebrating Renfrewshire was one of the nominees for this year’s Scottish Youth Link Awards. Renfrewshire Youth Voice in partnership with Street Stuff supported Page 307 of 470
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and managed the Celebrating Renfrewshire Fund including training a new group of young people to manage funding. Steering Group members will deliver a short presentation to each Local Partnership with what organisations were successful in gaining funding. • Training needs analysis for staff and volunteer developments continues to be undertaken to address any skills gaps progress to date includes, • 8 volunteers completed the ESOL training and adult literacies volunteer training • Community Capacity has now had its Community Learning Officers registered with the CLD Standards Council in recognition of their skills • Attendance at all relevant training on the social work calendar • One to One to meetings with staff to support Training Needs Analysis • 3 Adult and Family Learning sessional staff are currently studying for their Personal Development Award: Supporting Adult Literacy Learners with colleagues from East Renfrewshire and Aberdeenshire, delivered online by Glasgow Clyde College Page 308 of 470
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Year 3 – Priorities for 2023-2024 Community and Learning and Development will continue to make progress and achieve high level service delivery outcomes against the ongoing Actions listed below across the three priorities. • Universal Provision, • Targeted Provision and • Community Capacity/Connected Communities The priorities and actions will be reviewed during 2023-2024 and informed by the feedback from the upcoming Education Scotland Inspectors visit which includes review of the Renfrewshire’s Community Learning and Development Strategy 2021-2024. Universal Provision • During April – August 2023 an online Youth Survey was launched targeted at young people in Primary 6 and 7, Secondary SI-S6 including 16- to 25-year-olds. The online survey is complimented by focus group discussions. The aim of the survey is to identify current need, connection to community and issues and barriers faced by young people. Analysis of the responses will be used to inform CLD provision. The Regional Improvement Plan will also be informed by young people from the results of the research that is currently being undertaken by young people. Renfrewshire Youth Services continue to lead initiatives working across the West Partnership promoting youth participation through the recruitment and training of West partnership Ambassadors. • Continue to develop and enhance joined up approaches with a range of partners to deliver Community Learning in community bases. • Identify opportunities to develop and enhance youth empowerment by supporting and promoting young people’s learning around democratic processes, voting, participating in budgetary decision-making process, and an enhanced ability to influence positive changes in schools and communities to achieve better outcomes. • Continue to develop approaches to challenge stereotypes and promote gender equality, reduce incidents of bullying, and hate crime, the promotion of antidiscrimination and prevention of violence against women. • Work will be carried out with schools to develop the Mentors against Violence programme beyond schools and into the community, fostering wider peer led educational and groupwork approaches. Support young people to design and lead on a public campaign across Renfrewshire to raise awareness of the issue and canvass support to challenge and reduce gender-based violence. • Continue to work in partnership with schools around the UNCRC agenda. Actively support young people in designing and delivering workshops and campaigns to raise awareness and have wider impact to promote rights, equalities and opportunities and reduce violence and discrimination. • Undertake consultation and outreach in under-represented areas to develop youth voice in the community. Youth Services will work in partnership with Renfrewshire Youth Voice and MSYP’s to deliver workshops and events in communities to encourage young people to share their views on what they would like to see happening and changes they want to effect in their neighbourhoods. Results and outcomes will inform and shape the local Youth Action Plans to target funding and resources to put ideas into action to address priority needs. • Renfrewshire Youth Voice will plan their 11th year of the Positive About Youth Awards to combat negative stereotypes of young people, celebrating the achievements and determination of young people and their role to change things for Page 309 of 470
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other young people and their communities. The event will be held in the Normandy Hotel. • Youth Services will continue to support the Young Scot NEC Card services, including the national roll-out of free travel for Under-22s in Scotland, promote the Young Scot Young Carers package, and encourage the growing number of cardholders to carry and use their NEC card to utilise the additional benefits and discounts it offers. • The Renfrewshire Young Scot Portal will continue to be developed and enhanced with youth led content on local opportunities and support services. Contributing to Renfrewshire’s Digital Strategy and developing the Renfrewshire Young Scot Steering Group with key service/partner representatives and young people. • Focus for the future on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme will include developing ideas to support young people in completing the award. We will also strengthen the links to volunteering opportunities within youth and community settings. An inaugural DofE in Renfrewshire Celebration Event will be held in February 2024 to showcase the Award Programme, achievements and contributions of young people and adults across the authority. • Youth Services will continue to deliver a range of accreditation including Hi5, Dynamic Youth Award, Participatory Democracy Award, the Participatory Budgeting Award, Community Empowerment Award, and the Arts Award. • Street Stuff will continue to deliver a core programme of activities in communities maximising opportunities for volunteering and employment for Renfrewshire residents. • Street Stuff work with schools to further develop the new Street to School programme delivering multi-sports, field trips, educational activities, healthy eating and explore new opportunities for accreditation. They will also continue to support the childcare and holiday provision agenda during school holiday periods with the provision of a healthy meal. • Street Stuff will work with Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers to support integration into the wider community through the delivery of activities and assessing volunteer, employment opportunities. • Communities and Public protection will continue to work with schools, communities, local and national partners to develop and deliver sessions around particular emerging trends to raise awareness of community safety issues that impact on individuals and communities. Targeted Provision • Adult and Family Learning Services will continue to actively reconnect with learners and partners continuing to offer blended options of ESOL and Adult Literacies. As well as develop learning programmes that enhance engagement in formal and non- formal learning in community-based settings. • There will be continued recognition and focus on Mental Health because of the continuing/ longer term impact of the pandemic on learners. A flexible and wide range of learning opportunities will be developed. • Personal and Social Development learning will focus on wellbeing, offering a range of activities and delivering a learning programme that raises awareness and reinforces healthy choices. • The service will continue to work in partnership with Barnardo’s and Citizens Advice Bureau targeting parents and carers who have taken part in family learning programmes to progress into courses that build on their existing skills and experience and foster positive networks. Page 310 of 470
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• A discreet learning group for jobseekers will be developed in partnership with Enable Works offering a confidence building programme and progression to access wider community-based adult learning. • New Digital Skills courses will be delivered for people with little or no experience of using digital devices in each of the learning centres across Renfrewshire, encouraging safe and practical digital participation using laptops and tablets. • Weekly Work Clubs will be reintroduced into CLD learning centres to support jobseekers by providing access to online job searches and help with form completion and updating Claimant Commitments. • A new family learning programme will be developed encouraging families to be more environmentally conscious and to take positive action in their communities. • The family learning maths programme will be refreshed in response to Multiply, the 3-year • UK-wide numeracy initiative and piloted with families in selected primary schools. (Multiply) • Numeracy will be embedded across the full range of learning programmes including ESOL, family learning, personal and social development, and digital learning in response to Multiply, the 3-year UK-wide adult numeracy initiative. • A literacy programme will be developed providing a progression route into wider community-based adult learning opportunities for learners who are ready to move on to new challenges. • ESOL classes will be delivered in the community for people with little or no English, and informal conversational groups for basic/elementary ESOL learners who want to improve language skills to access support and services or participate in cultural and leisure opportunities in their new communities. This includes, but is not exclusive to, targeted groups of New Scots such as Ukrainian, Syrian, Iraqi and Afghani refugees and asylum seekers being accommodated in Renfrewshire. • ESOL support will be provided to Ukrainian refugees in temporary accommodation awaiting resettlement at Glasgow Airport and for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children over 16 years in partnership with the UASC/ Throughcare team • ESOL will be delivered on campus at Glencoats PS for adults and families seeking asylum and being supported by Renfrewshire’s Resettlement Team and Mears Housing belonging to the school community. • Youth work programmes will be targeted at vulnerable young people. The EVOLVE programme will continue to offer informal learning and achievement to groups identified in primary, secondary and post-school age young people. • Support and safe spaces for LGBTI young people to meet and decide on a programme of activities will continue to be provided across Renfrewshire. • The Young and Equally Safe Project will reconvene with new staff to support the MVP Leaders in designing their community-based workshops and public campaign and to embark on a youth leadership training programme. • The ArtBoss, Yo-Producers, the Arts and Cultural Engagement Programme and Promise Champions, will continue to offer avenues for expression and activity for care experienced young people and young carers. • Renfrewshire Youth Work Network will continue to meet and develop partnerships working across the communities, sharing good practice, ideas and delivering on key priorities for children and young people. • Youth Services will facilitate a Renfrewshire celebration and spotlight events during the National Youth Work week, demonstrating how ‘youth work changes lives’, and support the publishing of the new National Youth Work Strategy, encouraging local conversations with young people, and decisionmakers on how national can meet local action. Page 311 of 470
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• Ren Ten will be supported with mapping community mental health to identify gaps which need to be addressed and to encourage creative approaches to building community resilience and health and wellbeing. Training will be delivered to enhance skills of staff, volunteers and trainees relating to CLD practice and awareness raising of issues-based work. Community Capacity/ Connected Communities • Action is being undertaken to develop a Locality Model: Community Learning and Development Services, which will ensure regular attendance at local partnerships meetings creating close links with key community members and local concerns. • Work will continue with schools, exploring ideas around personal responsibility, civic pride and the power of working as a community to provide young people with a greater understanding of the consequences of positive and negative actions. • The work of the Green Spaces and Villages Improvement Fund will continue while funding remains available. Applicants (community groups, individual volunteers, and schools) will be guided and supported to meet the criteria and ensure their community’s aspirations are delivered. • The Team Up to Clean Up campaign will work to boost increased engagement with schools, increasing bin provision and subtle nudge techniques around schools encouraging the use of bins. Presentations and discussions to raise awareness of the impact of decisions on the community and highlight the impact of actions on the climate will be developed. • The release of £40,000 of Green Spaces Funding for volunteers, will be used to enhance and improve open spaces, and generate new interest in the Campaign and the benefits it can deliver for communities. • Community concerns of fly tipping, littering and dog fouling will be addressed with the support and assistance of the Environmental Taskforce. • Developing Communities will continue to work with local businesses to support the Sustainable Business Scheme which will encourage businesses to be more environmentally conscious, reducing their impact on the surrounding community and becoming more active to present a cleaner, more appealing premises for their customers. • Volunteering opportunities will be increased through Team Up to Clean Up providing volunteers with continued opportunities to achieve their aspirations including issuing tools to clear leaves and weeds, waterproof clothing/footwear or benches, planters, and plants to increase the appeal of a community. • Biodiversity workshops will continue for volunteers in Renfrewshire’s three towns. The workshops educate and prepare volunteers to creating a wildflower area. Increasing volunteers’ knowledge as well as improving biodiversity in Renfrewshire. • Support will continue for the process of application to the Celebrating Renfrewshire participatory budgeting fund. The process will empower applicants, raising awareness of the positive changes that can be made and deliver invaluable experience and an insight into the mechanics of funding. • Community Capacity in conjunction with Youth Services will continue to support the Celebrating Renfrewshire steering group who set the funding criteria each year to ensure the funding is aimed at delivering relevant activities for young people. • Adult Literacies will continue to be developed using the Multiply funding initiative offering a wide range of non-accredited numeracy activities that build confidence with everyday use of numbers integrated into current provision and/or delivered as stand- alone programmes. Page 312 of 470
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• The potential to broaden non-formal ESOL learning to meet the increasing demand from resettled and asylum-seeking people (including, but not exclusively, people from Ukraine, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan) will be investigated. • The new beginners digital learning programme will be rolled out across all learning centres alongside the reintroduction of 3 community Work Clubs, supporting local jobseekers with access to IT. • A training needs analysis for staff and volunteer development is underway and relevant training opportunities to address skills gaps sourced to refresh and up-skill current and new staff across CLD. Page 313 of 470
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Appendix 1 Examples of Partner Organisations listed below supporting the delivery, progress and achievement of Community Learning Development Strategy 2021-2024: • Art BossCommunities • Create Paisley • Duke of Edinburgh Scotland • Enable • Engage Renfrewshire • English as and Additional Language (EAL) Team • Ferguslie Park Housing Association • Foxlea ELCC • I Am Me • Kairos Women+ • LGBT Scotland • Mears Housing • Moorpark ELCC • ONEREN Arts and Museums – Libraries and Leisure • Open Aye • Paisley FM • Police Scotland • RAMH • Ren Ten • Renfrewshire Affordable Credit Alliance • Renfrewshire Council • Renfrewshire’s Resettlement Team • Renfrewshire Youth Work Network • Right To Dance • ROAR • St Mirren Football Club • Star Project • Throughcare team • UASC • University of the West of Scotland • West College Scotland • West Johnstone ELCC • Woodlands PS • Yo- Producers • Young Scot Page 314 of 470
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• Youth Work Network Page 315 of 470
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Page 1 of 19 ___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board On: 31 October 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Head of Childcare and Criminal Justice ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Community Justice Update and Annual Return 2022/23 ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 This report details Community Justice Renfrewshire’s progress towards national justice outcomes, in accordance with statutory requirements. 1.2 The report describes how Community Justice Renfrewshire will build on these strengths and further develop its improvement approach in alignment with latest guidance and direction. 2. Recommendations 2.1 The Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board is asked: (a) That the Reporting Template for the Community Justice Renfrewshire Annual Report 2022/23, attached as Appendix to the report, be approved; and (b) That it be noted that the Community Justice Renfrewshire Annual Report Template 2022/23 had been submitted to Community Justice Scotland in draft format and, subject to approval and/or amendment by this Policy Board, the finalised Report would be submitted and published. Item 11 CHPB311023 Page 317 of 470
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Page 2 of 19 ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 Community Justice Renfrewshire – like other justice partnerships – is required to report on local progress towards national justice outcomes. Our achievements are relayed to Community Justice Scotland who combine with those of other justice partnerships to create a national report. 3.2 A new National Strategy for Community Justice was published in June 2022. This set the improvement priorities for Scotland’s community justice partnerships and outlined their contribution to the wider Vision for Justice in Scotland, published in February 2022. 3.3 Community Justice Scotland supply community justice partnerships with a reporting template. Partnerships must use this template to describe the local community justice activity delivered over the preceding financial year which has contributed to national justice outcomes. Community Justice Renfrewshire received this template in May 2023 and covers the 2022/23 financial year. 3.4 The 2022/23 template acknowledges that strategic developments that have taken place at a national level and that this has affected reporting requirements. The publication of the revised National Strategy for Community Justice part way through a reporting means that justice partnerships are unable to fully align their local progress to national justice outcomes. In response, Community Justice Scotland revised the scope of the 2022/23 template to allow for more reflection on how learning can be carried forward in pursuit of the revised national justice outcomes. ___________________________________________________________________ 4. Community Justice Renfrewshire Annual Outcome Activity Return 2022/23 4.1 Community Justice Renfrewshire’s Annual Outcome Activity Return is attached to this report (Appendix 1). The return identifies the opportunities identified over the period 1st April 2022 and 31st March 2023, and how these inform our current approach. Highlights include: • Recruitment of Community Justice Lead Officer in March 2023. • Publication of revised National Strategy for Community Justice and national improvement activity, and work to align and contextualise these in respect of Renfrewshire’s local improvement outcomes. Page 318 of 470
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Page 3 of 19 • Enhancing the breadth and depth of relationships with community justice partners. • Early work to refine the scope of the partnership’s strategic oversight and governance and improving links with complementary projects and programmes of work. • Progress to enhance the capacity of justice social work teams to provide early intervention for people accused of offences and reintegration support for people who have been convicted. • Early development of a long-term communication and engagement approach that informs our communities about community justice and creates opportunities for those with living experience of the justice system to influence local service delivery 4.2 In accordance with guidance, the return emphasises collaborative activity rather than detail that progressed by individual teams, services, or organisations. This reduces duplication of reporting and focuses on the partnership’s added value. 4.3 A draft of Renfrewshire’s Community Justice Annual Outcome Activity Return was sent to Community Justice Scotland in advance of the submission deadline (30 September 2023). A final report will be sent to Community Justice Scotland following this board’s review. 4.4 We will continue to work closely with Community Justice Scotland and review any learning from national report when it is published early next year. We will apply relevant learning to improve our local approach to reducing reoffending and improving outcomes for those with living experience of the justice system. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial - None 2. HR & Organisational Development - None 3. Community Planning - The report details a range of activities which reflect local council and community planning themes. CJR is embedded within community planning arrangements. 4. Legal - None, this report meets the council’s statutory community justice requirements. 5. Property/Assets - None 6. Information Technology - None 7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating Page 319 of 470
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Page 4 of 19 actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety - Children’s Services continues to follow current public health guidance in relation to the safe operation of working environments. 9. Procurement - None. 10. Risk - Risks related to the delivery and management of services are regularly monitored and included in Renfrewshire Council’s Corporate and Strategic Risk Registers. 11. Privacy Impact - None 12. COSLA Policy Position - None 13. Climate Change - None ___________________________________________________________________ 14. List of Background Papers none _________________________________________________________________ Author: Jamie Gardyne, Community Justice Lead Officer Page 320 of 470
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Page 5 of 19 Appendix 1 April 2023 Community Justice Scotland Ceartas Coimhearsnachd Alba Community Justice Outcome Activity Across Scotland Local Area Annual Return Template 2022-23 Page 321 of 470
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Page 6 of 19 1. Background This reporting template has been developed in discussion with community justice representatives from local areas, and is designed to support local areas in reporting to CJS on the achievement of outcomes in order that CJS is able to write its annual report to satisfy s27 of the Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 (‘the Act’). The process of requesting information from local areas through the completion of this reporting template fulfils the requirement for CJS to consult with community justice partners and stakeholders when preparing the annual report, as set out under section 27(3). Completing the template can also support local areas to make an assessment of progress towards national outcomes and prepare their own local- facing annual report, which is a statutory obligation under section 23.. Significant strategic developments took place in and around the reporting year 2022- 23, namely; 1. Publication of the Scottish Government’s Vision for Justice in February 2022. 2. The publication of a revised National Strategy in June 2022. 3. The review of the OPIF culminating in the publication in April 2023 of the Community Justice Performance Framework and the accompanying Community Justice Improvement Tool. These significant strategic developments had substantial implications for local areas in their delivery of their statutory obligations within community justice. Further, they had the effect of creating a de-facto transition year, where the National Strategy for Community Justice and reporting framework were not aligned. In recognition of this, we have reconsidered the scope of this template and the report it informs for the reporting period 2022-23. CJS approached community justice coordinators and managers in March 2023 seeking volunteers to participate in the creation of the 2022-23 annual report template. CJS would like to extend thanks to those community justice partners that took the time to participate in the development group and others that provided sense-checking comments on the draft. 2. Statement of Assurance and Data Usage The information submitted to CJS using this template will be specifically used for the purpose of fulfilling the requirement under s27 of the Act for CJS to produce a report on performance in relation to community justice outcomes across Scotland. It will also be used by CJS in its role to monitor, promote and support improvement in, and keep the Scottish Ministers informed about, performance in the provision of community justice. In line with provisions in the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), CJS will use appropriate data to ensure that there is continuous reporting, development and progress towards the national outcomes. By providing data to CJS you are consenting to its use by CJS as indicated. Community Page 322 of 470
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Page 7 of 19 Justice Partnerships should be aware that any information held by CJS is subject to statutory Freedom of Information obligations. The template can be used by local partnerships to fulfil their requirements under s23 (1b) of the Act, when published as an appendix to a publicly facing summary statement of annual progress. 3. General principles of the template The template and guidance have been developed using the following principles: • Retention of the outcomes and indicators from the 2016 OPIF and previous templates, supplemented with additional guidance and direction around answering the questions. • The template should enable a shorter return. • Better support local partners to comply with their local reporting requirements set out in section 23 of the Act. E.g. the inclusion of local outcomes, which also support CJS to understand local issues. • Continue to seek evidence about new collaborative activities. • Support CJS to comply with their requirements in section 27 of the Act. Page 323 of 470
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Page 8 of 19 4. How to fill in the template The return should be completed and consulted on with partners involved in community justice in your local area. In line with the Act this includes statutory partners, third sector bodies involved in community justice in relation to the area, such community bodies in relation to the area as partners consider appropriate, and such other persons as partners consider appropriate. CJS expects that completion of this template will be a collaborative effort. This template incorporates guidance support completion, with the text (in blue) providing reflective prompts to consider to develop your answer, which can be deleted and replaced with your response. These should be considered together through the development of your answer, rather than addressed individually. In response to feedback on accessibility and in order to support our analysis, we have removed the text boxes around questions and answers. There is no expectation that areas will return substantial numerical data. We would encourage partners to develop the response to this template in conversation with each other, and view it as an opportunity to reflect on your strengths and needs in partnership. Where the template asks for evidence, a written response will suffice and there is no expectation that you send additional supporting documentation – if there are any aspects CJS is unclear on it will be our responsibility to request clarification where necessary. If any response or evidence requires details about people with lived experience (e.g. evidence in respect of someone’s life story) please DO NOT include any identifiable personal or sensitive information (as outlined in Schedules 2 & 3 of the Data Protection Act 1998) as CJS does not require such information. If this is unavoidable then please ensure that the data is fully anonymised. This is the sixth iteration of the template and guidance. If you have any queries about completing the template then please email CJSImprovement@communityjustice.scot. Page 324 of 470
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Page 9 of 19 1) Community Justice Partnership / Group Details Name of local authority area/s Renfrewshire Council Name and contact details of the partnership Chair Name: John Trainer Email: john.trainer@renfrewshire.gov.uk Telephone: n/a Contact for queries about this report Name: Jamie Gardyne Email: Jamie.gardyne@renfrewshire.gov.uk Telephone: 2) Template Sign-off from Community Justice Partnership / Group Chair Enter the name of the chair to confirm that the local community justice partnership representatives have agreed this return as an accurate record. It should be returned to CJS by 30 September 2023. For the purpose of submitting this return to CJS (to meet CJS section 27 duty) ensure you have agreement from community justice partners. For the purpose of publishing this template as part of your s23 duty (publish a public- facing annual report on progress towards national and local outcomes) you should follow local governance arrangements. Date 18 September 2023 Name:…John Trainer Page 325 of 470
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Page 10 of 19 3) Governance Arrangements Last year, we asked partnerships to describe their governance structure for community justice arrangements and include links to wider community planning. Please describe any substantive changes since your previous answer. No change. 4) The year overall 2022-23 saw substantial developments and change within the service delivery and strategic policy landscape. This section should be used to reflect some of the a) challenges/negative implications and b) opportunities/positive implications from the reporting year on the community justice partnership. This can include impact on the improvement activity, partner collaboration, and delivery of services. Challenges / Negatives There were challenges in maintaining the strategic focus Community Justice Renfrewshire (CJR) over the 2022-23 period owing to the Community Justice Lead Officer post being vacant until March 2023 (having previously been vacant for two years). This meant we were less proactive and more reactive to policy, service planning and delivery. Although relationships across the CJR were maintained, changes to staff, teams, and structures across individual CJR partners sometimes disrupted communication flows. Although partners are invested the local community justice vision, there was limited opportunity over this period to add value through the strategic review of insight relating to local needs and impact. Although justice work was progressed, at times this was done at a team, service, or organisational level, or through related projects or programmes of work. This meant there were reduced opportunities for all justice partners to contribute to the design, implementation, and monitoring/review stages. Positives / Opportunities Renfrewshire Council’s Chief Executive Service supported CJR with the interpretation of the new National Strategy for Community Justice, published in June 2022. The service reviewed the strategic focus of the new strategy and progressed work to consider the alignment with Renfrewshire’s revised Community Plan published in 2022. This created an opportunity to underline the importance of community justice activity in working towards both local and national improvement outcomes and define the discrete and complementary activity being progressed through CJR and other projects and programmes of work. Page 326 of 470
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Page 11 of 19 The strategic focus of the new National Strategy for Community Justice creates opportunities to leverage our partner resources to best effect, improving outcomes for people with living experience of the justice system and supporting their reintegration. The strategy reinforces the role of community justice partnerships to lead the design, implementation and review of services that support relevant populations. This is achieved though effective partnership working and governance arrangements. Throughout 2022/23, we have benefitted from learning from other local partnership arrangements, reviewing the impact of structural changes, refinement to membership, delivery methods and reporting. This helped inform an approach to enable the Community Justice Lead Officer to re-establish CJR and define an effective vision and purpose. The recruitment of the Community Justice Lead Officer in March 2023 enabled CJR to begin coordinating our response to the revised National Strategy for Community Justice and the revised Performance Framework. Short term activity focused on re-establishing relationships with CJR partners and highlighting the opportunities associated with taking a service-design approach to targeting resources and capacity to achieve greatest impact. This approach will be applied to consider the implications and opportunities associated with the Joint Review of Diversion from Prosecution, published in February 2023. Work will be progressed to improve understanding of the strategic impact of diversion, taking learning from the Joint Review to identify shared partnership measures. This will inform our local provision to inform, policy, practice, and support local improvement, and build confidence in diversion as a means of reducing reoffending for people for benefit from it. This section is designed to capture the evidence and data that has been used by your partnership over the reporting period to assess progress against the national outcomes. 1. NATIONAL OUTCOME ONE 2. Communities improve their understanding and participation in community justice* Where applicable have regard to the following indicators: ➢ Activities carried out to engage with ‘communities’ as well as other relevant constituencies ➢ Consultation with communities as part of community justice planning and service provision ➢ Participation in community justice, such as co-production and joint delivery ➢ Level of community awareness of / satisfaction with work undertaken as part of a CPO ➢ Evidence from questions to be used in local surveys / citizens’ panels and so on ➢ Perceptions of the local crime data Page 327 of 470
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12 *Community Justice comprises the activities, services and partners that work with and around people from the point of arrest, through the justice system and supporting their exit from justice contact and integration into their community 5) How have you engaged with partners, communities, and individuals to improve their understanding and participation in relation to community justice? CJR understands the value of engaging with partners, communities and individual to improve understanding and participation in relation to community justice. Over the course of 2022/23 there have been limited opportunities to do this in a coordinated manner owing to the lead officer post being vacant for most of this period. Many of the partners represented in CJR have a proactive approach to engaging with communities to inform, educate, collaborate, and learn from. Through the refresh of Renfrewshire’s Community Plan, extensive engagement was undertaken to understand local needs and priorities. Our communities told us they want to see the needs of vulnerable groups addressed, particularly those whose behaviour is negatively affected by alcohol and drugs misuse. They want risk managed in an appropriate way, providing appropriate and timely means of addressing offending behaviour whilst maintaining public protection. The revised National Strategy for Community Justice underlines the importance of engaging with our communities alongside the people with living experience of the justice system and the people that support them. We will build on the insight held across the partnership and learn from the engagement activity undertaken over the course of 2022/23 to build a strategic, long-term approach that enables co-design of services and a greater understanding of impact of community justice activity. Work has progressed to strengthen links between CJR and Renfrewshire’s Third Sector Interface organisation Engage Renfrewshire. Engage Renfrewshire will be a critical partner in identifying and facilitating conversations with organisations who work with people with living experience of the justice system. This approach will mean that people’s experiences can be relayed and captured by teams and organisations with whom that person has an existing and trusted relationship, and who are best placed to adopt a person-centred and trauma informed approach. Our partnership has a critical role to play in improving local understanding and participation in community justice. Early development work has taken place to develop a strategic communications approach that will deliver a programme of communication of activity over the life of Renfrewshire’s Community Justice Outcome Improvement Plan, drawing mainly on insight from those with living experience of community justice. Page 328 of 470
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13 NATIONAL OUTCOME TWO Partners plan and deliver services in a more strategic and collaborative way Where applicable have regard to the following indicators: ➢ Services are planned for and delivered in a strategic and collaborative way ➢ Partners have leveraged resources for community justice ➢ Development of community justice workforce to work effectively across organisational/professional /geographical boundaries ➢ Partners illustrate effective engagement and collaborative partnership working with the authorities responsible for the delivery of MAPPA 6) How has your partnership worked to enable strategic and collaborative service planning and delivery? Renfrewshire’s Community Planning Partnership has a demonstrated ability to plan and deliver services in a strategic and collaborative way. Our partnership applies learning and experience from this and other local partnership approaches, with our stakeholders aware of the benefits of leveraging collective resources to maximise impact and improve outcomes for people with living experience of the justice system. Progress was made to review the vision, purpose and collaborative opportunities with other projects and programmes of work taking place across the Community Planning Partnership. This will enable our partnership to scope our work accordingly and identify the most appropriate forums to review, develop, implement and test specific improvement activity. This approach will minimise duplication of effort and ensure appropriate strategic oversight. The new National Strategy for Community Justice created an opportunity for CJR to review our work and align to national areas of focus. Early work has progressed to develop a deeper understanding of the needs of targeted local populations, drawing on insight gathered from larger community planning activity. This activity will draw on the Scottish Approach to Service Design, European Foundation for Quality Management approaches and the Care Inspectorate’s approach to self-evaluation. This will build on recent service and organisation-level reflective activity and take a person-centred approach to ensure services are appropriate, accessible, and effective at the point they’re required. Learning from other partnerships will guide thinking to ensure CJR is informed in regard to the potential impact of future developments that might alter the demand and delivery of future provision. Renfrewshire’s Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) have continued online throughout 2022/23. Renfrewshire’s MAPPA co-ordination arrangements are undertaken by the MAPPA unit based in neighbouring Inverclyde Council. Covering the previous North Strathclyde Community Justice Authority boundary of six local authorities, two health boards, Scottish Prison Service and three divisions of Police Scotland. This approach has continued to facilitate effective planning, with opportunity for joint learning and improvement achieved through six-monthly quality assurance Page 329 of 470
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14 processes. Governance for these arrangements consists of the MAPPA Strategic Oversight Group which within Renfrewshire report to the Renfrewshire Chief Officers Group. NATIONAL OUTCOME THREE People have better access to the services that they require, including welfare, health and wellbeing, housing and employability Where applicable have regard to the following indicators: ➢ Partners have identified and are overcoming structural barriers for people accessing services ➢ Existence of joint-working arrangements such as processes / protocols to ensure access to services to address underlying needs ➢ Initiatives to facilitate access to services ➢ Speed of access to mental health services ➢ % of people released from a custodial sentence: a) registered with a GP b) have suitable accommodation c) have had a benefits eligibility check ➢ Targeted interventions have been tailored for and with an individual and had a successful impact on their risk of further offending 7) What steps have you taken to improve access to services, and what impact has there been as a result? In support of the new National Strategy for Community Justice, CJR has engaged with stakeholders to identify areas where more detailed strategic needs and strength analysis will be undertaken in support of service design and improvement. There are opportunities to collectively review and understand the pathways to housing and homeless support for people with living experience of the justice system. We recognise the demands on the resources of this service, and by facilitating a deeper dive into the client journey CJP will offer the space where relevant agencies can reflect on the planning, delivery and the impact of current approaches with a view to improving access, understanding and information sharing between this and other services/supports where possible. CJP works collaboratively with other partnerships and works strategically to progress community justice improvement work through the most appropriate means. We have strong links with Renfrewshire’s Local Employability Partnership, with the Community Justice Lead Officer historically co-chairing the Local Employability Partnership Justice Subgroup to coordinate improvement activity for this population group. The LEP Justice Subgroup has identified that some clients who work with employability partners can become overwhelmed with the support on offer. Clients are sometimes not ready to Page 330 of 470
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15 receive support, and instead seek what they deem to be a higher priority at that given time. For some, the biggest need centres around confidence building and developing thinking around personal development, both examples of early help that are sometimes not formally catered for through existing referral pathways. Partners also recognise the challenges of securing employability opportunities for this with sexual offence convictions, and although there is local provision to specifically address this need, there is potential to enhance this further and incorporate learning from this into a wider programme of communication and awareness raising activity. These areas have fed into more focused self-evaluation and service design activities to be progressed in 2023/24. The work to position CJR relative to other strategic partnerships has identified the most effective means and forums to review the delivery and impact of health and social care services for people with living experience of the justice system. Evidence from partners suggests there is potential to review the client experience of engaging with health and social care supports as they progress through the justice system. This will be considered in more detail in a similar approach to that outlined for employability supports, drawing on evidence that demonstrates the impact on client outcomes to identify improvement opportunities. NATIONAL OUTCOME FOUR Effective interventions are delivered to prevent and reduce the risk of further offending Where applicable have regard to the following indicators: ➢ Use of ‘other activities requirements’ in CPOs ➢ Effective risk management for public protection ➢ Quality of CPOs and DTTOs ➢ Reduced use of custodial sentences and remand: a) Balance between community sentences relative to short custodial sentences under one year b) Proportion of people appearing from custody who are remanded ➢ The delivery of interventions targeted at problem drug and alcohol use [NHS Local Delivery Plan (LDP) Standard] ➢ Number of Police Recorded Warnings, police diversion, fiscal measures, fiscal diversion, supervised bail, community sentences (including CPOs , DTTOs and RLOs ) ➢ Number of short-term sentences under one year 8) What changes have been made to community justice arrangements to enable desistence, reduce reoffending, and promote integration, and what impact has there been as a result? CJR is committed to enabling desistence, reducing offending, and supporting the integration and rehabilitation of people accused or convicted of offences. Over the course of 2022/23, partners have delivered services to disrupt the cycle of offending Page 331 of 470
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16 behaviour by providing people with housing and employability support, health and social care provision, and a range of diversionary and community-based interventions to address the key drivers of offending behaviour. As part of our revised Community Justice Outcome Improvement Plan, these supports will be reviewed through the lens of the client journey to ensure they are timeous, accessible and informed through appropriate data and insight. One of the most significant changes to community justice arrangements progressed in 2022/23 relates to the development of enhanced social work supports. As part of developing service design proposals, a commitment was made to increase staff resource to meet the justice vision of earlier intervention, to commence delivery of supervised bail and electronic monitoring of people with convictions. This increase in resource will also provide further capacity to undertake diversionary activity and offer throughcare support. These measures will enable a broader range and depth of interventions, helping people for whom it’s appropriate seek the help they need to avoid the disruption of custodial sentences or ease their integration on release. These arrangements will be fully embedded over the course of 2023/24 with impact measured against self-evaluation criteria. This will enable the service and CJR to identify areas for further improvement or enhancement, such as supplementing with thirds sector provision. NATIONAL OUTCOME FIVE Life chances are improved through needs, including health, financial inclusion, housing and safety, being addressed. NATIONAL OUTCOME SIX People develop positive relationships and more opportunities to participate and contribute through education, employment and leisure activities. NATIONAL OUTCOME SEVEN Individuals’ resilience and capacity for change and self-management are enhanced. Have regard to the following indicator: ➢ Individuals have made progress against the outcome 9) What mechanisms and arrangements enable your area to understand progress for people against these outcomes? CJR partners use various approaches to measure the impact of community justice interventions on person-centred outcomes. Page 332 of 470
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17 CJR supports are deployed in a way that seek to provide the right help at the right time. Our partners work hard to build relationships with people who use their services. These contact points provide an opportunity to assess each person’s individual needs and aspirations, and therein the approach that is best aligned to that person’s journey. CJR staff who work across social work, employability, housing, health and social care and the third sector are required through their own practice and compliance requirements to gather insight to demonstrate why, when and how they have responded to a person’s presenting needs, and what impact this response has had on that person’s outcomes. CJR recognises the value in this insight and has committed to explore the opportunities to improve information exchange between service transitions and commonality in measurement. This approach – underpinned by the Scottish Approach to Service Design – will allow us to understand the journey of people with living experience of the justice system beyond the experiences and interactions with individual teams, services, and organisations. CJR will use our leadership to embed a shared culture and vision that puts person- centred outcomes at the heart of service design. The Care Inspectorate’s Self Evaluation resources will be used to baseline our individual and collective approach to understand the needs of our justice-experienced communities and how we monitor the effectiveness of our response. This will involve closer dialogue with people with living experience of the justice system, including those accused or convicted of an offence and their families. Gathering insight on the wider impact of the justice system beyond just those who are accused of convicted will inform the development of complementary projects and programmes beyond community justice. This will serve to influence the supports available to people and their families at other key support touchpoints beyond the justice process and enable the full leveraging of resources across the Community Planning Partnership. 10) If available, provide one or more supporting case studies, lived experience narrative or other information to demonstrate activity and impact relating to the objectives reflected by person-centred outcomes 5, 6 and 7. Page 333 of 470
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18 11) Look ahead with the new National Strategy, Community Justice Performance Framework and Community Justice Improvement Tool. Please tell us what the next steps are for your partnership in light of these significant developments. The new National Strategy for Community Justice provides community justice partners with a roadmap for future improvement work. CJR is committed to making a local contribution to support the rehabilitation of people accused or convicted of offences to reduce reoffending and revictimisation. CJR published a revised Community Justice Outcome Improvement Plan in May 2023. The plan builds on previous successes and sets a general direction for Renfrewshire’s community justice activity. The plan identifies the following key drivers: • Communication and engagement: CJR partners must feel valued and see how their skills, knowledge and expertise can feed in to and add value to single- agency work. Across communities, we must promote and raise awareness to community justice in the right way, making sure perceptions are fair and informed. Those with living experience of the justice system must have opportunities to share their thoughts, feeling and opinions listened to and acted upon to make services and support more effective. • Strategic planning and governance: CJR will solidify our purpose as the forum where people’s community justice outcomes are improved through the effective design, delivery and monitoring of improvement activity that is over and above that delivered by individual teams or organisations. • Evidence-led approach: CJR will use the Community Justice Performance Framework to obtain a high-level view of the demand for our justice services and use local insight to support a deeper dive into the experience, needs and outcomes for individuals with living experience of the justice system. CJR will take time over the course of 2023/24 to re-establish and re-invigorate partnership arrangements are develop a culture and a shared vision that supports a service design and improvement approach to community justice activity. Once embedded within the strategic and operational layers of CJR, evidence-led actions will be developed in alignment with national priority areas: • We will aim to optimise the use of diversion and intervention at the earliest opportunity where it is safe to do so by improving our knowledge and understanding around the experience of those who receive this measure and identifying any barriers or challenges that prevent us from doing this more effectively • We will ensure that robust, high-quality interventions and public protection arrangements are available in Renfrewshire, building on early work to develop proposals for early intervention services with appropriate referral pathways. We will look at the experience and outcomes of individuals who participate in community sentences and identify opportunities to enhance the rehabilitative support on offer • We will take time to review the services we have on offer to individuals accused or convicted of an offence to make sure information sharing and transitions between services are as best they can be Page 334 of 470
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19 • We will work together to strengthen our leadership, engagement, and integrated approach by looking at who we are, what we do and how we do it. We want to reduce the opportunity for duplication across similar work areas and refine our structure and decision making to clearly show the value our partnership adds. The above noted focus areas present an important opportunity for our partners to deliver smart justice by taking a strategic approach to deploy our resources to best effect. We will use our governance structure to identify barriers and risks at an operational level and escalate these to senior strategic decision makers to inform our response. We will remain focussed on improving outcomes for people with living experience of the justice system and keep this at the heart of our decision making. Page 335 of 470
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 31 October 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Head of Policy and Partnerships – Chief Executive’s Service ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 In March 2023, core funding of £100,000 was allocated through the Fairer Renfrewshire programme to support the development of a summer holiday programme, with a focus on providing support over the holiday period to low- income families. £20,000 of funding was also allocated from the Future Paisley programme to enhance cultural experiences for low-income households. 1.2 In late June 2023, Renfrewshire received a further £120,655 from the Scottish Government as part of their national programme to enhance summer holiday and food provision. This funding was targeted at providing access to activities, childcare and food during the summer holiday period for school age children from low-income families. This brought the funding total to £240,655 allocated to Renfrewshire’s Summer of Fun programme. 1.3 A diverse programme was developed to deliver a range of activities for children, families, and young people across Renfrewshire to access over the holidays. This was developed and co-ordinated jointly by the Community Learning and Development and Partnerships and Inequalities team within the Chief Executive’s Service, in consultation with the Fairer Renfrewshire sub- committee and the Fairer Renfrewshire Lived Experience Panel. 1.4 The Programme represented a true partnership approach in Renfrewshire with a huge variety of provision targeted to support low income households, which Item 12 CHPB311023 Page 337 of 470
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was delivered by Community Learning and Development, Street Stuff, Education, One Ren, Future Paisley and community groups and organisations. 1.5 A small grants pilot programme was also developed and launched for the first time, with £55,000 available to support local community groups and organisations to deliver free activities over the summer holidays which could reach communities where there may be gaps in provision or additional need. 1.6 Initial evaluation information indicates that the programme was successful in reaching low-income families, particularly those families who are in the child poverty priority groups who may be underserved by mainstream holiday programmes. The wide range of activities on offer ensured that children were able to try new experiences and visit new places. 1.7 Full detail is provided within sections 4 and 5 of this report, and the evaluation report provided at Appendix 1. 1.8 Further discussion and engagement will now take place with the Fairer Renfrewshire sub-committee and the Lived Experience Panel to consider the initial evaluation information that is available and to use this to inform decisions in relation to potential future provision. Officers are also contributing to national evaluation work being undertaken in relation to the Scottish Government funding provided. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 Members of the Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board are requested to: (i) note the content of the Evaluation of the Summer of Fun Programme report. _________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 Work commenced in March 2023 to deliver a summer holiday programme in Renfrewshire. Core funding of £100,000 was initially allocated to support this programme through the Fairer Renfrewshire programme, with a focus on providing support over the holiday period to low-income families. £20,000 of funding was also allocated from the Future Paisley programme to enhance cultural experiences over the summer period for low-income households. 3.2 In late June 2023, £4m of funding was announced by the Scottish Government to enhance summer holiday and food provision nationally. Renfrewshire was allocated £120,655 for this purpose. This brought the total funding available to the programme to £240,655. Page 338 of 470
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3.3 Initially it was agreed that £25,000 of the £100,000 Fairer Renfrewshire funding available, would be allocated to support a small grants fund pilot for local community groups and organisations to operate for Summer 2023. This was topped up to £55,000 once Scottish Government funding was confirmed. 3.4 The Scottish Government did not provide formal guidance for summer programming for 2023, instead, Local Authorities were asked to draw on the principles and policy intent from the 2022 guidance, namely targeted access to activities, childcare and food during the summer holiday period for school age children from low-income families. 3.5 Following engagement with the Fairer Renfrewshire Sub-Committee and specifically with the Fairer Renfrewshire Lived Experience Panel, it was agreed that the summer 2023 programme should operate based on a set of key principles including: • There should be a range of activities for children and families – a mixture of child only, family activities, free/chargeable and across several different communities in Renfrewshire; • The Council will work with partners to promote the variety of activities that are available – making sure that families know what is on and where; • The core focus of the funding will be to provide activities which support families from the child poverty priority groups and to target gaps in provision across localities; • Any activities funded through Fairer Renfrewshire should be free at the point of access with free food or snacks available depending on the length of the activity. 3.6 Using these principles, a multi-faceted and diverse programme was developed to deliver a range of activities for children, families, and young people across Renfrewshire to access over the holidays. This was developed and co- ordinated jointly by the Community Learning and Development and Partnerships and Inequalities team within the Chief Executive’s service. This included: • Summer camps organised by the Council’s Community Learning and Development Team • Family activities provided by Community Learning and Development Teams. • Activities and support for families with children with Additional Support Needs (ASN) • Evening activities delivered by Street Stuff • Activities in libraries provided by OneRen • A programme of activities provided by community partners Page 339 of 470
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• A communications campaign to promote all activities available over the summer in Renfrewshire. 3.7 The aim was to develop a programme of integrated provision to address the barriers and isolation faced by people in the most deprived areas, concentrating on the Scottish Government’s 6 main priority groups, who are especially vulnerable to falling into poverty: lone parent families, ethnic minority families, those with a disability, mothers under 25, those with a child under 1, those with more than 3 children. There was a strong focus on working closely with services such as Children’s Services Social Work, Education and other partners to identify families and young people within those groups and to signpost them towards and sign them up for universal activities. __________________________________________________________________________ 4 Participation Outcomes 4.1 Each element of the programme will be fully evaluated to find out what worked well in terms of activities and to gain understanding of the impact of the programme. Initial information gathered indicates that very positive outcomes have been achieved in terms of participation and engagement of participants: • 4,500 children attended the summer camps over the holiday period, and over 45% of children who attended were from lone parent families, over 42% were from large families and over a quarter were from families where a family member has a disability. • 190 families were able to access support through the summer camp activities offered for young people with Additional Support Needs, with a further 14 young people from Mary Russell being supported on a weekly basis. • There were 1858 attendances at Street Stuff activities provided over the summer across 7 locations. • 47 families participated in summer family learning activities with the adult learning team. • It is estimated that 739 adults and 1,921 children benefited from the Summer of Fun grant funded activities in the community. • 412 children and 74 adults attended Future Paisley funded sessions. All three projects provided opportunities for children and young people to access the benefits of art, music and creativity without any financial barriers and were successful in attracting families within the child poverty priority groups. Page 340 of 470
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4.2 Figures show that Summer of Fun funding contributed to increased footfall to Renfrewshire libraries, but it should be noted that this was not the only factor. An overall total of 56,824 physical attendances in the summer months of 2023 at all public libraries represents an increase of 65% from the same period in 2022, up from 34,461. The number of events increased by 74%, up from 448 to 779, while physical attendances at events by adults and children increased by 162% from 4,501 to 11,794. 4.3 Initial evidence and information collected indicates very positive feedback in terms of the variety and quality of the programme. Full detail is provided in Appendix 1 – however several quotes from participating children, families and organisations are provided below which clearly demonstrate the positive impact that participation has had: Both my kids love attending Street Stuff-wouldn’t change anything! My kids have loved the introduction of hot lunches this year. We are very lucky to have this in our community thank you. Given me time with other adults and made the holidays less isolating (Johnstone mum) The kids came out of their shell, being with other families helped so much (Paisley mum) The programme was hugely successful for us. We were inundated and had a waiting list. All the families involved said that it helped their children’s confidence and boosted their interest in music. Many stated that they would love their child to attend regular classes if they were affordable. Some children who attended were from families who did not previously have access to music and could not afford music activities. 75% of the parents we support in Renfrewshire identify as having mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, or perinatal mental health. We know that those we work with have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic... The increase in cost of living also affects the families we support unduly. Moving forward we anticipate an ongoing legacy of heightened anxiety over finances, increased loneliness, and poor self-esteem. ___________________________________________________________________________ 5 Interim key findings 5.1 Appendix 1 provides detailed information that has been collected as part of the initial evaluation work on the programme. This has been analysed and key findings have been identified as follows: Page 341 of 470
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• Access to free, inclusive and enjoyable activities alongside provision of a healthy snack or lunch contributed to a successful Summer of Fun programme. The wide range of activities on offer ensured that children were able to try new experiences and visit new places. • The Summer of Fun programme provided children with the opportunity to learn new skills, make friends, be creative, gain confidence and make memories with their families. • There is strong evidence that activities reached and benefited low-income families, in particular larger families, lone parents, families with disabilities and families with children aged under one year old. • Apart from providing free fun activities that low-income families could access, benefits of the Summer of Fun programme included encouraging new people to engage with organisations and helping to reduce costs for families over the long summer holiday. • Parents enjoyed being able to spend time playing together with their children without the pressure of having to come up with ideas to keep them entertained or having to consider any financial considerations. Their children benefited from having opportunities to mix with other children and to enjoy activities that they may not have been able to do at home, including trying new foods at lunchtime. • Some participating organisations suggested that consideration should be given to providing additional and targeted funding to increase the capacity of organisations to deliver a wider range of activities for a longer period or on an ongoing basis. This was particular the case for some activities which children and young people had enjoyed and could continue further with. • The importance of summer activity provision in maintaining continuity of support to families that are regularly working with local organisations was also highlighted as positive benefit and should also be considered for any future programmes. • Early discussions with colleagues in Children’s Services Social Work and Education were crucial to ensuring that activities were targeted to those most vulnerable in Renfrewshire. This included dialogue with the Kinship Team and a referral process set up for families who were identified as unable to access the online booking system. This was a key positive and is something that could be built on further if future programmes were undertaken. ___________________________________________________________________________ Page 342 of 470
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6 Next steps 6.1 The information gathered to date will be shared and discussed internally with the Fairer Renfrewshire Officer Group and reported to the Fairer Renfrewshire sub-committee in November 2023 to inform any next steps and funding decisions made in relation to the Fairer Renfrewshire programme. Information will also be provided to Scottish Government on the funding allocated and the learning from this through the programme as part of a national evaluation piece. 6.2 A very important step for us will be to offer to report back on the work that has been undertaken on the 2023 programme to the Fairer Renfrewshire Lived Experience Panel. 6.3 It is also important to thank all organisations, employees, families, children and young people that made the 2023 programme such a great success. ________________________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – Funding to deliver the Summer of Fun programme was funded by Fairer Renfrewshire, Future Paisley, and Scottish Government. 2. HR & Organisational Development – none. 3. Community/Council Planning – The multi-agency, universal and targeted work developed and delivered across Renfrewshire throughout the summer holidays as part of the National summer holiday and activities initiative contributed to key areas of activity relevant to Community Planning priorities and Renfrewshire’s Council Plan strategic outcomes; outlined below. • Our Renfrewshire is well - Supporting the wellness and resilience of our citizens and communities. • Our Renfrewshire is fair - addressing the inequalities that limit life chances. • Reshaping our place, our economy, and our future - Promoting learning and skills for life. • Building strong, safe, and resilient communities - Empowering communities and Delivering community-based services. • Tackling inequality, ensuring opportunities for all – Promoting skills and learning for life, Celebrating youth! Improving mental health and wellbeing; Addressing health inequalities; and promoting active lifestyles. 4. Legal – none. Page 343 of 470
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5. Property/Assets - none. 6. Information Technology - none. 7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report because it is for noting only. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety - none. 9. Procurement – none. 10. Risk - none. 11. Privacy Impact - none. 12. COSLA Policy Position –not applicable. 13. Climate Risk – not applicable. _________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers None ___________________________________________________________________ Page 344 of 470
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1 An evaluation of the Summer of Fun Programme This funding has played an important role in supporting our small charity so that we could provide fun and creative opportunities to children, young people and families in our community – thank you! Paisley YMCA Page 345 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 2 Contents 1. Executive Summary ...................................................................................... 3 2. About Summer of Fun .................................................................................. 6 3. Renfrewshire Summer of Fun Programme .............................................. 7 4. The Summer of Fun Small Grants Fund ................................................. 14 5. Evaluating the Summer of Fun programme .......................................... 18 How many people attended? ................................................................................... 23 What difference did the Summer of Fun programme make? .............................. 25 What worked well? ...................................................................................................... 27 6. Conclusions .................................................................................................. 29 Appendix 1 – Organisations which provided Summer of Fun activities ...... 32 Appendix 2 – Case Studies ..................................................................................... 33 Page 346 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 3 1. Executive Summary In March 2023 core funding of £100,000 was allocated through the Fairer Renfrewshire programme to support the development of a summer holiday programme, with a focus on providing support over the holiday period to low-income families. £20,000 of funding was also allocated from the Future Paisley programme to enhance cultural experiences for low-income households. The Fairer Renfrewshire Lived Experience Panel played a key role in directing how this funding could be used and in addition it was agreed that the summer 2023 programme should operate based on a set of key principles including: • There should be a range of activities for children and families – a mixture of child only, family activities, free/chargeable and across a number of different communities in Renfrewshire • The Council will work with partners to promote the variety of activities that are available – making sure that families know what is on and where • The core focus of the funding will be to provide activities which support families from the child poverty priority groups and to target gaps in provision across localities • Any activities funded through Fairer Renfrewshire should be free at the point of access with free food or snacks available depending on the length of the activity. In late June 2023, Renfrewshire received £120,655 from the Scottish Government as part of their national programme to enhance summer holiday and food provision. This funding was targeted at providing access to activities, childcare and food during the summer holiday period for school age children from low-income families. The addititional money from Scottish Government allowed for funding of £240,655 to be available for the delivery of the Summer of Fun programme across Renfrewshire. A comprehensive programme was developed in partnership with services within the Council, partners and community groups and organisation, with the principles developed by the Lived Experience Panel, being core to everything that was planned and delivered. In some instances, there was continuation or enhancement of activities that have been provided in the past, but there were many different elements of the programme where something was trialled for the first time. Renfrewshire’s Community Learning and Development team developed a programme of activities for children and young people with the provision of a healthy meal and worked with partners to significantly extend planned provision across Renfrewshire. The funding was used to provide: Page 347 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 4 • Summer camps, which had 4,500 attendees, and which over 45% of children who attended were from lone parent families, over 42% were from large families and over a quarter were from families where a family member has a disability • Specific summer camps for young people with Additional Support Needs, with 190 families using this support • Street Stuff activities for young people aged 8 – 14, which had 1,858 attendances across 7 locations • An Adult and Family learning programme, targeted 47 families, of whom 15 were large families and 11 were ethnic minority families. £55,000 of the total funding available was allocated to support a new pilot for a small grants programme for local community groups and organisations to operate for Summer 2023. This programme aimed to deliver free activities over the summer holidays which could reach communities that might be underserved by mainstream activities, particularly low-income families. It is estimated that 739 adults and 1,921 children benefited from these Summer of Fun activities. These projects were also successful at reaching the child poverty priority groups: • large families (94%), • families with a child aged under one year old (88%), • lone parents (88%) • families where parents are under the age of 25 (81%). • just over two thirds of organisations managed to reach black and minority ethnic families, families where someone in the house has a disability, and care experienced children and young people (69% each). OneRen was also allocated £9,910 to provide a programme of activities across all 12 Renfrewshire libraries, allowing coverage in areas where no other Summer of Fun activity was taking place, including the villages. The programme included Lego sessions, Marble Run Fun, Storytelling, including Sensory Storytelling, Mini Zoos and arts and crafts activities. All activities were well attended, with snacks and drinks provided for the children at as many activities as possible. Figures show that Summer of Fun funding contributed to increasing footfall to Renfrewshire libraries, but it should be noted that this was not the only factor. An overall total of 56,824 physical attendances in the summer months of 2023 at all public libraries represents an increase of 65% from the same period in 2022, up from 34,461. The number of events increased by 74%, up from 448 to 779, while physical attendances at events by adults and children increased by 162% from 4,501 to 11,794. Page 348 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 5 The £20,000 Future Paisley funding was used to fund 3 arts based projects which ran throughout the summer holiday period. Activities included introduction to piano and ukelele, singing and percussion instruments, craft activities and arts workshops providing opportunities to paint, draw and make items to take home. In total 412 children and 74 adults attended these sessions. All three projects provided opportunities for children and young people to access the benefits of art, music and creativity without any financial barriers and were successful in attracting families within the child poverty priority groups. This report describes the multi-agency, universal and targeted work delivered across Renfrewshire throughout the summer holidays as part of the 2023 Summer Holiday Provision initiative. Each programme delivered as part of the initiative will be fully evaluated to find out what worked well in terms of activities and to gain understanding of the impact of the programme. Organisations that received small grants funding were asked to complete a feedback form and surveys have been sent out to participants. This information will help to shape future programmes of work. Initial findings from this evaluation work is provided below: Interim Key findings • Access to free, inclusive and enjoyable activities alongside provision of a healthy snack or lunch contributed to a successful Summer of Fun programme. The wide range of activities on offer ensured that children were able to try new experiences and visit new places. • The Summer of Fun programme provided children with the opportunity to learn new skills, make friends, be creative, gain confidence and make memories with their families. • There is strong evidence that activities reached and benefited low-income families, in particular larger families, lone parents, families with disabilities and families with children aged under one year old. • Apart from providing free fun activities that low-income families could access, benefits of the Summer of Fun programme included encouraging new people to engage with organisations and helping to reduce costs for families over the long summer holiday. • Parents enjoyed being able to spend time playing together with their children without the pressure of having to come up with ideas to keep them entertained or having to consider any financial considerations. Their children benefited from having opportunities to mix with other children and to enjoy activities that they may not have been able to do at home, including trying new foods at lunchtime. Page 349 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 6 • Some participating organisations suggested that consideration should be given to providing additional and targeted funding to increase the capacity of organisations to deliver a wider range of activities for a longer period or on an ongoing basis. This was particular the case for some activities which children and young people had enjoyed and could continue further with. • The importance of summer activity provision in maintaining continuity of support to families that are regularly working with local organisations was also highlighted as positive benefit and should also be considered for any future programmes. • Early discussions with colleagues in Children’s Services Social Work and Education was crucial to ensure that activities were targeted to those most vulnerable in Renfrewshire. This included dialogue with the Kinship Team and a referral process set up for families who were idenfitied as unable to access the online booking system. This was key positive and is something that could be built on further if future programmes were undertaken. 2. About Summer of Fun Background In March 2023 core funding of £100,000 was allocated through the Fairer Renfrewshire programme to support the development of a summer holiday programme, with a focus on providing support over the holiday period to low-income families. £20,000 of funding was also allocated from the Future Paisley programme to enhance cultural experiences for low- income households. The Fairer Renfrewshire Lived Experience Panel played a key role in directing how this funding could be used. In late June 2023, Renfrewshire received £120,655 from the Scottish Government as part of their national programme to enhance summer holiday and food provision. This funding was targeted at providing access to activities, childcare and food during the summer holiday period for school age children from low-income families. While initially it was agreed that £25,000 of the £100,000 Fairer Renfrewshire funding available would be allocated to support a small grants fund pilot for local community groups and organisations to operate for Summer 2023, the Scottish Government funding enabled this grants programme to be increased to £55,000. This aimed to deliver free Page 350 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 7 activities over the summer holidays which could reach communities that might be underserved by mainstream activities, particularly low-income families. 3. Renfrewshire Summer of Fun Programme A multi-faceted and diverse programme was developed to deliver a range of activities for children, families and young people to access over the holidays. This included: • Summer camps organised by the Council’s Community Learning and Development Team • Family activities provided by Community Learning and Development Teams. • Activities and support for families with children with Additional Support Needs (ASN) • Evening activities delivered by Street Stuff • Activities in libraries provided by OneRen • A programme of activities provided by community partners • A communications campaign to promote all activities available over the summer in Renfrewshire The aim was to develop a programme of integrated provision to address the barriers and isolation faced by people in the most deprived areas, concentrating on the Scottish Government’s 6 main priority groups, who are especially vulnerable to falling into poverty: lone parent families, ethnic minority families, those with a disability, mothers under 25, those with a child under 1, those with more than 3 children. There was a strong focus on working closely with services such as Children’s Services Social Work, Education and other partners to identify families and young people within those groups and to signpost them towards and sign them up for universal activities. Summer Camps Building on the success of previous summer programmes and partnership working between services, Renfrewshire’s Community Learning and Development team decided to continue with a summer camp model offering places to children and young people. The holiday camps were held in 6 venues across Renfrewshire with a focus on reaching families most at need responding to the Scottish Government’s Childcare and activity programmes. This year we included the Gallowhill area following the recent child poverty data which highlighted increasing levels of child poverty in Gallowhill. Page 351 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 8 Families that had applied for free school meal/clothing grants from the Council were proactively contacted to allow them to book activities before opening these to the wider public. This was trialled this year to make it easier to access bookings and also to reduce stigmas by not asking to provide evidence of low income. Camps for those aged 5 – 14 years were delivered throughout the summer holidays from Monday – Friday, 9.30am – 3pm twice per week in each of the following venues: • Renfrew – St James’ Primary School • Gallowhill – Gallowhill Primary School • Ferguslie Park – Glencoats Primary School • Linwood – Woodlands Primary School • Foxbar – Gleniffer High School • Johnstone – West Johnstone Shared Campus This year’s programme offered several activities along with a healthy meal targeted at children from low-income families. A wide range of activities was delivered including multi-sports and dance activities, samba drumming; outdoor play and games, arts and crafts, clay sculptures, mask making and screen printing as well as an end of summer party on the last week. This year also introduced the children and young people to the revised menus being delivered in the new school term which were well received. A Senior Social Worker working with care experienced young people and families advised that: ”Early notification of the activities being provided as part of the Summer of Fun programme this year was hugely beneficial for the care experienced families we work with. Having the ability to make referrals on to the Community Learning and Development service ensured the majority of our families were able to be included where possible. School holidays are a difficult time for our families and having these activities with the provision of a healthy meal certainly helped reduce the pressure they are under “ Over the summer holiday period around 4,500 attendances were recorded at the camps. Participants were asked their views on the Summer of Fun camps with a rating of 4.7 out of 5 saying they enjoyed it. Children and Young People were also asked which activities they enjoyed the most with the following results; Arts & Crafts 85% Page 352 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 9 Sport 82% Dance 54% Games 83% Parents had very positive comments about the activities provided. Wouldn’t change anything about it as my daughter loves it she made new friends and with cost of living crisis too we couldn’t go on holiday and this club has gave her something to look forward to and kept her off phone and gave her things to do. Camps have been great and my children have throughly enjoyed them! Both my kids love attending Street Stuff-wouldn’t change anything! My kids have loved the introduction of hot lunches this year. We are very lucky to have this in our community thank you. My daughter has loved it and it’s kept her in a routine and will make it easeir for going back to school. Parents also had some suggestions for future programmes which will be explored further: • Adding gymnastics, playing with slime and baseball to the list of activities • Adding the bus to every location so that everyone who attends has a chance to go on and play games • Including computer games, for example, Roblox • More arts and crafts • Allowing children to have more choice in the activities they want to participate in • Providing opportunities for children to attend more often • Potential introduction of additional community venues The views of children, young people and their families will be used to further develop holiday childcare and activity programmes in the future. Page 353 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 10 The table below details the the Scottish Government’s 6 main priority groups from the families who responded to the questions as part of the sign up process for the Summer Camps. Category Yes Responses % of Families Families with 3 or children or more 309 out of 725 42.6 Families with a child under 1 51 out of 724 7 Lone parent families 326 out of 719 45.3 Families with parents under 25 10 out of 725 1.4 Families with a disability 186 out of 726 25.6 Page 354 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 11 Black and minority ethnic families 79 out of 710 11 Percentage of children attending from each age Aged 5 6.2 Aged 6 18.7 Aged 7 15.8 Aged 8 17.6 Aged 9 13.1 Aged 10 11.3 Aged 11 8.8 Aged 12 4.7 Aged 13 1.2 Aged 14 2 The overall total within the ‘Yes responses’ column is calculated by counting only those responses where an obvious straight ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response was provided, hence the differing totals for each category. The information provided shows the reach of families from the Scottish Government’s six main priority groups with the majority of children attending within the age 6 – 11 age range. ASN Provision This year’s camp continued to identify and respond to the need for provision for children and young people with an additional support need. £40,000 was allocated to Riverbrae ASN playscheme. 190 families took up the offer of support, and fun engaging activities and free play time was delivered throughout the summer holiday period which included: • A nutritious meal and healthy snacks throughout the day • Indoor and outdoor activities – including sports and creative arts • Much needed social interaction with other young people • Staff who could respond to each individual child’s needs • Free transport for parents within Renfrewshire where required due to the location of the venue and to maximise opportunities and support for families during the summer holiday period. Page 355 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 12 Early discussions with colleagues in Children’s Services Social Work and Education highlighted a gap in service provision for some children with additional support needs who were not eligible to participate in the summer programme being delivered at Riverbrae. To address this gap, CLAD Youth Services provided Print Screen Painting, General Arts and Crafts and Sports Activities for 14 young people from Mary Russell school one day per week throughout July. Providing programmes that are inclusive and accessible for all children and young people is an important part of the legacy of the Summer of Fun initiative. Street Stuff Street Stuff continued to deliver their core programme of activities in the evenings from Monday - Saturday for young people aged 8 – 16 throughout the summer holidays which also included the provision of healthy food funded through Fairer Renfrewshire. 1,858 attendances were recorded with activities including multi-sports and the games buses with ps4 games, Dj decks and having the ability to mix with friends and listen to music and play fun and interactive games. The Street Stuff activities were delivered at the following places: • Linwood – Our Lady of Peace • Foxbar – Morar Drive and Foxbar Youth Drop in • Erskine - Bargarran Primary School • Johnstone – McMaster Centre • Shortroods – Beechwood Community Centre MUGA • Gallowhill Community Centre • Renfrew – Knockhill Park These activities allowed us to reach the older age group who did not attend the Summer Camps during the day. Adult andFamily Learning Adult and Family Learning were working with a range of vulnerable families in the lead up to the summer holidays. Following discussions with Children’s Services Social Work and Education it was felt that stopping these during the holiday period could prove detrimental to the families with the positive impact the programme was having. A decision was made to continue working with these families. Adult and Family Learning delivered a weekly Page 356 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 13 programme throughout the month of July. This was delivered across 4 sites: Moorpark Learning Centre, Southend Action Centre, West Johnstone Shared Campus and the Tannahill Centre. The programme included fun activities, games, and lunch and attracted many families from the child poverty priority groups. Each venue organised its programme in consultation with the families, ensuring maximum participation and fun. Highlights included physical and outdoor play with sports, games and dancing, arts and crafts, storytelling and making and sharing lunch. In total 47 families participated in activities including 49 adults and 93 children. Priority Group Number of families who attended Larger Family (3 or more children) 15 Lone Parent Family 3 Minority Ethnic Family 11 Family with a disability 7 Care Experienced Family 7 Young Parent (under 25) 6 Family with a child under 1 3 Families appreciated the thought and planning that went into each session, the range and variety of activities and the dedication of the staff teams in ensuring everyone has a great experience. Parents identified the main benefits for themselves as being able to spend time playing together with their children without the pressure of having to come up with ideas to keep them entertained or having to consider any financial constraints. They also appreciated the support of the group environment for their own wellbeing. My daughter got more comfortable playing with different kids and it got me talking to new people and helped with my anxiety. (Paisley mum) Page 357 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 14 Given me time with other adults and made the holidays less isolating (Johnstone mum) Parents identified many benefits for their children including having opportunities to mix with other children and to enjoy activities that they may not have been able to do at home. Sharing lunch was also viewed as a benefit because it encouraged some children to try new foods. The children had the chance to meet new people and make friends, it helped them with their confidence (ESOL mum) The kids came out of their shell, being with other families helped so much (Paisley mum) Children enjoyed lunch and tried things they don’t eat at home (Paisley mum) Opportunity to try things he has never done before – like holding a newt (Johnstone mum) When asked what they might continue doing as a result of taking part in activities, parents identified a range of activities including visits to the park, reading, arts and crafts, and family fun days. No major improvements were highlighted, other than requests for longer sessions and more programme like this. 4. The Summer of Fun Small Grants Fund From the £55,000 allocated to this fund, local community and voluntary organisations could apply for small grants of up to £5,000 to cover costs of activities, including venues, activities, food, transport and sessional staff. Smaller awards of up to £500 were also available for organisations with existing activities over the summer to provide healthy snacks or food. Applications were considered for single events or programmes of activities, designed for whole families or for children and young people of a range of ages. Page 358 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 15 All projects agreed to the following principles • Activities must be free, with no hidden or additional costs • Healthy snacks should be provided, or lunch if full day activities • Activities should be inclusive, welcoming, respectful and safe • Compliant with requirements around safeguarding, child protection andfood hygiene as appropriate • Able or willing to provide connections toother services and supports In order to ensure that this funding was distributed as quickly as possible, it was recommended that authority was delegated to the Head of Policy and Partnerships to award grants in line with the guidance, and information on awards was provided to the Leadership Board in September 2023. In total 28 organisations applied for funding. Applications were assessed by a panel consisting of officers from Renfrewshire Council, including from Youth Services and Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership, with the panel meeting regularly between mid June and mid July. The panel members were able to evaluate the Summer of Fun applications based on knowledge of other available support across localities, including those from the Council’s Community Learning and Development team. Overall 17 projects were funded through Summer of Fun, to a total of £53,841.60. In addition Future Paisley funded 3 projects which were arts based. The fund was very oversubscribed, and it was not possible to approve all applications received. Unsuccessful applicants were signposted to other support or information about sources of funding via Engage Renfrewshire. A list of the funded host organisations delivering Summer of Fun activities can be found in Appendix 1. A wide range of activities for children and young people of all ages were provided through the funding, along with healthy snacks/ lunches and drinks. Activities that were offered included: • Toddler play sessions • Summer playschemes offering free childcare • Free outdoor activities in local parks • Day trips to local visitor attractions to allow families to make memories together • Arts and crafts and creative activities, such as pottery painting, jewellery making, sewing and baking Page 359 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 16 • Sports activities such as football, Zumba dancing, scuba diving, snorkelling and water confidence • STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Maths) • Drama workshops Arts activities proved to be popular, with sessions at Outspoken Arts and RIG Arts being well attended. Both organisations ran classes led by professional, local artists. Outspoken Arts ran daily arts and craft classes lasting two hours, providing opportunities to paint, draw, and make prints and collages. We provided a variety of art workshops for primary school aged children. Each workshop had a theme led by an artist skilled in that particular area. Workshops included: Photography and Collage, Tote Bag Printing with Stencils, Clay Modelling, Rock Painting, Creating Volcanos from Mache and Flowing Lava, Making Suncatchers, Painting with Watercolours, Kite Making, and Painting with Light. RIG Arts Ralston Out of School Care ran a series of drama workshops involving 22 children, which culminated in a show for the parents and carers of the children who attended. Paisley YMCA delivered an exciting programme of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Maths) activities over 5 weeks. Every Wednesday they also worked with Page 360 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 17 local Ukrainian families providing arts and crafts and music based activities as well as an opportunity to meet each other, chat and relax with some snacks and teas/coffees. Renfrew YMCA provided young children with a variety of indoor and outdoor opportunities over a 5 week period. Upcycling and jewellery making workshops were combined with visits from animal trainers, pottery painting and tree top climbing in Loch Lomond. Paisley North Church of Scotland ran a very successful six day holiday club in Ferguslie Park which they are hoping to repeat next year. Libraries ran a programme which included Lego sessions, Marble Run Fun, Storytelling, including Sensory Storytelling, Mini Zoos and arts and crafts activities. Case studies areprovided at Appendix 2. Future Paisley Funded activities Future Paisley funded 3 activities: Brick Lane Music Academy’s Mini Music Makers Summer Fun Project delivered two weeks of music making activities for ages 3-6 years from 11am to 2 pm each Monday and Wednesday. Activities included musical games, introduction to piano and ukulele, singing and percussion instruments, craft activities and lunch. In total 24 adults and 24 children attended. Outspoken Arts’s Summer Art Camp provided two hourly creative arts workshops in Paisley town centre aimed at young people, families, and new Scots. Participants were able to draw, paint, print and create artworks to take away. The workshops were led by professional artists and 50 adults and 356 children attended. RIG Arts ran summer sessions for primary school aged children at Seedhill Community Art Space, facilitating three workshops per week over the summer holidays. Workshops were delivered by professional artists and supported positive mental health and wellbeing through creativity, culture, and community. 8 – 10 children attended each session. All three projects provided opportunities for children and young people to access the benefits of art, music and creativity without any financial barriers and were successful in attracting families within the child poverty priority groups. Page 361 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 18 OneRen activities OneRen was allocated £9,910 to provide a programme of activities across all 12 Renfrewshire libraries, allowing coverage in areas where no Summer of Fun activity was proposed. Activities included: • Giant games • Lego • Marble runs • Campfire and sensory storytelling (16 sessions) • Mini zoos (2 sessions) • Petting zoo (2 sessions) The figures in the table below show that Summer of Fun funding contributed to increasing footfall to Renfrewshire libraries, but it should be noted that this was not the only factor. Overall physical attendances in the summer months of 2023 at all public libraries increased by 65% from the same period in 2022. The number of events increased by 74%, while physical attendances at events by adults and children increased by 162%. Funding for tea, coffee and juice and snacks for children was a very significant contributory factor in attracting people in, and in encouraging them to stay. July & August 2022 July & August 2023 Overall Physical Attendances at all Renfrewshire Public Libraries 34,461 56,824 Number of Physical Events at all Renfrewshire Public Libraries 448 779 Physical Attendances at all Events (Both Adult and Children) 4,501 11,794 Some events were ticketed to control numbers, for example the Animal Man visits, which were the most popular. Storytelling and mini-zoos were all over subscribed and, although Ferguslie Library delivered activities on a drop in basis, it attracted over 300 visitors in one afternoon. Many families signed up to library membership and the Summer Reading Challenge, and engaged in other activities while they waited to see the animals. Page 362 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 19 The toys purchased with funding were also very popular, especially giant fishing, football and Lego and Duplo and continue to be used. Libraries now host several ongoing Lego clubs and Duplo sessions for the under fives. Snacks and drinks , such as popcorn and flavoured water were provided for the children at as many activities as possible. 5. Evaluating the Summer of Fun Small Grants Programme In late August a feedback form was sent out to every organisation that had delivered activities as part of the Summer of Fun programme to ask about their experience of delivering activities and to gain understanding of the difference that it had made for those who participated. Out of 20 funded projects, 16 feedback forms were returned. Feedback from organisations included photographs of activities, some of which are included in this report. Promoting Activities Renfrewshire Council’s Communications and Marketing team promoted the Summer of Fun programme widely through social media. In line with input from the Fairer Renfrewshire Panel, all free activites, whether Summer of Fun grant funded, through Community Learrning and Development, or through Libraries, were listed on one web page. This included the Skoobmobile programme. Organisations who received small grants funding were asked how people found out about the activities they were offering. Three quarters of those who responded stated that people had found out about their project mainly through social media, while just over half reported that word of mouth (53%) was a key factor in promoting their activity. Almost half of respondents related that people found out because they were already attending other activities that the organisation delivered, while a third cited referrals from other organisations. How did people findout about your Summer of Fun project? Method of information % Social media 75 Word of mouth 53 Page 363 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 20 Attending other activities 47 Referral from another organisation 33 Posters 20 Partners 20 WhatsApp group used by the organisation 13 Organisation’s Facebook page 13 Database of contacts 13 Council website 7 Church notice 7 Note: All respondents provided more than one answer to this question RIG Arts promoted activities through their WhatsApp group which notifies parents about children’s activities and put a poster up on their community notice board. Organisations also promoted activities through other channels. Paisley North Church of Scotland already had a lot of contact with local families which resulted in their activity being fully booked before it has even started. The majority of organisations funded already receive referrals from statutory agencies in health and social work and it was encouraging to find that organisations were referring between themselves too. For example, Mossvale Community Church asked Serve 2020 and Migrant Help to share information about their activities with their service users. Around half of organisations that used referral pathways had received referrals from health visitors, social workers, nurseries, local primary schools, Engage Renfrewshire and other local groups such as mother and toddler, karate, out of school care, Finding Your Feet and Active Communities. Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverlcyde invited families to attend their summer trip through their Family Support Co-ordinator who supports families that work with the organisations, while Renfrew YMCA received referrals from the local schools and health visitors. KLAS Care contacted all the children on their own register and also offered spaces to families that could not attend activities offered by Community Learning Support. Page 364 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 21 How successful were the activity sessions? The variety of activities delivered as part of the Summer of Fun programme, ranging from music and art to science and football, resulted in a successful programme that provided opportunities for children to have fun, try new activities and make friends. Parents had the option to stay with children and meet other parents or, at Brick Lane Music Academy, they could take advantage of the creche facility to get some time to catch up on other tasks. Families who were unable to afford to pay for any extracurricular activities for their children through the summer benefited from the activities being free and inclusive of a healthy snack or lunch. The workshops were particularly enjoyable as the children were of mixed ages and abilities and all mixed well. The atmosphere of the Art Department was relaxed and fun and everyone appreciated the gentle coaching and encouragement. The activities were easy to engage with and parents joined in where it interested them or could enjoy our lounge area and have free snacks and drinks. Outspoken Arts All organisations provided inclusive activities which were enjoyed by children of all ages. Staff at KLAS Care were able to provide an environment where children with a neurodiverse sibling could be in the same place, allowing parents to have peace of mind and some respite. Their activities enabled children to learn new skills that they could transfer to school or home. Providing a range of different activities that were designed to suit all levels of ability led to a successful programme of creative activities at RIG Arts. The organisation used local artists with different skills to keep their workshops interesting and found that children worked well together. Although some children knew each other from school, others made new friendships. Through their STEAM activities, Paisley YMCA offered opportunities for young people to build, create and be hands on and this worked well, while Mossvale Community Church found that the physical activities they provided, such as Zumba and limbo were very popular. Children and their parents/carers also had opportunities to go on day trips to visit local attractions, visiting places they had never been to and experiencing the excitement of a day out, especially important for those without access to transport. Page 365 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 22 The chosen destination, about an hour away by coach, offered an exciting summer adventure for many who were unable to afford to go away over the summer. Funding helped us cover the costs of transportation, entrance fees, packed lunch and attraction rides. The trip was carefully planned, and risk assessed to ensure it was accessible, safe and inclusive for families wanting to attend. Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde The healthy food provision also helped to encourage children to attend and contributed to the success of the programme, supporting parents of nursery age children who were not entitled to financial support over the summer. Having healthy food available worked really well. Due to some allergies, and it being summer, we mainly provided fruit as snacks. It was great to see some of the children explore different fruits that they said they didn’t recognise or tried before, such as apricots. The children did ask for sweets and crisps but when we said we could only provide healthy snacks the children accepted that first time. RIG Arts Renfrewshire Rainbow Buddies found that parental engagement was high and bringing activities to communities rather than asking people to travel to activities was a great benefit to many parents and carers. Some organisations found that children and young people enjoyed activities that families could do together and that having a relaxing space helped to build up confidence and keep children engaged in activities. RIG Arts also found that, because a couple of the artists delivering activities were from the local area, children were able to connect with them easily. The programme was hugely successful for us. We were inundated and had a waiting list. All the families involved said that it helped their children’s confidence and boosted their interest in music. Many stated that they would love their child to attend regular classes if they were affordable. Some children who attended were from families who did not previously have access to music and could not afford music activities. Brick Lane Music Academy Sewing2gether All Nations at Mossvale Community Church Welcome Café provided activities, conversational English lessons and health food. All activities were open to the refugee community, encouraging family attendance and participation. At our final Welcome Café, when the children had returned to school, parents Page 366 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 23 led our staff and volunteers in a special cookery session making varenyky (Ukrainian dumplings) which was a lovely finale to our summer. Sewing2gether All Nations at Mossvale Community Church Food table at Sewing Together All Nations How many people attended? Organisations were asked about the number of people who attended their activities. We did not ask organisations to keep track of numbers while delivering activities, but some did, and others provided an estimate. The average number of people attending each session was 12 adults and 30 children (from 14 project responses). Not all projects had adults participating. For example, at RIG Arts adults were welcome to stay but all the adults chose to drop their children off and pick them up after the workshop. Sessions which attracted the most children were activities for toddlers, football camp, inflatables and programmes with varied activities each week that combined a day trip. Paisley North Community Council attracted 100 adults and 150 children to their Sports Packs in the Park Fun Day. Renfrewshire Rainbow Buddies took 128 people on a trip to the zoo and Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde provided a family trip to Almond Valley Visitor Centre which attracted 74 adults and 83 children. Not all projects ran for a full six Page 367 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 24 weeks but an estimated figure from 16 project responses suggests that around 739 adults and 1,921 children benefited from Summer of Fun activities. The aim of the Summer of Fun programme was to provide a range of activities that would be accessible to low-income families across Renfrewshire, in particular supporting families in the six child poverty priority groups, who are at higher risk of living on a low-income as well as Care Experienced young people. All 16 projects that provided feedback responded that they had managed to reach these families through their activities. A majority (94%) of projects were able to reach families in four or more of the priority groups. Just under a third of projects (31%) managed to reach six of the seven priority groups while a quarter of projects were able to reach families in all of the child poverty priority groups and those with care experience. Projects were most successful at reaching the following families: • families with three or more children (94%) • families with a child aged under one year old (88%) • lone parents (88%) • families where parents are under the age of 25 (81%) Just over two thirds of organisations managed to reach black and minority ethnic families, families where someone in the house has a disability and care experienced children and young people (69% each). When asked how they were able to reach these families whilst some organisations received referrals, most of the organisations responded that they are based in areas with a high level of low-income families and are already working with many of these families. The summer programme offered an opportunity to provide additional support to families over the summer break. 75% of the parents we support in Renfrewshire identify as having mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, or perinatal mental health. We know that those we work with have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic... The increase in cost of living also affects the families we support unduly. Moving forward we anticipate an ongoing legacy of heightened anxiety over finances, increased loneliness, and poor self-esteem. Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde KLAS Care asked parents and carers a series of questions to ensure that the free activities would benefit those families who needed them most. Questions related to supporting with household finances, improving the child’s health and wellbeing by having access to Page 368 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 25 outdoor play, improving family health and wellbeing and supporting parents/carers to ncrease hours of employment or take up employment. Paisley North Community Council limited their event toresidents from the Paisley North area to ensure that they could supply every child in the area with a sports pack, while Thorn Athletic Community Trust advertised directly to low-income families first using their existing network before opening up their football camp to the wider community. 31 of the 40 children who attended Paisley North Church of Scotland’s Ferguslie Park Holiday Club came from Ferguslie Park via direct contact with the holiday club. Registration forms were dropped off at homes by the team who made personal contact with each family. Outspoken Arts took block bookings from local family care groups who were familiar with the organisation. Who attended your Summer of Fun project? Number of projects % Families with 3 or more children 15 94 Families with a child aged under one year old 14 88 Lone Parents 14 88 Families where parents are under the age of 25 13 81 Families where someone in the house has a disability 11 69 Black and minority ethnic families 11 69 Care experienced children and young people 11 69 What difference did the Summer of Fun programme make? Feedback from organisations about the impact of the programme was overwhelmingly positive. All the organisations agreed that there were several benefits for families who attended activities. They highlighted the opportunity for low-income families to access fun activities and to engage with projects and organisations they had not been aware of previously. Page 369 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 26 Most respondents (94%) reported that activities had also helped to reduce financial costs for families. Other perceived benefits were helping people to learn about a new service in their local area (81% of respondents) and providing access to information and advice (69% each). Benefit to people attending activities Number of responses % Providing fun activities that low-income families could access 16 100 Encouraging new people to engage with the project / organisation 16 100 Reducing financial costs for families 15 94 Helping people to learn about a new service in their local area 13 81 Providing access to information / advice 11 69 For many of our families this a chance to enjoy a fun, safe and supported trip that they would not undertake themselves due to lack of confidence and financial restraints. Volunteers and Family Coordinators are known to the families and have an established relationship, giving the families confidence to be part of the adventure which might otherwise be a source of anxiety. Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde For families with limited options for places to go, the programme enabled them to enjoy activities with their children, and some parents noticed an increase in confidence in their child, particularly those who attended music and drama activities. In addition to free activities, children also had access to healthy lunches and snacks, while parents could benefit from signposting to other sources of support, such as local food pantries and advice on financial support. Some participants enjoyed the programme so much that they have joined groups on a longer-term basis. The parents gave us lots of positive feedback that the children enjoyed the activities and that the parents appreciated healthy snacks being provided. The parents also said that it was Page 370 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 27 great to see these activities in the local area as the town centre, although very close geographically, can be difficult to access for some parents. RIG Arts Scuba Diving with Just Dive in Some organisations, such as KLAS Care, already had an established activity programme which many of their client base were happy to pay for. Summer of Fun funding enabled them to offer activities to families who would find cost a barrier to participation, benefiting both parent and child, as demonstrated in the following feeback from a parent who attended Renfrew YMCA activities. B has really enjoyed his time at YMCA over the summer. We are new to the area and with this B has faced big changes - new house and school. B has ADHD…and it has allowed B to participate and experience lots of things I would otherwise have struggled to afford to do. And that I would have struggled to manage to do it on my own. We are very grateful for your service and staff. Renfrew YMCA What worked well? Organisations commented on the ease of application and feedback process as well as the flexibility regarding activities proposed. The programme elicited a positive response from attendees and in some areas activities were over subscribed by twice the amount of people, demonstrating an appetite for free activities over the summer period. Prompt responses Page 371 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 28 from council staff were appreciated particularly given that funding was awarded very close to the start of the summer holidays and organisations needed to get activities up and running quickly. I found the correspondence, the application process and the support and follow up process easy and helpful which meant we could focus on bringing the event into reality. We honestly wouldn’t have been able to host our event, offer the activities during it without the support of the “Summer of Fun” programme. Paisley North Church of Scotland This worked well as the funding goes to local people who know what the needs within local areas are and people know our group and know events are free to everyone so there’s no stigma or embarrassment when taking part. Stronger Communities Glenburn When asked for suggestions to improve the Summer of Fun programme, organisations reported that additional funding would enable them to increase capacity, increase the number of days of provision and the range of activities. The limited amount of funding meant that, in some cases, organisations received partial funding for trips and had to allocate funds from elsewhere within their organisation to cover the shortfall. Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde emphasised the importance of maintaining connections over the summer holidays with the families they support to ensure continuity of support. Further funding would allow us to fund further activities over the summer such as our Summer Park Days which get our families out and about to parks and amenities in the local area. We know that during summer holiday periods isolation is increased for the families we support as they are limited for social experiences due to nurseries and schools being closed. Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Although organisations were positive about communication with council officers and the speed of payments, the timescales between being awarded funding and delivering the programme of activities was challenging. Several organisations suggested that providing information about the Summer of Fun programme and awarding funding earlier would have given them more time to plan and advertise activities and to liaise with partner organisations, including schools, nurseries and health visitors to reach families that would benefit most. Page 372 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 29 I would have liked the funding earlier so we could have liaised with school for any families that needed the support from the practitioners. Just for the funding to be available earlier, even an indication on what has been agreed as an organisation with a very unrestricted budget we could not approach parents and partner organisations until the money was secured. KLAS Care Another challenge highlighted by Thorn Athletic Community Trust was taking into consideration different food allergies and dietary requirements when providing over 500 snack lunches. Some organisations found that childminders were accessing a lot of the free activities and summer camps, taking up spaces that could go to families that would benefit more. An issue for future consideration would be whether it would be possible or practical to limit the number of spaces that childminders can access. Mossvale Community Church suggested consideringsmaller programmes for other holiday periods and contributing to the local circular economy by getting best prices from local food providers / discounts from supermarkets and creating a food network. RIG Arts would like to organise ‘relaxed workshops’ where the maximum number would be 5 children. These would be aimed at children who may be overwhelmed by the noise and buzz of a regular workshop and who prefer a more relaxed environment. In addition to the feedback from organisations, no organisation applied for a smaller grant for food only, so consideration should be given to whether this offer is made in future programmes. 6. Conclusions Overall The Summer of Fun programme aimed to deliver activities over the summer holidays which could reach communities that might be underserved by mainstream activities, particularly low-income families. Feedback suggests that the programme was able to reach these families, particularly those families who are in the child poverty priority groups. Feedback also suggest that the programme benefited children and families by providing opportunities to make memories together, by increasing confidence and access to a wide range of activities. Page 373 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 30 There is evidence that the programme provided free fun activities that low-income families could access, encouraged young people to try new activities, encouraged engagement with services, both public and third sector and helped to reduce costs for families over the long summer holiday. Parents who participated in Community Learning and Development led activities identified many benefits for themselves and their children. Parents enjoyed being able to spend time playing together with their children without the pressure of having to come up with ideas to keep them entertained or having to consider any financial constraints. Their children benefited from having opportunities to mix with other children and to enjoy activities that they may not have been able to do at home. Sharing lunch was also viewed as a benefit because it encouraged some children to try new foods. Many parents were encouraged to continue some activities because of participating, including visits to the park, reading, arts and crafts, and family fun days. Whilst the programme was successful, it is important to take into account the feedback above if a similar programme is to be delivered in future. Organisations should have adequate notice of funding opportunities to enable them to develop a detailed programme of activity and to work with partners to promote this to families who will benefit most from the programme. It will also be important to consider the role of summer activities in maintaining continuity of support to families that are regularly working with local organisations during term time and in encouraging families to join groups that they may not have been previously aware of. Additional funding would increase the capacity of organisations to deliver a wider range of activities for longer, including activities aimed at children with sensory challenges. Further targeting of resources could also provide opportunities for children from low-income families to access art or music classes on a regular basis. There is considerable organisation that goes into an event of this nature, not only the operation planning but also the support given to families to help them reach the level of confidence and trust to attend. It is a great opportunity for families, volunteers and staff to be out and about socialising with the wider circle of Home-Start. Seeing the families all together with the children having so much fun plus the feedback from families makes it very rewarding for all involved. Without the Summer of Fun funding the event would not have been possible. Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Page 374 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 31 Page 375 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 32 7. Appendix 1 – Organisations which provided Summer of Fun activities Brick Lane Music Academy Friends of Knockhill Park Home-Start Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Johnstone Castle Learning Centre Johnstone Out of School Service Just Dive in CIC KLAS Care CIC Mossvale Community Church Outspoken Arts Ltd Paisley North Church of Scotland Paisley North Community Council Paisley YMCA Ralston Out of School Care Renfrewshire Effort to Empower Minorities (REEM) Renfrew YMCA Renfrewshire Rainbow Buddies RIG Arts Stronger Communities Glenburn and Glenburn Resource Centre Thorn Athletic Community Trust Twist and Hit Cheerleaders Page 376 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 33 8. Appendix 2 – Case Studies RALSTON PRIMARY OUT OF SCHOOL CARE SUMMER DRAMA GROUP Ralston OSC provided drama workshops that were open to all children. Some of the children who participated are registered with the summer play scheme but not the OSC and others have never been part of the service. They engaged Stacey from Upbeat Theatre Company to run the programme and allocated one of their staff to support it. Upbeats Theatre Company are extremely professional and provided costumes, extra staff, facepainting, scenery, lighting, pictures and video. Stacey was very popular with the children who enjoyed working with her. There were 6 rehearsals before the show on the last day of the summer holidays. 22 children participated in the show and over 50 parents, friends and family attended. As part of the funding Ralston also provided children with healthy snacks. Feedback from parents and children was very positive, with parents praising the professionalism and quality of the produced show and children saying they enjoyed saying their lines, singing, dressing up and getting their faces painted. Feedback from children: I liked acting and getting face paint and costumes I liked the makeup and practicing the songs Feedback from parents: The show was absolutely fantastic! With such a short space of time to rehearse and prepare the children did an amazing job- Thank you to all the leaders and teachers who helped them learn the songs, lines and dances. On a personal note, it was excellent to see my daughter coming out of her shell and overcoming her anxieties to perform today. She was very nervous but your encouragement and support gave her the courage and confidence. Keep up the good work! Such a brilliant thing to do. Great for the kids confidence and so much fun to watch. Please do it again. 9. Page 377 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 34 PAISLEY NORTH CHURCH OF SCOTLAND FERGUSLIE PARK HOLIDAY CLUB Paisley North Church of Scotland ran a six-day holiday club with parachute games, messy challenges, and Baker Ross craft activities. Their theme for the week was “Seaside Rock”. During the week they provided 20 hours of activities aimed at primary aged children in P1 to P6, bringing children together to explore faith and life learning. Parents and carers were invited to join in activities and share a meal on one of the days and staff from the local Employability service, Invest in Renfrewshire also visited. Younger children spent time at the Community Circus, learning how to spin plates, walk and balance on a low tight rope, spin hoops and ride a unicycle. Older children from P4-6 went on a trip to the SU Gowanbank Outdoor centre in Darvel. They enjoyed tree climbing led by trained staff as well as an outdoor barbeque and exploring some teamwork through guided crate climbing. An event on the Sunday attracted 21 people (children/parents/carers) who attended the end of week catch up exploring some of the week’s programme and seeing the finale of the drama, enjoying games, crafts, and some refreshments together with the team. Page 378 of 470
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Summer of Fun 2023 Evaluation Report 35 Chief Executive’s Service Renfrewshire Council Renfrewshire House Cotton Street Paisley PA1 1BR Page 379 of 470
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 31 October 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Renfrewshire’s Local Air Quality Management Update – 2023 Air Quality Annual Progress Report ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 This report provides an update in relation to air quality within Renfrewshire and details the findings of the Council’s most recent Local Air Quality Management report, Renfrewshire’s 2023 Annual Progress Report. 1.2 The 2023 Annual Progress Report reviewed air quality monitoring data from 2022. There were no exceedances of any quality objectives identified within Renfrewshire during 2022 with concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM) continuing to show a downward trend. 1.3 There have now been three consecutive years of compliance with statutory objective levels throughout all of Renfrewshire and eight years of compliance within Paisley and the Paisley Town Centre Air Quality Management Area. The legislative framework permits Air Quality Management Areas to be amended or revoked and Scottish Government Policy Guidance recommends that, as a minimum there will normally be at least three consecutive years where the pollutants of concern are complying with the relevant objective levels. Environment, Housing and Infrastructure will continue with the current monitoring programme throughout 2023/24 before consideration will be given to amending or revoking any of the Council’s three Air Quality Management Areas. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board: 2.1 Notes the outcome of Renfrewshire’s 2023 Air Quality Annual Progress Report and that there were no exceedances of any quality objectives identified within Renfrewshire during 2022. _________________________________________________________ Item 13 CHPB311023 Page 381 of 470
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3. Background 3.1 Air quality is directly related to a number of key Scottish Government National Outcomes and policy priorities, notably those focussed on the environment, sustainable places, environmental impact and healthier lives. 3.2 In accordance with the Local Air Quality Management statutory process introduced by the Environment Act 1995, all local authorities are required to undertake a regular review and assessment of air quality within their area and submit their findings by means of an Annual Progress Report to the Scottish Government by the end of June each year for approval. Environment, Housing and Infrastructure have submitted the Annual Progress Report which has now been approved by the Scottish Government. 3.3 The Annual Progress Report provides an overview of air quality within Renfrewshire during 2022. It includes a review of 2022 pollutant monitoring data and atmospheric emissions sources within Renfrewshire and compares the available data to national air quality standards. 3.4 The main pollutants of concern within Renfrewshire are NO2 and PM. There are currently three Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) declared within Renfrewshire; the Paisley Town Centre AQMA declared August 2009 and the Johnstone High Street and Renfrew Town Centre AQMAs declared August 2016. 3.5 In 2022 the Council operated three automatic monitoring sites (Cockels Loan, Renfrew, Inchinnan Road, Renfrew and High St, Johnstone) which measured NO2 or PM concentrations. Concentrations recorded at all automatic monitoring sites were below the annual mean and short-term objective levels for both pollutants. 3.6 Monitoring of NO2 was also undertaken via a network of sixty-two NO2 diffusion tube sites throughout Renfrewshire with no exceedances recorded at any of these sites. A largely downward trend in concentrations continues to be observed across the Council’s 2022 monitoring data, with only seven NO2 diffusion tube sites experiencing an increase in annual mean NO2 concentration from 2021 to 2022, with the remaining experiencing a decrease. Broadly, over the past five years, the majority of the diffusion tube monitoring sites have shown a decrease in NO2 concentrations. 3.7 Within the Paisley Town Centre Air Quality Management Area there have now been eight consecutive years of compliance with statutory objective levels within Paisley. The legislative framework permits Air Quality Management Areas to be amended or revoked and Scottish Government Policy Guidance recommends that, as a minimum there will normally be at least three consecutive years where the pollutants of concern are complying with the relevant objective levels. There are various reasons why the Paisley Town Centre AQMA has not been revoked yet and presently we are awaiting finalisation of significant infrastructure projects to the north of the Paisley AQMA which may impact on road traffic in that area. Page 382 of 470
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3.8 In terms of the Johnstone High Street AQMA and Renfrew Town Centre AQMA, there have now been three consecutive years of compliance with statutory objective levels throughout these areas. In Johnstone, we have had no exceedances of NO2 since 2018 when there was a reading of 40ug/m3 (the objective level being 40ug/m3) at one diffusion tube site. Within Renfrew, there was one marginal exceedance at a diffusion tube site in 2019 with a reading of 41.4ug/m3. Environment, Housing and Infrastructure will continue with the current monitoring programme throughout 2023/24 and collate a further years’ worth of monitoring data before consideration will be given to amending or revoking the Johnstone and Renfrew Air Quality Management Areas. 3.9 No further action is required by the Council other than to progress with updating the 2019 Renfrewshire Air Quality Action Plan. An update to this is due by spring 2024 and will be submitted to the Board for approval in due course. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial - none 2. HR & Organisational Development - none 3. Community/Council Planning – Our Renfrewshire is well - by reviewing and assessing air quality throughout Renfrewshire and producing our annual Local Air Quality Management report we aim to improve air quality and provide a clean and safe environment for all of Renfrewshire’s residents, workers and visitors. Creating a sustainable Renfrewshire for all to enjoy - improving air quality will have a beneficial impact on Renfrewshire’s natural environment. 4. Legal - none 5. Property/Assets - none 6. Information Technology - none 7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. 8. Health & Safety - none 9. Procurement - none 10. Risk - none Page 383 of 470
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11. Privacy Impact - none 12. COSLA Policy Position - none 13. Climate Risk - The interactions between air pollution and climate change are complex which is recognised within the Scottish Government’s 2015 air quality strategy Cleaner Air for Scotland – The Road to a Healthier Future (CAFS). An action measure within this government strategy recommends all Scottish local authorities which have or are currently developing a Sustainable Energy Action Plan to ensure that air quality considerations are also covered. _________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers a) Background Paper 1 - 2023 Air Quality Annual Progress Report for Renfrewshire Council The foregoing background papers will be retained within Environment, Housing and Infrastructure for inspection by the public for the prescribed period of four years from the date of the meeting. The contact officer within the service is Colin Hunter, Environmental Health Manager (Public Health) Tel: 07768831482, Email: colin.hunter@renfrewshire.gov.uk ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Gerard Hannah, Head of Climate, Public Protection and Roads (email: gerard.hannah@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 384 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council Annual Progress Report (APR) 2023 Air Quality Annual Progress Report (APR) for Renfrewshire Council In fulfilment of Part IV of the Environment Act 1995, as amended by the Environment Act 2021 Local Air Quality Management June, 2023 Page 385 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council Information Renfrewshire Council Details Local Authority Officer Karen McIndoe Department Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Address Renfrewshire Council Renfrewshire House Cotton Street Paisley PA1 1BR Telephone 07768 988028 E-mail karen.mcindoe@renfrewshire.gov.uk Report Reference Number APR2023 Date June 2023 Page 386 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 i Executive Summary: Air Quality in Our Area Air Quality in Renfrewshire Council There are currently three Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) within Renfrewshire Council. The AQMAs are located within Paisley Town Centre (PTC), Johnstone High Street (JHS) and Renfrew Town Centre (RTC). The AQMAs have been declared due to exceedances of the air quality objective (AQO) levels for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10, PTC only). There continue to be no exceedances of either the NO2 or PM10 AQOs at the automatic and passive monitoring locations within any of the AQMAs as reported in this APR. Renfrewshire Council monitor NO2, PM10 and PM2.5 at a number of locations. Renfrewshire Council undertook automatic (continuous) monitoring at three sites during 2022 – REN1 (Renfrew Cockels Loan), REN02 (Renfrewshire Johnstone), REN03 (Renfrew Inchinnan Road). REN1 and REN03 monitor NO2 while REN02 monitors PM10 and PM2.5. The monitored concentrations of NO2 continue to show the downward trend observed across Renfrewshire for the majority of the past decade, and there were no exceedances of the relevant AQOs reported during 2022. Concentrations of the annual mean and relevant short- term objectives for NO2, PM10 and PM2.5 recorded at all automatic monitoring sites during 2022 were below AQO levels. There were a total of 62 diffusion tube monitoring sites across Renfrewshire in 2022, six sites were either added to the diffusion tube monitoring network or changed in the network from 2021. The details of these are as follows: Paisley88 was removed in August due to low return rates and was not replaced; Paisley95 was removed in February due to building works and was replaced by Paisley106; Johnstone106 was removed in March due to building works and was replaced by Johnstone107; Paisley104 was removed in June due to low return rates and was replaced by Paisley108. Three additional new sites were introduced in 2022 – Paisley102, Paisley103 and Paisley105. Actions to Improve Air Quality Throughout 2022, several sustainable travel-based measures detailed within the 2019 Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) have been progressed to improve air quality throughout Renfrewshire, all measures and their progress are discussed in Section 2.3 Implementation of Air Quality Action Plan(s) and/or measures to address air quality. Page 387 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 ii Renfrewshire Council ran three schemes in 2022 to encourage active travel – Better Points active travel incentive scheme, Living Streets WOW project walk to school challenge, and Beat the Street competition where competitors tap Beat the Streets cards on Beat Boxes to record distances walked or cycled. Additionally, the Paisley to Renfrew and Inchinnan Active Travel Routes were constructed and the Cycle2Work Scheme was open from March – June 2022. Fourteen measures are within the existing AQAP, they cover the following topic categories: • Transport Planning and Infrastructure; • Traffic Management; • Promoting Travel Alternatives; • Promoting Low Emission Transport; • Freight and Delivery Management; • Vehicle Fleet Efficiency; • Alternatives to Private Vehicle Use; • Policy Guidance and Development Control; and • Public Information. Local Priorities and Challenges Renfrewshire Council’s priorities following the publication of the 2023 APR are as follows: • Progress with the significant new road and cycle infrastructure projects which are part of the City Deals and AMIDS South projects; • Publication of a new Renfrewshire Local Transport Strategy and development of a Paisley Town Centre Transport Strategy; • Continuation with the upgrade and development of the cycling network as per the Renfrewshire Council Cycle Strategy priorities; • Improvement of the council’s fleet, funded via the Council’s Vehicle Replacement Capital Programme. £2.2 million has been set aside for the VRC Programme in 2023-24 for the purchase of new fleet vehicles. This includes the replacement of older fossil vehicles with newer fleet vehicles with better emission standards and the introduction of HVO as an alternative fuel for some of the fleet; Page 388 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 iii • Reopening the Cycle2Work scheme in April 2023 and keeping it available for the full financial year; • Upgrading fleet tracking telemetric system fitted to all Council vehicles to optimise utilisation of fleet. This will be completed by end of May 2023; • Refresh the local transport strategy and active travel strategy/action plan; • Full review of the 2019 Renfrewshire Council AQAP in summer 2023 in order to have the review completed by next Spring which is in accordance with the new requirements of the Scottish Government’s Policy Guidance 2023 whereby the Scottish Government now requires all action plans are reviewed and republished on a five-yearly cycle from date of initial publication, which will be March 2024. This process will involve consultation with steering group members and a full update of the action plan measures. The updated AQAP will include new measures that are not listed within the 2019 AQAP such as Beat the Streets, Better Points Ltd.; • Continue to monitor NO2, PM10 and PM2.5 at all relevant locations throughout Renfrewshire; and • Submit the 2024 Annual Progress Report. Renfrewshire Council has no comment on challenges faced as air quality in the area has been steadily improving over the years. How to Get Involved The general public can find further information about air quality within Renfrewshire on the Renfrewshire Council website https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/airquality. Page 389 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 iv Table of Contents Executive Summary: Air Quality in Our Area ................................................................... i Air Quality in Renfrewshire Council .............................................................................................. i Actions to Improve Air Quality ...................................................................................................... i Local Priorities and Challenges ................................................................................................... ii How to Get Involved ....................................................................................................................iii 1 Local Air Quality Management ................................................................................... 1 2 Actions to Improve Air Quality ................................................................................... 2 2.1 Air Quality Management Areas .............................................................................................. 2 2.2 Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 ...................................................................................................... 3 2.2.1 Placemaking – Plans and Policies .................................................................................................... 3 2.2.2 Transport – Low Emission Zones (LEZs) ......................................................................................... 4 2.3 Implementation of Air Quality Action Plan(s) and/or measures to address air quality ............. 5 3 Air Quality Monitoring Data and Comparison with Air Quality Objectives .......... 16 3.1 Summary of Monitoring Undertaken .................................................................................... 16 Automatic Monitoring Sites ...................................................................................................... 16 Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites .............................................................................................. 16 Other Monitoring Activities ....................................................................................................... 17 3.2 Individual Pollutants ............................................................................................................. 23 3.2.1 Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) ................................................................................................................... 23 3.2.2 Particulate Matter (PM10) ................................................................................................................ 24 3.2.3 Particulate Matter (PM2.5) ............................................................................................................... 24 3.2.4 Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) .................................................................................................................... 25 3.2.5 Carbon Monoxide, Lead and 1,3-Butadiene ................................................................................... 25 4 New Local Developments ......................................................................................... 26 4.1 Road Traffic Sources ...................................................................................................... 26 4.2 Other Transport Sources ..................................................................................................... 27 4.3 Industrial Sources ................................................................................................................ 27 4.4 Commercial and Domestic Sources ..................................................................................... 27 Page 390 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 v 4.5 New Developments with Fugitive or Uncontrolled Sources .................................................. 27 5 Planning Applications ............................................................................................... 28 6 Conclusions and Proposed Actions ........................................................................ 29 6.1 Conclusions from New Monitoring Data ............................................................................... 29 6.2 Conclusions relating to New Local Developments ............................................................... 29 6.3 Proposed Actions ................................................................................................................ 30 Appendix A: Monitoring Results .................................................................................... 31 Appendix B: Full Monthly Diffusion Tube Results for 2022 ......................................... 50 Appendix C: Supporting Technical Information / Air Quality Monitoring Data QA/QC ........................................................................................................................................... 53 New or Changed Sources Identified Within Renfrewshire Council During 2023 ......................... 53 Additional Air Quality Works Undertaken by Renfrewshire Council During 2023........................ 53 QA/QC of Diffusion Tube Monitoring ......................................................................................... 53 Diffusion Tube Annualisation ................................................................................................................... 54 Diffusion Tube Bias Adjustment Factors ................................................................................................. 54 NO2 Fall-off with Distance from the Road ................................................................................................ 55 QA/QC of Automatic Monitoring ................................................................................................ 55 PM10 and PM2.5 Monitoring Adjustment ................................................................................................... 56 Automatic Monitoring Annualisation ........................................................................................................ 56 NO2 Fall-off with Distance from the Road ................................................................................................ 56 Glossary of Terms ........................................................................................................... 59 References ....................................................................................................................... 61 Page 391 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 vi List of Tables Table 1.1 – Summary of Air Quality Objectives in Scotland ................................................. 1 Table 2.1 – Declared Air Quality Management Areas .......................................................... 2 Table 2.2 – Progress on Measures to Improve Air Quality................................................... 8 Table A.1 – Details of Automatic Monitoring Sites ............................................................. 31 Table A.2 – Details of Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites ..................................................... 32 Table A.3 – Annual Mean NO2 Monitoring Results (µg/m3) ............................................... 36 Table A.4 – 1-Hour Mean NO2 Monitoring Results, Number of 1-Hour Means > 200µg/m3 ........................................................................................................................................... 46 Table A.5 – Annual Mean PM10 Monitoring Results (µg/m3) .............................................. 46 Table A.6 – 24-Hour Mean PM10 Monitoring Results, Number of PM10 24-Hour Means > 50µg/m3 ............................................................................................................................. 48 Table A.7 – Annual Mean PM2.5 Monitoring Results (µg/m3) ............................................. 48 Table B.1 – NO2 2022 Monthly Diffusion Tube Results (µg/m3) ......................................... 50 Table C.1 – Bias Adjustment Factor .................................................................................. 55 Table C.2 – Annualisation Summary (concentrations presented in µg/m3) ........................ 57 Table C.3 – Local Bias Adjustment Calculations ............................................................... 57 Table C.4 – NO2 Fall off With Distance Calculations (concentrations presented in µg/m3) 58 List of Figures Figure 1. Map of Automatic Monitoring Sites ..................................................................... 18 Figure 2. Map of Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites in Renfrew ........................................... 19 Figure 3. Map of Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites in Paisley ............................................. 20 Figure 4. Map of Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites in Kilbarchan and Johnstone ............... 21 Figure 5. Map of Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites in Lochwinnoch .................................... 22 Figure 6. Annual Mean NO2 Concentrations at Automatic Monitoring Sites ...................... 39 Page 392 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 vii Figure 7. Annual Mean NO2 Concentrations at Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites (Urban Centre, Urban Background, Kerbside) ............................................................................... 40 Figure 8. Annual mean NO2 Concentrations at Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites (Roadside 1) ....................................................................................................................................... 41 Figure 9. Annual Mean NO2 Concentrations at Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites (Roadside 2) ....................................................................................................................................... 42 Figure 10. Annual Mean NO2 Concentrations at Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites (Roadside 3) ....................................................................................................................................... 43 Figure 11. Annual Mean NO2 Concentrations at Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites (Roadside 4) ....................................................................................................................................... 44 Figure 12. Annual Mean NO2 Concentrations at Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites (Roadside 5) ....................................................................................................................................... 45 Figure 13. Annual Mean PM10 Concentrations at Automatic Monitoring Sites ................... 47 Figure 14. Annual Mean PM2.5 Concentrations at Automatic Monitoring Sites ................. 49 Page 393 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 1 1 Local Air Quality Management This report provides an overview of air quality in Renfrewshire Council during 2023. It fulfils the requirements of Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) as set out in Part IV of the Environment Act (1995), as amended by the Environment Act (2021), and the relevant Policy and Technical Guidance documents. The LAQM process places an obligation on all local authorities to regularly review and assess air quality in their areas, and to determine whether or not the air quality objectives are likely to be achieved. Where an exceedance is considered likely the local authority must declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and prepare an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) setting out the measures it intends to put in place in pursuit of the objectives. This Annual Progress Report (APR) summarises the work being undertaken by Renfrewshire Council to improve air quality and any progress that has been made. Table 1.1 – Summary of Air Quality Objectives in Scotland Pollutant Air Quality Objective Concentration Air Quality Objective Measured as Date to be Achieved by Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) 200 µg/m3 not to be exceeded more than 18 times a year 1-hour mean 31.12.2005 Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) 40 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2005 Particulate Matter (PM10) 50 µg/m3, not to be exceeded more than 7 times a year 24-hour mean 31.12.2010 Particulate Matter (PM10) 18 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2010 Particulate Matter (PM2.5) 10 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2021 Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 350 µg/m3, not to be exceeded more than 24 times a year 1-hour mean 31.12.2004 Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 125 µg/m3, not to be exceeded more than 3 times a year 24-hour mean 31.12.2004 Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 266 µg/m3, not to be exceeded more than 35 times a year 15-minute mean 31.12.2005 Benzene 3.25 µg/m3 Running annual mean 31.12.2010 1,3 Butadiene 2.25 µg/m3 Running annual mean 31.12.2003 Carbon Monoxide 10.0 mg/m3 Running 8-Hour mean 31.12.2003 Page 394 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 2 2 Actions to Improve Air Quality 2.1 Air Quality Management Areas Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) are declared when there is an exceedance or likely exceedance of an air quality objective. After declaration, the authority must prepare publish and implement an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) within the shortest possible time and no later than 12 months of the date of AQMA Designation Order. The AQAP must set out measures the local authority intends to put in place in pursuit of the objectives within the shortest possible time. Measures should be provided with milestones and a final date for completion. The action plan itself should have a timescale for completion and for revocation of the AQMA. Where measures to reduce air pollution may require a longer timescale an action plan shall be reviewed and republished within five years of initial publication and then five-yearly thereafter. A summary of AQMAs declared by Renfrewshire Council can be found in Table 2.1. Further information related to declared or revoked AQMAs, including maps of AQMA boundaries are available online at https://www.scottishairquality.scot/laqm/aqma?id=382#!/la/462. Table 2.1 – Declared Air Quality Management Areas AQMA Name Pollutants and Air Quality Objectives City / Town Description Action Plan Paisley Town Centre (PTC) NO2 annual mean NO2 1-hour mean PM10 24- hour mean Paisley An area encompassing a large part of central Paisley and extending a short distance along some radial roads Renfrewshire Council Air Quality Action Plan 2019: http://www.renfrewshire .gov.uk/airquality Johnston e High Street (JHS) NO2 annual mean Johnst one From the junction of High Street and Peockland Place; thence along High Street to the junction of Barrochan Road and Napier Street Renfrewshire Council Air Quality Action Plan 2019: http://www.renfrewshire .gov.uk/airquality Renfrew Town Centre (RTC) NO2 annual mean NO2 1-hour mean Renfre w From the junction of Paisley Road, Inchinnan Road, Hairst Street and Glebe Street; thence Renfrewshire Council Air Quality Action Plan 2019: Page 395 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 3 AQMA Name Pollutants and Air Quality Objectives City / Town Description Action Plan along Glebe Street to property number 4 Glebe St; thence along Paisley Road to the junction of Donaldson Drive; thence along Inchinnan Road to the junction of Longcroft Drive; thence along Hairst Street to the junction with Canal Street and High Street; thence along Canal St to the junction with Ferry Road http://www.renfrewshire .gov.uk/airquality 2.2 Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 – Towards a Better Place for Everyone (CAFS2) is Scotland’s second air quality strategy. CAFS2 sets out how the Scottish Government and its partner organisations propose to further reduce air pollution to protect human health and fulfil Scotland’s legal responsibilities over the period 2021 – 2026. CAFS2 was published in July 2021 and replaces Cleaner Air for Scotland – The Road to a Healthier Future (CAFS), which was published in 2015. CAFS2 aims to achieve the ambitious vision for Scotland "to have the best air quality in Europe". A series of actions across a range of policy areas are outlined, a summary of which is available on the Scottish Government’s website. Progress by Renfrewshire Council against relevant actions for which local authorities are the lead delivery bodies within this strategy is demonstrated below. 2.2.1 Placemaking – Plans and Policies Local authorities with support from the Scottish Government will assess how effectively air quality is embedded in plans, policies, City Deals and other initiatives, and more generally in cross departmental working, identifying and addressing evidence, skills, awareness and operational gaps. Page 396 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 4 Renfrewshire Council has relevant initiatives in Transport and Climate Change, as detailed below: Transport – Avoiding Travel – T1 Renfrewshire Council has included a measure within their 2019 AQAP to develop a Corporate Travel Plan (Measure 14, Table 1.3) together with ongoing detailed reviews of transport plans within Paisley and Johnstone. A draft travel plan and travel directories were prepared and provided by a consultant at the end of 2019. The steering group had been planned for spring 2020 to finalise the travel plan, however due to the pandemic, this has now been put on hold. It is not yet known when the steering group may be established, as the pandemic has had a significant effect on staff work habits with the majority of non-frontline workers still working from home. The council has recently created and filled a permanent Active Travel Officer post within the councils Transportation and Development team. The post was created to assist delivery on a wide range of priority active travel and public transport infrastructure related projects within Renfrewshire as well as develop and deliver a Renfrewshire Active Travel Strategy. This will be aimed at all residents, business etc. across Renfrewshire and not solely for staff as per the Corporate Travel Plan. Climate Change – Effective co-ordination of climate change and air quality policies to deliver co-benefits – CC2 The Scottish Government expects any Scottish local authority which has or is currently developing a Sustainable Energy Action Plan to ensure that air quality considerations are covered. In addition to the Council’s 2014 Carbon Management Plan, and as discussed in the Council’s AQAP, Renfrewshire Council commissioned a study during 2019 to review the AQAP measures in line with CAFS objectives. As such, it was found that within the 16 AQAP measures listed, the decarbonising transport and low emission vehicle use aspects were strongly aligned with the CAFS strategy. 2.2.2 Transport – Low Emission Zones (LEZs) Local authorities working with Transport Scotland and SEPA will look at opportunities to promote zero-carbon city centres within the existing Low Emission Zones (LEZs) structure. Page 397 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 5 Renfrewshire Council has no LEZs established within the Local Authority area. Renfrewshire Council undertook a National Low Emission Framework Stage 1 Screening Appraisal as part of the 2020 APR and determined that the proposed air quality measures were sufficient as declared AQMAs either reported no exceedances in 2019, or LEZs were not considered appropriate due to AQMAs being restricted along a stretch of road. This position is not considered to have changed since the appraisal and LEZs remain to not be considered appropriate in Renfrewshire. 2.3 Implementation of Air Quality Action Plan(s) and/or measures to address air quality In order to ensure that local authorities implement the measures within an action plan by the timescales stated within that plan, the Scottish Government expects authorities to submit updates on progress through the APR process. Renfrewshire Council has taken forward a number of measures within the action plan during the current reporting year of 2022 in pursuit of improving local air quality and meeting the air quality objectives within the shortest possible time. Details of all measures completed, in progress or planned are set out in Table 2.2. More detail on these measures can be found in the Air Quality Action Plan relating to each AQMA. Key completed measures for this reporting year are: • Measure 1 – Gaia Works are now substantially complete and the completed infrastructure is in use; • Measure 1 – Two AMIDS (Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland) buildings are now complete and occupied; • Measure 15 – Construction of Paisley to Renfrew and Inchinnan Active Travel Routes; and • Measure 16 – Cycle2Work Scheme open from 24 March 2022 to 17 June 2022. New measures for this reporting year that were not included within the 2019 AQAP but will be detailed in the 2024 AQAP update include the following: • Better Points active travel incentive scheme ran for 12 months from Spring 2022. Headline results include: • 654 users out of 917 replaced their last car journey with an active travel option; Page 398 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 6 • 75.9% of respondents agreed they used the car less than usual to get from place to place; • 73% of respondents agreed they would likely use the car less to get from place to place in the future; • 75.2% of respondents said they are more likely to walk or cycle to get from place to place in the future; • 66.4% of respondents said they are likely to use public transport to get from place to place in future; and • 76.7% of respondents said that the scheme has made them leave the car at home. • Living Streets WOW project is a year-round walk to school challenge undertaken within Renfrewshire in 2022/23 which rewards children and young people with badges for choosing an active travel method in going to school. Headline results include: • 6455 children engaged with the project; and • 259,208 sustainable and active travel journeys undertaken. • Beat the Street empowers communities to increase activity levels and improve health with a walking and cycling competition where participants tap their Beat the Street cards on Beat Boxes on lampposts to record distances walked or cycled. Headline results for 2021/22: • 6313 players; • 37% activity undertaken during typical commute travel periods thus the game encouraged people to use active modes of travel to get to school and work; • 2% decrease in car proportion travelling to school by car each day following the scheme; • 68% players reported walking more and 11% reported cycling or wheeling more; and • 79% players said they were likely or very likely to continue walking, cycling or wheeling for travel in future. • Scootability is a training programme aimed at P3/4 allowing children to learn the skills and knowledge to ride safely. 5 primary schools took part in 2022/23 and 292 pupils completed training. Progress on the following measures has been slower than expected due to: Page 399 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 7 • Measure 1 – Effective acquisition of land required to implement the AMIDS South project is considered a potential barrier to implementation. • Measure 6 – Phase 3 is ongoing but delayed due to the impact the pandemic has had on the number of staff working from home. • Measure 9 – Funding has been secured for PTC transportation improvements and a prioritised programme of works has been identified but modelling has not yet been undertaken and a timeline for implementation has not yet been decided. • Measure 14 – Council steering group established to finalise the travel plan has been put on hold since Spring 2020 due to the pandemic. Renfrewshire Council expects the following measures to be completed over the course of the next reporting year: • Measure 3 - £2.2 million set aside for purchase of new fleet vehicles in 2023/24. • Measure 5 – new fleet tracking telematic system installed from 31st May 2023. • Measure 11 – Further meeting will be undertaken with local bus operators as part of the 2024 update to the AQAP. • Measure 15 – Refresh of local transport strategy and active travel strategy/action plan. • Renfrewshire Council will be commencing a full review of the 2019 Renfrewshire Council AQAP this summer in order to have the review completed by next Spring which is in accordance with the new requirements of the Scottish Government’s Policy Guidance 2023 whereby the Scottish Government now requires all action plans are reviewed and republished on a five-yearly cycle from date of initial publication, which will be March 2024. This process will involve consultation with steering group members and a full update of the action plan measures. Page 400 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 8 Table 2.2 – Progress on Measures to Improve Air Quality No. Measure Category Expected / Actual Completion year Measure Status Funding Status Key Milestones Progress Barriers to Implementation 1 Glasgow City Region City Deal Projects - Clyde Waterfront & Renfrew Riverside Project (CWRR) - Glasgow Airport Investment Area Project (GAIA) UK Government Levelling Up Fund Project - Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) South Transport Planning and Infrastructure Traffic Management Promoting Travel Alternatives CWRR – expected completion early 2025 GAIA – completed 2022 AMIDS South – expected completion March 2025 CWRR – in progress GAIA – completed AMIDS South – in progress Partially funded. UK Government funding 90% of the capital costs of the project. Renfrewshire council contribution is 10% of costs. Government funding will be unlocked in 5 yearly Gateway Reviews. If the City Deal meets agreed outputs and outcomes at each review, the full £1 billion of funding from the UK and Scottish Governments will be unlocked. CWRR Nov 2018 – planning consent granted Autumn 2019 – tenders published Nov 2021 – Contract Start Date Early 2025 – Anticipated construction completion. GAIA Nov 2017 – planning consent granted Spring 2019 – tender contracts awarded June 2019 – start of construction March 2022 – Works opened to the public. AMIDS South March 2023 – planning consented Nov 2022 to Oct 2023 – Contractor procurement and land acquisition Nov 2023 to March 2025 – Construction period. CWRR site works are progressing, and off-site manufacture of the bridge structure underway. It is anticipated that the project will open to the public in early 2025. GAIA Works are now substantially complete with rectification of defects on- going. The completed infrastructure is in use. The GAIA project has been the catalyst for AMIDS which is now progressing well, with the first two buildings complete and occupied. Detailed design for AMIDS South is progressing in parallel with landowners and stakeholder liaison. AMIDS South – Effective acquisition of the land required to implement the project is considered a potential barrier to implementation Page 401 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 9 2 Upgrades & Improvements to the Council’s Urban Traffic Control (UTC) system Replacement of UTC system with externally hosted UTC- X system from Yunex with guaranteed updates for the next 10 years. Traffic Management (UTC, congestion management) Expected completion year - 2023 In progress Not funded (from external sources). Original defective loops repaired/ replaced in June 2017. Validation of traffic signals & PROM updates completed in November 2017. Spring 2023 - 66 sites’ communications improved to prevent dropouts and minimise frequency of traffic delay. Feasibility of extending UTC control to Johnstone being pursued but will be dependent on funding. 66 sites across 30 junctions throughout the council area have been upgraded to an externally hosted UTC system between 2020 and 2023. This is then followed with a 10-year maintenance contract at these sites to ensure signals remain as efficient as possible. The work to replace life- expired traffic signals continues. 4G communications between the signals and the system are being superseded by connections to the council’s fibre network and priority junctions continue to have their equipment replaced as needs and funding arise 3 Council Fleet Improvements - Continue to improve the standard of fleet Promoting Low Emission Transport (Company vehicle procurement - Prioritising uptake of low emission vehicles) Ongoing. There is an annual vehicle replacement programme (VRP) whereby vehicles at the end of their service life are replaced with an improved EURO standard or an electric alternative. In progress Not funded (from external sources). Funded via the Council’s Vehicle Replacement Capital Programme. Through the VRP programme we are always looking to invest in our fleet – 2.2m has been set aside for 2023-24 for purchase of new fleet vehicles, this will incorporate replacing older fossil vehicles with newer fleet vehicles with better emission standards The Council fleet consists of approx 500 vehicles of which >70% are of EURO V or VI standard. We have recently introduced HVO as an alternative fuel for some of our fleet – and are looking to expand the project to come in line with more vehicles on the fleet. Ongoing. The Council will continue to improve the standard of fleet and introduce greener vehicles where opportunities and funding permits. There are approx 80 HGV vehicles, 32 of which are EURO VI standard with the remaining 48 being of EURO V standard. The EURO V HGVs are prioritised for replacement with EURO VI vehicles. 4 Council Fleet Improvements - Increase numbers of electric vehicles (EVs) & associated charging infrastructure Promoting Low Emission Transport (Company vehicle procurement Ongoing. The Council will continue to introduce EVs & charging points where In progress Funded mainly via the Council’s Replacement Vehicle Programme and Transport Scotland’s Switched On Fleets funding. First Council EVs and charging points purchased and installed in 2012. The Council now have 115 EVs (cars/vans) in the Contract awarded for £250,000 investment in Underwood Road Waste Depot during 2023 with a new 2.3MVA power supply and transformer to support the further expansion of EV Page 402 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 10 - EV Fleet Strategy Feasibility Study prioritising uptake of low emission vehicles & Procuring alternative refuelling infrastructure to promote low emission vehicles, EV recharging) opportunities and funding permits. As technology evolves the Council will extend the EV Fleet Strategy to include all vehicles including HGVs and buses. fleet or 27% of overall fleet. There are now 124 council operated publicly available charging points in Renfrewshire and 89 charging bays for council vehicles across 14 council depots /buildings. charging infrastructure for light vans, HGVs and refuse collection vehicles In addition to pool cars, the council have 10 pool bikes for staff to use for business travel as part of the Business Travel Hierarchy. 5 Masternaut Connect Fleet Telemetric System - Upgrade of fleet tracking telemetric system fitted to all Council vehicles to optimise utilisation of fleet. The tracking system allows close monitoring of movement and operating status of all fleet vehicles. Freight and Delivery Management (Route management plans/ Strategic routing strategy for HGV's) Vehicle Fleet Efficiency (other) Masternaut Connect installed/ completed 2017. However new fleet tracking system being installed 31st May 2023 In progress Not funded (from external sources). Masternaut was originally installed in all council vehicles in 2009-10. This was upgraded to a newer Masternaut Connect version early 2017 which provided an easier reporting system and focused in more detail on driver behaviour, vehicle utilisation etc. A new fleet tracking system is being installed from 31st May 2023 System operational from April 2017. Dedicated member of staff employed from Autumn 2018. Masternaut is getting replaced on the 31st of May and a new supplier - UK Telematics - will be the fleet tracker system for the council. This will provide real time, web-based asset tracking system using GPS. This should improve fuel economy and provide departments with more in- depth reports about driver behaviour when in a fleet vehicle. 6 Renfrewshire Council Sustainable Travel Planning Scheme - Supply high mileage users with council cars and introduce a fleet of pool vehicles to replace business mileage for employees. - Pool bikes are available for staff to use to carry out Council business. Alternatives to Private Vehicle Use (Car clubs/ sharing schemes) Promoting Low Emission Transport Ongoing Phase 1 of scheme - introduced Oct 2018 and now complete. Phase 2 - introduced Jan 2019 and complete. Phase 3 – ongoing but delayed, Funded. The majority of funding for the EVs has come from Transport Scotland Switched On Fleet funding. Phase 1 of the scheme was introduced in 2018. This involved 35 vehicles being available for staff use within Environmental Services. Staff required to use the fleet cars in replacement of their own cars. Phase 2 was introduced Jan 2019 and involved pool cars being available for all other relevant staff Currently, there are 47 electric pool vehicles with 23 charger units located in Renfrewshire HQ. 300,000 miles have been travelled by pool vehicles since October 2018. Phase 3 – locating pool vehicles at other council buildings has started with EV charging units now installed at HCSP office in Paisley for Care at Home teams. Further Page 403 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 11 -Encouraging staff to walk or use public transport where appropriate to carry out Council business. mainly due to the impact that the pandemic has had on increased numbers of staff working from home. There is currently not the need for significant numbers of pool cars to be stationed at other council buildings. members across Renfrewshire House HQ. By the end of 2019 all pool cars based at Renfrewshire House were EVs and over 300 HQ staff are now using pool vehicles. Phase 3 involves locating pool vehicles at other Council buildings. EVs were delivered March 2021. 8 Renfrewshire’s Local Transport Strategy - Publication of a new Local Transport Strategy (LTS) to replace the Council’s 2007 LTS will be undertaken. Policy Guidance and Development Control (Other policy) New Renfrewshire LTS – expected completion 2024/25 In progress Not funded (from external sources). The Council’s 2007 LTS set out key objectives and vision for transport over 10-20 yrs. A refresh of this 2007 LTS was undertaken in Feb 2017. A new Renfrewshire LTS will be prepared following the policy guidelines in the National Transport Strategy 2020 and the Regional Transport Strategy 2023, which is currently awaiting Scottish Ministers approval. New Renfrewshire LTS is currently out to tender for consultancy support. A detailed scope of the council’s requirements includes consideration of its plan for net zero emissions by 2030. 9 Paisley Town Centre Transportation Improvements - Undertake a feasibility study of potential transport interventions for Paisley town centre e.g. reinstating two-way traffic flows, amending key junctions, Policy Guidance and Development Control (Other policy) Traffic Management (Congestion management) To be confirmed following further modelling In progress The feasibility study has been funded via SPT. Funding of any future proposed measures will be subject to availability of capital funding with the potential of funding from external partners also e.g. SPT. Procurement process for feasibility study awarded 2017. 2019 - first draft of the feasibility study produced which establishes initial proposals and reports on potential areas of improvement, their Ongoing. The proposed options are intentionally high level, providing ideas of key potential transport interventions for Paisley. Some of these measures will now be developed from the current concept phase taking into account traffic modelling and allowing for appropriate Funding of measures. Page 404 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 12 review of lining & signage and trial removal of certain traffic lights on ring road. technical feasibility, benefits and deliverability. The development of a Transport Strategy for Paisley Town Centre (PTC) was identified as a key action within the Renfrewshire LTS and PTC 2016-2026 Action Plan. The conclusions of this feasibility study may feed into any PTC Transport Strategy. The conclusions will then be subject to senior management review, Board approval and consultation with stakeholders before any decisions are made on potential action measures. Implementation of final proposals will thereafter be subject to identification of funding streams. assessment, design and eventual delivery. Whilst a prioritised programme of works has been identified for the short to medium term, further modelling has yet to be undertaken and a timeline for implementation of the measures yet to be decided. Some long-term improvements are also identified in line with the PTC 10yr Action Plan, but these require further investigation. The draft feasibility study details a programme of phased interventions covering the short, medium and long term. 10 Johnstone Town Centre Transportation Improvements Policy Guidance and Development Control (Other policy) Traffic Management (Parking enforcement on Highway) Temporary measures have been completed. Permanent TRO changes to be pursued after the Renfrewshire consolidated digital TRO is made in 2023. In progress Not funded (from external sources). Yellow line restrictions and bus stop closures/relocations have been carried out under TTRO to enable a turning facility for buses around Houston Square. Permanent TRO changes to be pursued after the Renfrewshire consolidated digital TRO is made in 2023. Consideration is being given to Johnstone as an extension to the UTC system to better link and control signal junctions on High Street. . Page 405 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 13 11 Improvements in the Bus Fleet Standard Vehicle Fleet Efficiency (Promoting Low Emission Public Transport) Ongoing In progress The purchase of these by the operator has been aided by the Scottish Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme. An initial meeting was held in April 2019 with the management of the largest bus operator in Renfrewshire and staff from Renfrewshire Council to discuss the potential improvements in bus operations. The operator has since invested significantly in their EV fleet brining in 23 EV buses at the end of 2021 and used for local residential routes, therefore improving emissions locally. In addition, EV charging infrastructure has been installed in Johnstone and Inchinnan Depots. Further engagement required with other operators. Further meeting will be undertaken with local bus operators as part of the 2024 update to the Air Quality Action Plan 12 Vehicle Idling Awareness Raising - Regular targeted campaigns to raise awareness regarding idling vehicles & air pollution. Campaigns aimed at specific categories of drivers or in areas where vehicles idle unnecessarily e.g. schools, bus terminals, taxi ranks or in response to complaints. Traffic Management (Anti-idling enforcement) Public Information (via other mechanisms Ongoing. General idling awareness campaigns have been ongoing since 2011. On hold Not funded (from external sources). A School Parking Campaign was introduced in April 2018 aimed at road safety around schools including safe parking and an anti-idling message. Banners were erected at school entrances and every pupil received a school parking pledge leaflet which contained a message regarding no idling and encouraging parents to sign up to safe parking pledges around schools. By August 2019, all 49 Primary schools in Renfrewshire were engaged in the campaign. Regarding the second phase of the scheme, four primary schools have been identified to introduce an exclusion zone in the streets around their entrances as we aim to create a safer, healthier school environment for pupils. This was due to commence in April 2020 but has been put on hold. When it is next able to commence, it will consist of a six-month pilot scheme and will introduce a part-time Page 406 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 14 A second phase of the campaign will consider the closure of surrounding roads around selected primary schools. A feasibility study for this was undertaken in 2019. vehicle exclusion zone at the start and end of the school day in some of the surrounding streets of the four schools. 14 Renfrewshire Council Corporate Travel Plan Promoting Travel Alternatives (Workplace Travel Planning) Uncertain On hold Not funded (from external sources). Jan 2019 - Consultant undertook site visits to relevant council offices to determine existing facilities. June 2019 - staff travel survey issued to determine current transport modes etc. A Roadshow event was also held on Clean Air Day in June 2019 at Renfrewshire House. Council staff and the consultants were in attendance to provide travel planning advice, info on pool cars, promotion of the travel survey etc. Dr Bikes and Scotrail were also in attendance. A staff commuter challenge was undertaken in August 2019. Nov 2019 – draft plan provided by consultant A draft travel plan and travel directories were prepared and provided by the consultant during Nov 2019. A council steering group requires to be established to finalise the plan and then consultation of this with other relevant services/ organisations. This had been planned for spring 2020 but has now been put on hold due to the current pandemic. It is unclear when this stage will recommence. Once the plan is published and measures implemented a second staff survey is planned to determine any change in travel behaviour. Page 407 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 15 15 Renfrewshire Council Cycle Strategy & Action Plan 2016-2025 - The strategy contains a Cycling Action Plan which sets out a programme of activities and network interventions for the coming ten years including upgrades and expansion of cycle networks, upgrading the Council’s facilities for cyclists and updating the Council’s Travel Plan. Promoting Travel Alternatives (Promotion of cycling) The Cycle Strategy and Action Plan runs from 2016-2025. Upgrades and development of the cycling network is ongoing as per the strategy priorities. Council will refresh Local Transport Strategy and Active Travel Strategy / Action Plan during 2023/24. In progress Funding is applied for each financial year from the Scottish Government under the Cycling, Walking and Safer Routes fund. At least 36% of this fund must be allocated to cycling including for example infrastructure or design works. Renfrewshire used 49.4% of CWSR budget in 2022/23 on new infrastructure to encourage cycling. Projects included construction of Paisley to Renfrew and Inchinnan Active Travel Routes. Designs for Erskine and Inchinnan Business Park. Sustrans funded projects completed in 22/23 include NCN improvements at Jennyswell, Miller Street Johnstone. The Cycle Strategy was approved by Board in Dec 2016. Measures contained within the action plan will be implemented dependant on funding. There are several cycling infrastructure projects which are currently at concept design /public consultation design stage. The routes for these are – 1.Southolm Roundabout Erskine 2.Linside Avenue 3.Hawkhead Rd/ Glasgow Rd junction 4.Linclive Roundabout 5. Inchinnan Business Park 6. Barnsford Road, Glasgow Airport 16 Renfrewshire Council Staff Cycling Incentives - Staff Cycle to Work Scheme. Cycle2Work Council employees can participate in this Government approved salary sacrifice scheme which allows them to purchase a bike and cycle accessories with tax free benefits. Promoting Travel Alternatives (Promotion of cycling) Ongoing In progress Not funded (from external sources). Staff can apply for anything between £100 and £2000 towards the cost of bike or cycle accessories which could potentially save up to £960 per person. The scheme was previously open from 24 March 2022 to 17 June 2022. Given its previous popularity, the Cycle2Work scheme was reopened in April 2023 and is now available all year round. Scheme currently open for uptake Page 408 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 16 3 Air Quality Monitoring Data and Comparison with Air Quality Objectives 3.1 Summary of Monitoring Undertaken Automatic Monitoring Sites This section sets out what monitoring has taken place and how local concentrations of the main air pollutants compare with the objectives. Renfrewshire Council undertook automatic (continuous) monitoring at three sites during 2022. Table A.1 in Appendix A shows the details of the sites. National monitoring results are available at https://www.scottishairquality.scot/data. Two sites monitor NO2 – REN1 Renfrew Cockels Loan and REN03 Renfrew Inchinnan Road, with the final site REN02 Renfrewshire Johnstone monitoring PM2.5 and PM10. No exceedances of the relevant air quality objectives were recorded for any pollutant at any automatic monitoring station in 2022. No changes occurred to Renfrewshire Council’s automatic monitoring network in 2022. Gordon Street automatic continuous monitor was decommissioned in November 2021. The continuous monitor was old and required continual repairs and experienced issues with its main electrical feed prior to closure. No exceedances had been recorded in Paisley Town Centre for over five years, from either this continuous monitoring site or diffusion tube monitoring sites. Therefore, it was decided that this site was to be decommissioned rather than paying for continual repairs. A map showing the location of the monitoring sites are provided in Figure 1. Further details on how the monitors are calibrated and how the data has been adjusted are included in Appendix C. Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites Renfrewshire Council undertook non- automatic (passive) monitoring of NO2 at 60 sites during 2022, including three triplicate sites. Table A.2 in Appendix A shows the details of the sites. Page 409 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 17 The following changes to Renfrewshire Council’s diffusion tube network occurred during 2022: • Paisley88 was removed in August due to low return rates. • Paisley95 was removed in February due to building works and was replaced by Paisley106 • Johnstone106 was removed in March due to building works and was replaced by Johnstone107 • Paisley104 was removed in June due to low return rates and was replaced by Paisley108. Of the 60 diffusion tube monitoring sites across Renfrewshire in 2022, following bias adjustment and prior to the application of distance correction, there were no exceedances of the NO2 annual mean air quality objective recorded in 2022. Maps showing the location of the monitoring sites are provided in Figure 2 to Figure 5. Further details on Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) for the diffusion tubes, including bias adjustments and any other adjustments applied (e.g. annualisation and/or distance correction), are included in Appendix C. Other Monitoring Activities No other monitoring activities have been undertaken. Page 410 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 18 Figure 1. Map of Automatic Monitoring Sites Page 411 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 19 Figure 2. Map of Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites in Renfrew Page 412 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 20 Figure 3. Map of Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites in Paisley Page 413 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 21 Figure 4. Map of Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites in Kilbarchan and Johnstone Page 414 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 22 Figure 5. Map of Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites in Lochwinnoch Page 415 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 23 3.2 Individual Pollutants The air quality monitoring results presented in this section are, where relevant, adjusted for annualisation and bias. Further details on adjustments are provided in Appendix C. 3.2.1 Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Table A.3 in Appendix A compares the ratified and adjusted monitored NO2 annual mean concentrations for the past five years with the air quality objective of 40 µg/m3. For diffusion tubes, the full 2022 dataset of monthly mean values is provided in Appendix B. There were six new sites established in 2022. Two diffusion tubes recorded a data capture below 25% and therefore could not be annualised, this data is still shown in (monthly table). Two diffusion tubes required annualisation as their data capture was between 25% and 75% - Renfrew70 and Paisley108. Distance correction was undertaken for two monitoring sites to estimate the concentration at the nearest receptor, with calculations provided in Table C.4 – Paisley21 (triplicate site) and Renfrew48. All diffusion tube monitoring locations in Renfrewshire Council achieved NO2 AQO compliance in 2022. The highest concentration was 30.9 µg/m3 reported at Johnstone59 (High Street). The observed downward trend in concentrations continues for the majority of monitoring sites in 2022. Only seven sites experienced an increase in annual mean NO2 concentration from 2021 to 2022, compared to 49 sites experiencing a decrease, these include REN03 – Renfrew Inchinnan Road automatic monitoring site and five diffusion tube locations (Paisley2, Renfrew8, Renfrew17, Renfrew68, Renfrew70 and Johnstone86). These increases range from +0.2 µg/m3 (at Johnstone86) to +2.3 µg/m3 (at Paisley2). The decreases observed range from -0.6 µg/m3 (Paisley3, Paisley44 and Paisley50) to -9.7 µg/m3 (Johnstone99). The remaining six sites were commissioned in 2023. Broadly, over the past five years, the majority of the diffusion tube monitoring sites have shown a decrease in NO2 concentrations. Table A.4 in Appendix A compares the ratified continuous monitored NO2 hourly mean concentrations for the past five years with the air quality objective of 200 µg/m3, not to be exceeded more than 18 times per year. No exceedances of the hourly mean air quality objective for NO2 were recorded at any of the automatic monitoring sites. None of the diffusion tube monitoring sites reported concentrations exceeding 60 µg/m3 which indicates that there are no exceedances of the short-term air quality objective. Page 416 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 24 3.2.2 Particulate Matter (PM10) Table A.5 in Appendix A compares the ratified and adjusted monitored PM10 annual mean concentrations for the past five years with the air quality objective of 18 µg/m3 showing the ratified data and the ratified corrected data for REN02 (Renfrewshire, Johnstone). following the Scottish Government Guidance Note in relation to the measurement of ambient Particulate Matter (PM) and the LAQM reporting of measured concentrations issued in May 2023. REN02 (Renfrewshire, Johnstone) has shown variations in concentrations ranging from 10.2 µg/m3 to 16.3 µg/m3 for the ratified data and 11.3 µg/m3 to 17.9 µg/m3 in the ratified corrected data in the past five years. It should be noted that the PM10 annual mean in 2020 and 2021 may have been impacted by COVID-19 related lockdowns. The concentration in 2022 is a reduction of 0.8 – 0.9 µg/m3 compared to the concentration recorded in 2021. This site has not recorded an exceedance of the annual mean AQO since at least 2018. Table A.6 in Appendix A compares the ratified continuous monitored PM10 daily mean concentrations for the past five years with the air quality objective of 50 µg/m3, not to be exceeded more than seven times per year. In 2022, REN02 (Renfrewshire Johnstone) monitor reported no instances of 24-hour mean AQO exceedances. The 24-hour PM10 AQO was last exceeded in 2019 at REN02 – Renfrewshire Johnstone, this exceedance has been attributed to localised buildings works undertaken in summer 2019. 3.2.3 Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Table A.7 in Appendix A compares the ratified and ratified corrected monitored PM2.5 annual mean concentrations for the past five years with the air quality objective of 10 µg/m3. In 2022, REN02 (Renfrewshire Johnstone) recorded a concentration of 6.1 µg/m3 or a corrected value of 6.5 µg/m3, these both show a slight increase (+0.1 µg/m3 and +0.2 µg/m3 respectively) compared to the concentration reported in 2021 (6.0 µg/m3 and 6.3 µg/m3 respectivey) but a reduction compared to the concentrations in 2018 and 2019 (7.3 µg/m3 and 7.9 µg/m3 for the ratified annual mean and 7.7 µg/m3 and 8.4 µg/m3 for the corrected annual mean). However, it should be noted that the PM2.5 annual mean in 2020 and 2021 may have been impacted by COVID-19 related lockdowns. The site has not recorded an exceedance of the annual mean AQO since at least 2018. Page 417 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 25 3.2.4 Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) No monitoring of SO2 was undertaken in 2022. 3.2.5 Carbon Monoxide, Lead and 1,3-Butadiene No monitoring of Carbon Monoxide, Lead or 1,3-Butadiene was undertaken in 2022. Page 418 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 26 4 New Local Developments 4.1 Road Traffic Sources There are a number of developments within the local authority that may affect air quality, The following developments that will affect road traffic sources are outlined below: • 22/0363/PP - Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) South project. Formation of 2 lane road, including a bridge crossing over the White Cart Water, road and footpath upgrades and other associated works. Site Linking Inchinnan Road and Harbour Road with Abercorn Street, Paisley. Two detailed air quality assessments were submitted for the application – the first being a Preliminary Air Quality Assessment relating to the construction phase of the development and then an Air Quality Addendum report for the operational phase road traffic impacts of the scheme. Both reports were found to be satisfactory with mitigation measures recommended in order to address potential dust issues from the construction phase. Development approved January 2023. • 22/0345/PP - Erection of residential development comprising eighty flats and thirty-nine dwellinghouses and formation of roads, infrastructure, and open space amenity. Site On Southern Edge of Roundabout Junction with Laymoor Avenue, King's Inch Road, Renfrew. A detailed air quality assessment was submitted with the application and found to be satisfactory. The assessment concluded there were no significant effects on air quality as a result of the development and therefore no requirement for mitigation measures. Development approved April 2023. • 22/0142/PP - Demolition of existing office building and erection of sixty-seven flats with associated access, landscaping, open space and parking. 2 Lonend Paisley PA1 1SS. A simple air quality assessment was submitted with this application (in accordance with relevant air quality and planning guidance based on the proposed number of traffic vehicle movements). The assessment determines that further quantitative assessment of local air quality is not required for the proposed future use of the scheme and that the air quality impact of the development was not considered to be significant. Development approved August 2022. Page 419 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 27 • 21/1668/PP - Mixed Use Redevelopment of The Paisley Centre to include Class 1 (Shops), Class 2 (Financial, Professional & Other Services), Class 3 (Food & Drink), Class 4 (Business), Class 7 (Hotel), Class 10 (Non-residential Institutions), Class 11 (Assembly & Leisure), Residential, Healthcare, Sui Generis (Hot Food Takeaway), Demolition and Other Ancillary Uses (Planning Permission in Principle). Paisley Centre 23 High Street Paisley PA1 2AF. This is a large-scale redevelopment of Paisley Town Centre proposal which was approved March 2022. An air quality assessment has still to be received for this as the main application is a masterplan with further supporting documents, such as air quality assessments, to be submitted at the detailed planning application stage. 4.2 Other Transport Sources No planning applications were received by Renfrewshire Council during 2022 that identified any new or significantly changed other transport sources. 4.3 Industrial Sources A statutory consultation notification was received from SEPA in March 2022 of the following: • Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 Application for a New Pollution Prevention and Control, Part B Permit Application by: Scottish Leather Group Operations Ltd, Bridge of Weir An air quality and odour dispersion modelling assessment was submitted with the application. The air quality aspect of the assessment screened out any human health concerns or impacts on vegetation and ecosystems as a result of the proposals. 4.4 Commercial and Domestic Sources No planning applications were received by Renfrewshire Council during 2022 that identified any new or significantly changed commercial and domestic sources. 4.5 New Developments with Fugitive or Uncontrolled Sources No planning applications were received by Renfrewshire Council during 2022 that identified any new developments with fugitive or uncontrolled sources. Page 420 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 28 5 Planning Applications The transport project within Paisley town centre known as AMIDS South was granted planning approval in January 2023. The project will create new routes between Paisley town centre and the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) and Glasgow Airport. The project involves a road bridge crossing the White Cart and an east- west link road, all with accompanying walking and cycling options. This is 90% funded by the UK Government Levelling Up Fund, with the rest paid by Renfrewshire Council. Two detailed air quality assessments were submitted with the application, a Preliminary Air Quality Assessment relating to the construction phase of the development and an Air Quality Addendum report for the operational phase road traffic impacts of the scheme. Both reports were found to be satisfactory. With regards to the operational phase, the assessment determines that there will be no exceedances of air quality objectives as a result of the development. There will also be a beneficial effect on annual mean NO2, PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations at the majority of locations assessed. In terms of public support for the development, more than 260 people completed a public survey with their thoughts on the project proposals. The survey found: • 90% would use the riverside route • 86% confirmed that they would be more likely to walk or cycle here following the infrastructure improvements • More than two-thirds of people would use the walking and cycling route between Gallowhill Road and Inchinnan Road • 70% indicated that they would consider leaving the car at home and walk or cycle instead A contractor for the development should be appointed by the end of 2023 with completion expected in 2025. Further information on AMIDS South can be found at https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/transport-links-amids-south-paisley Page 421 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 29 6 Conclusions and Proposed Actions 6.1 Conclusions from New Monitoring Data There were no AQO exceedances identified in Renfrewshire Council during 2022. Historically, the Renfrew 8 diffusion tube monitoring site has exceeded the annual mean NO2 AQO however in 2021 the reported concentration was 29.8 µg/m3 and so this monitoring site fell below the AQO for the first time in at least five years. In 2022, the reported concentration was 30.2 µg/m3 and so still fell significantly below the AQO. 89% of existing monitoring sites recorded a decrease in annual mean NO2 concentrations from 2021 to 2022. The remaining sites experienced an increase in NO2 concentrations, including the REN03 Renfrew Inchinnan Road automatic monitoring site and five diffusion tube monitoring sites. PM10 annual mean concentrations at REN02 – Renfrewshire Johnstone decreased from 2021 to 2022 by 0.8 µg/m3 or by 0.9 µg/m3 for the corrected annual mean concentrations. REN02 – Renfrewshire Johnstone also records PM2.5 and experienced a small increase (+0.1 μg/m3 for the ratified annual mean concentrations or +0.3 µg/m3 for the corrected annual mean concentrations) from 2021 to 2022, both pollutants monitored at REN02 recorded concentrations below their respective annual mean AQOs. 6.2 Conclusions relating to New Local Developments Any new developments that are likely to impact local air quality, or potentially introduce new receptors into areas of poor air quality, have been adequately assessed during the planning process. No planning applications were received by Renfrewshire Council in 2022 that identified any new or significantly changed Non-Road, Industrial, Commercial or Domestic Sources or developments with fugitive or uncontrolled sources that had any human health concerns or impacts on vegetation or ecosystems. The air quality impacts were assessed to be not significant for two Road Traffic source planning applications submitted to Renfrewshire Council. The planning application reports relating to AMIDS South project were found to be satisfactory with construction phase dust Page 422 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 30 mitigation measures. Renfrewshire Council are still awaiting an air quality assessment for the Mixed Use Redevelopment of Paisley Centre to be submitted. 6.3 Proposed Actions Renfrewshire Council’s proposed actions following the publication of the 2023 APR are as follows: • Progress with the significant new road and cycle infrastructure projects which are part of the City Deals and AMIDS South projects; • Publication of a new Renfrewshire Local Transport Strategy and development of a Paisley Town Centre Transport Strategy; • Continuation with the upgrade and development of the cycling network as per the Renfrewshire Council Cycle Strategy priorities; • Improvement of the council’s fleet, funded via the Council’s Vehicle Replacement Capital Programme. £2.2 million has been set aside for the VRC Programme in 2023-24 for the purchase of new fleet vehicles. This includes the replacement of older fossil vehicles with newer fleet vehicles with better emission standards and the introduction of HVO as an alternative fuel for some of the fleet; • Reopening the Cycle2Work scheme in April 2023 and keeping it available for the full financial year; • Upgrading fleet tracking telemetric system fitted to all Council vehicles to optimise utilisation of fleet. This will be completed by end of May 2023; • Refresh the local transport strategy and active travel strategy/action plan; • Full review of the 2019 Renfrewshire Council AQAP commencing summer 2023 in order to have the review completed by next Spring which is in accordance with the new requirements of the Scottish Government’s Policy Guidance 2023 whereby the Scottish Government now requires all action plans are reviewed and republished on a five-yearly cycle from date of initial publication, which will be March 2024. This process will involve consultation with steering group members and a full update of the action plan measures; • Continue to monitor NO2, PM10 and PM2.5 at all relevant locations throughout Renfrewshire; and • Submit the 2024 Annual Progress Report. Page 423 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 31 Appendix A: Monitoring Results Table A.1 – Details of Automatic Monitoring Sites Site ID Site Name Site Type X OS Grid Ref Y OS Grid Ref Pollutants Monitored In AQMA? Which AQMA? Monitoring Technique Distance to Relevant Exposure (m) (1) Distance to kerb of nearest road (m) (2) Inlet Height (m) REN1 Renfrew, Cockels Loan Roadside 250464 665933 NO, NO2 N Chemiluminescent 5 18 2.2 REN02 Renfrewshire, Johnstone Roadside 242984 663178 PM2.5, PM10 Y – JHS FIDAS 200 0.5(3) 2.9 1.9 REN03 Renfrew, Inchinnan Road Roadside 250567 667558 NO, NO2 Y – RTC Chemiluminescent 7.1 3.9 1.6 Notes: (1) 0m if the monitoring site is at a location of exposure (e.g. installed on the façade of a residential property). (2) N/A if not applicable. (3) The distance of 0.5 m is to the façade of the closest building, these are commercial units at ground level and residential units on the first floor Page 424 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 32 Table A.2 – Details of Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites Site ID Site Name Site Type X OS Grid Ref Y OS Grid Ref Pollutants Monitored In AQMA? Which AQMA? Distance to Relevant Exposure (m) (1) Distance to kerb of nearest road (m) (2) Tube co- located with a Continuous Analyser? Tube Height (m) Paisley1 Gilmour Street Urban Centre 248350 664082 NO2 Y – PTC 70 68 N 2.7 Paisley2 Oakshaw Street Urban Background 247925 664052 NO2 Y – PTC 11 35 N 2.4 Paisley3 Lochfield Drive Urban Background 249002 662138 NO2 N 8 1.5 N 2.4 Renfrew8 Inchinnan Road Kerbside 250589 667547 NO2 Y – RTC 0.1 2.64 N 2.4 Renfrew17 Tanar Way Roadside 251524 666287 NO2 N 0 28 to M8 N 2.3 Paisley19 Linwood Road Roadside 245701 663603 NO2 N 5 2.5 N 2.5 Johnstone20 High Street Kerbside 242675 663286 NO2 Y – JHS 0.45 1.4 N 2.3 Paisley21 Causeyside Street (triplicate) Roadside 248316 663612 NO2 Y – PTC -6.3 9.9 (Causeyside St) N 2.3 Paisley33 76 Causeyside Street Roadside 248277 663524 NO2 Y – PTC 1.1 2.76 N 2.8 Paisley35 Old Sneedon Street Roadside 248360 664272 NO2 Y – PTC 0.4 3.4 N 2.7 Paisley36 Caledonia Street Roadside 247948 664774 NO2 Y – PTC 4.5 3.3 N 2.5 Renfrew40 Hairst Street Roadside 250763 667631 NO2 Y – RTC 0.25 6.18 N 2.5 Paisley43 Smithhills Street (East) Roadside 248481 664154 NO2 Y – PTC 0 2.45 N 2.5 Paisley44 Love Street Roadside 248209 664474 NO2 Y – PTC 0.17 2.17 N 2.5 Renfrew45 Xscape Kerbside 251803 667365 NO2 N 18 2 N 2.5 Renfrew48 Glen Sax Drive Roadside 251264 666217 NO2 N -22 45 to M8 N 2.6 Paisley50 Renfrew Road Roadside 248985 665494 NO2 N 7 12 N 2.5 Page 425 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 33 Site ID Site Name Site Type X OS Grid Ref Y OS Grid Ref Pollutants Monitored In AQMA? Which AQMA? Distance to Relevant Exposure (m) (1) Distance to kerb of nearest road (m) (2) Tube co- located with a Continuous Analyser? Tube Height (m) Renfrew52 Glasgow Road Roadside 251515 666955 NO2 N 4 3 N 2.3 Renfrew56 Paisley Road Roadside 250579 667488 NO2 Y – RTC 3.45 4.5 N 2.4 Renfrew57 Paisley Road Roadside 250597 667473 NO2 N 1.2 6 N 2.4 Johnstone59 High Street Kerbside 242656 663281 NO2 Y – JHS 0.1 1.7 N 2.5 Paisley60 Underwood Road Roadside 247525 664326 NO2 N 7.8 0.5 N 2.4 Kilbarchan61 High Barholm Roadside 240584 663007 NO2 N 0.1 1.1 N 2.4 Renfrew62 Cockels Loan (triplicate) Roadside 250463 665934 NO2 N 5 18 to M8 Y 3 Paisley63 Renfrew Road Roadside 249159 665710 NO2 N 6.8 3.7 (12 to Renfrew Rd) N 2.4 Kilbarchan65 High Barholm Roadside 240599 663000 NO2 N 0.42 2 N 2.2 Kilbarchan66 High Barholm Roadside 240573 663021 NO2 N 0.43 1.64 N 2.2 Kilbarchan67 High Barholm Roadside 240512 663027 NO2 N 1.75 2.95 N 2.3 Renfrew68 Paisley Road Roadside 250522 667419 NO2 Y – RTC 0.2 3 N 2.3 Renfrew69 Inchinnan Road Roadside 250537 667602 NO2 Y – RTC 0.12 2.87 N 2 Renfrew70 Inchinnan Road Roadside 250599 667561 NO2 Y – RTC 4.5 3.71 N 2 Renfrew71 Braille Drive Roadside 251729 666360 NO2 Y – RTC 0 (equivalent distance to nearby housing) 26.5 to M8 slip road N 2 Johnstone72 High Street Roadside 243080 663140 NO2 Y – JHS 0.45 3 N 2.3 Paisley73 Lawn Street Roadside 248566 664072 NO2 Y – PTC 0.19 1.95 N 2.45 Paisley74 Causeyside Street Roadside 248313 663621 NO2 Y – PTC 0.19 3.3 N 2.2 Page 426 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 34 Site ID Site Name Site Type X OS Grid Ref Y OS Grid Ref Pollutants Monitored In AQMA? Which AQMA? Distance to Relevant Exposure (m) (1) Distance to kerb of nearest road (m) (2) Tube co- located with a Continuous Analyser? Tube Height (m) Renfrew75 Canal Street Roadside 250853 667747 NO2 N 0.17 5 N 2.45 Paisley78 Neilston Road Roadside 248339 662576 NO2 Y 0.15 2.63 N 2.5 Paisley79 Incle Street Roadside 248632 664212 NO2 N 0.18 2.8 N 2.16 Paisley80 Glasgow Road Roadside 249653 664123 NO2 N 1.9 2.1 N 2.35 Paisley82 Well Street Roadside 247513 664024 NO2 Y – PTC 0.2 2.27 N 2.36 Paisley83 Wellmeadow Street Kerbside 247671 663913 NO2 N 0.4 3.32 N 2.46 Renfrew84 Ferry Village Roadside 251254 667876 NO2 Y – PTC 18 0.5 N 2.4 Johnstone85 High Street Roadside 242622 663306 NO2 Y – JHS 0.62 1.1 N 2.4 Johnstone86 High Street Roadside 242495 663358 NO2 Y – JHS 0.14 2.7 N 2.41 Paisley88 Hawkhead Road Roadside 249850 663991 NO2 Y - PTC 7 2.05 N 2.39 Paisley89 Abercorn Street Roadside 248467 664303 NO2 Y– PTC 0.14 3.5 N 2.3 Renfrew90 Renfrew Monitor (triplicate) Roadside 250567 667558 NO2 Y – RTC 7 3.9 Y 1.63 Lochwin92 Newton of Barr Roadside 234904 658634 NO2 N 0.45 2 N 2.35 Lochwin93 Main Street Roadside 235280 658877 NO2 N 0.43 1.15 N 2.55 Paisley94 New Street Roadside 248186 663925 NO2 Y – PTC 2.1 0.47 N 2.37 Paisley96 McDonalds Renfrew Road Roadside 248998 665204 NO2 N 19 2.23 N 2.23 Renfrew97 Inchinnan Road Kerbside 250610 667534 NO2 Y – RTC 2.1 0.57 N 2.42 Johnstone98 High Street Roadside 242540 663323 NO2 Y – JHS 0.5 1.37 N 2.3 Johnstone99 High Street Roadside 242584 663307 NO2 Y – JHS 0.45 1.3 N 2.36 Johnstone100 High Street Roadside 242643 663285 NO2 Y – JHS 0.1 1.85 N 2.24 Renfrew101 Glebe Street Roadside 250656 667457 NO2 N 4.5 2.5 N 2.3 Paisley102 Orchard Street Roadside 248363 663752 NO2 Y – PTC 0.58 2.32 N 2.1 Page 427 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 35 Site ID Site Name Site Type X OS Grid Ref Y OS Grid Ref Pollutants Monitored In AQMA? Which AQMA? Distance to Relevant Exposure (m) (1) Distance to kerb of nearest road (m) (2) Tube co- located with a Continuous Analyser? Tube Height (m) Paisley103 Greenock Road Roadside 247486 665285 NO2 N 18 0.8 N 2.24 Paisley105 Central Road 2 Roadside 248425 664192 NO2 Y – PTC 55 4 N 2.25 Paisley106 Smithhills Street Roadside 248477 664186 NO2 Y – PTC 5.59 0.59 N 2.17 Johnstone107 High Street Roadside 242503 663335 NO2 Y – JHS 6 2.8 N 2.24 Paisley108 Central Road Roadside 248355 664180 NO2 Y – PTC 0.51 6.84 N 2.41 Notes: (1) 0m if the monitoring site is at a location of exposure (e.g. installed on/adjacent to the façade of a residential property). (2) N/A if not applicable. PTC – Paisley Town Centre, RTC – Renfrew Town Centre, JHS – Johnstone High Street Page 428 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 36 Table A.3 – Annual Mean NO2 Monitoring Results (µg/m3) Site ID Site Type Monitoring Type Valid Data Capture for Monitoring Period (%)(1) Valid Data Capture 2022 (%) (2) 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 REN1 Roadside Automatic 99.7 99.7 31.2 31.1 20.9 24.5 22.4 REN03 Roadside Automatic 98.2 98.2 - 24.1 19.9 19.0 19.7 Paisley1 Urban Centre Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 20.3 21.3 16.1 14.9 13.5 Paisley2 Urban Background Diffusion Tube 84.6 84.6 14.4 14.6 10.9 9.6 11.9 Paisley3 Urban Background Diffusion Tube 92.3 92.3 12.0 11.6 8.9 7.4 6.8 Renfrew8 Kerbside Diffusion Tube 92.3 92.3 41.1 41.4 40.2 29.8 30.2 Renfrew17 Roadside Diffusion Tube 92.3 92.3 33.7 32.0 26.3 22.9 23.5 Paisley19 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 28.3 24.9 24.1 22.5 17.9 Johnstone20 Kerbside Diffusion Tube 92.3 92.3 29.7 28.7 25.5 20.2 19.3 Paisley21 (1), Paisley21 (2), Paisley21 (3) Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 28.9 27.6 25.7 21.9 18.6 Paisley33 Roadside Diffusion Tube 92.3 92.3 31.7 28.8 27.7 24.1 19.4 Paisley35 Roadside Diffusion Tube 92.3 92.3 34.7 31.1 31.5 25.7 21.9 Paisley36 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 30.4 28.2 27.7 26.5 20.5 Renfrew40 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 27.4 25.8 21.6 18.7 16.4 Paisley43 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 28.9 26.7 20.4 20.5 15.0 Paisley44 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 23.6 21.9 16.3 16.1 15.5 Renfrew45 Kerbside Diffusion Tube 90.4 90.4 25.8 21.5 20.3 18.4 14.9 Renfrew48 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 30.9 29.1 24.8 20.9 17.7 Paisley50 Roadside Diffusion Tube 90.4 90.4 29.4 24.3 21.8 17.9 17.3 Renfrew52 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 31.8 25.3 24.9 21.2 17.3 Renfrew56 Roadside Diffusion Tube 92.3 92.3 30.3 26.3 24.4 20.9 19.5 Renfrew57 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 24.1 24.4 18.1 19.0 12.9 Johnstone59 Kerbside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 40.0 37.9 39.5 34.4 30.9 Paisley60 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 34.4 33.6 30.1 24.5 22.3 Kilbarchan61 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 32.4 30.2 26.0 26.1 18.7 Renfrew62 (1), Renfrew62 (2), Renfrew62 (3) Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 36.8 34.3 30.5 25.3 21.9 Paisley63 Roadside Diffusion Tube 92.3 92.3 33.2 29.4 25.2 25.2 20.9 Kilbarchan65 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 28.2 30.3 25.8 20.9 16.9 Page 429 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 37 Site ID Site Type Monitoring Type Valid Data Capture for Monitoring Period (%)(1) Valid Data Capture 2022 (%) (2) 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Kilbarchan66 Roadside Diffusion Tube 75.0 75.0 19.3 22.3 18.1 15.9 14.1 Kilbarchan67 Roadside Diffusion Tube 92.3 92.3 18.6 17.5 18.6 13.2 10.3 Renfrew68 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 27.4 23.8 21.0 16.4 17.4 Renfrew69 Roadside Diffusion Tube 82.7 82.7 30.7 29.9 25.0 32.4 25.3 Renfrew70 Roadside Diffusion Tube 57.7 57.7 31.7 25.4 26.9 17.4 18.1 Renfrew71 Roadside Diffusion Tube 92.3 92.3 28.5 29.2 26.2 24.4 19.1 Johnstone72 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 22.9 23.4 20.2 19.9 13.6 Paisley73 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 32.0 26.1 27.0 22.5 17.7 Paisley74 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 30.9 27.8 28.6 23.0 18.7 Renfrew75 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 22.6 22.1 21.1 20.2 13.9 Paisley78 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 28.9 26.6 24.4 24.0 16.8 Paisley79 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 32.5 27.8 32.0 24.6 20.0 Paisley80 Roadside Diffusion Tube 92.3 92.3 24.9 23.9 23.7 18.4 14.9 Paisley82 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 33.2 28.9 36.1 28.1 24.3 Paisley83 Kerbside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 31.1 33.2 25.1 22.7 21.8 Renfrew84 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 24.3 23.1 16.8 14.9 13.1 Johnstone85 Roadside Diffusion Tube 92.3 92.3 26.1 25.0 30.2 24.5 19.9 Johnstone86 Roadside Diffusion Tube 92.3 92.3 28.1 27.0 29.9 19.0 19.2 Paisley89 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 22.4 30.4 24.9 23.2 20.0 Renfrew90 (1), Renfrew90 (2), Renfrew90 (3) Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 - 24.4 21.4 20.1 17.2 Lochwin92 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 - - 14.8 14.3 13.5 Lochwin93 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 - - 14.1 16.7 11.1 Paisley94 Roadside Diffusion Tube 84.6 84.6 - - 21.0 19.0 17.9 Paisley96 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 - - 24.2 21.2 16.9 Renfrew97 Kerbside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 - - - 30.5 28.5 Johnstone99 Roadside Diffusion Tube 82.7 82.7 - - - 35.4 25.7 Johnstone100 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 - - - 31.8 24.3 Renfrew101 Roadside Diffusion Tube 90.4 90.4 - - - 19.5 17.8 Paisley102 Roadside Diffusion Tube 92.3 92.3 - - - - 19.1 Paisley103 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 - - - - 13.1 Paisley105 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 100.0 - - - - 16.6 Paisley106 Roadside Diffusion Tube 81.0 75.0 - - - - 17.7 Johnstone107 Roadside Diffusion Tube 100.0 84.6 - - - - 20.6 Paisley108 Roadside Diffusion Tube 86.7 50.0 - - - - 14.7 Page 430 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 38 Notes: Exceedances of the NO2 annual mean objective of 40µg/m3 are shown in bold. NO2 annual means exceeding 60µg/m3, indicating a potential exceedance of the NO2 1-hour mean objective are shown in bold and underlined. Means for diffusion tubes have been corrected for bias. All means have been “annualised” as per LAQM.TG(22) if valid data capture for the full calendar year is less than 75%. See Appendix C for details. (1) Data capture for the monitoring period, in cases where monitoring was only carried out for part of the year. (2) Data capture for the full calendar year (e.g. if monitoring was carried out for 6 months, the maximum data capture for the full calendar year is 50%). Page 431 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 39 Figure 6. Annual Mean NO2 Concentrations at Automatic Monitoring Sites 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Annual Mean NO 2 Concentration (µg/m 3 ) Year Annual Mean Air Quality Objective REN1 REN03 Page 432 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 40 Figure 7. Annual Mean NO2 Concentrations at Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites (Urban Centre, Urban Background, Kerbside) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Annual Mean NO 2 Concentration (µg/m 3 ) Year Annual Mean Air Quality Objective Paisley1 Paisley2 Paisley3 Renfrew8 Johnstone20 Renfrew45 Johnstone59 Paisley83 Renfrew97 Page 433 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 41 Figure 8. Annual mean NO2 Concentrations at Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites (Roadside 1) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Annual Mean NO 2 Concentration (µg/m 3 ) Year Annual Mean Air Quality Objective Renfrew17 Paisley19 Paisley21 (1), Paisley21 (2), Paisley21 (3) Paisley33 Paisley35 Paisley36 Renfrew40 Paisley43 Paisley44 Renfrew48 Paisley50 Page 434 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 42 Figure 9. Annual Mean NO2 Concentrations at Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites (Roadside 2) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Annual Mean NO 2 Concentration (µg/m 3 ) Year Annual Mean Air Quality Objective Renfrew52 Renfrew56 Renfrew57 Paisley60 Kilbarchan61 Renfrew62 (1), Renfrew62 (2), Renfrew62 (3) Paisley63 Kilbarchan65 Kilbarchan66 Kilbarchan67 Page 435 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 43 Figure 10. Annual Mean NO2 Concentrations at Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites (Roadside 3) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Annual Mean NO2 Concentrations (µg/m 3 ) Year Annual Mean Air Quality Objective Renfrew68 Renfrew69 Renfrew70 Renfrew71 Johnstone72 Paisley73 Paisley74 Renfrew75 Paisley78 Paisley79 Page 436 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 44 Figure 11. Annual Mean NO2 Concentrations at Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites (Roadside 4) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Annual Mean NO2 Concentration (µg/m 3 ) Year Annual Mean Air Quality Objective Paisley80 Paisley82 Renfrew84 Johnstone85 Johnstone86 Paisley89 Renfrew90 (1), Renfrew90 (2), Renfrew90 (3) Lochwin92 Lochwin93 Paisley94 Page 437 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 45 Figure 12. Annual Mean NO2 Concentrations at Non-Automatic Monitoring Sites (Roadside 5) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Annual Mean NO 2 Concentrations (µg/m 3 ) Year Annual Mean Air Quality Objective Paisley96 Johnstone99 Johnstone100 Renfrew101 Paisley102 Paisley103 Paisley105 Paisley106 Johnstone107 Paisley108 Page 438 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 46 Table A.4 – 1-Hour Mean NO2 Monitoring Results, Number of 1-Hour Means > 200µg/m3 Site ID Site Type Monitoring Type Valid Data Capture for Monitoring Period (%) (1) Valid Data Capture 2022 (%) (2) 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 REN1 Roadside Automatic 99.7 99.7 0 0 0 0 0 REN03 Roadside Automatic 98.2 98.2 - 0 0 0 0 Notes: Exceedances of the NO2 1-hour mean objective (200 µg/m3 not to be exceeded more than 18 times/year) are shown in bold. If the period of valid data is less than 85%, the 99.8th percentile of 1-hour means is provided in brackets. (1) Data capture for the monitoring period, in cases where monitoring was only carried out for part of the year. (2) Data capture for the full calendar year (e.g. if monitoring was carried out for 6 months, the maximum data capture for the full calendar year is 50%). Table A.5 – Annual Mean PM10 Monitoring Results (µg/m3) Site ID Site Type Valid Data Capture for Monitoring Period (%) (1) Valid Data Capture 2022 (%) (2) 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 REN02 Roadside 82.3 82.3 13.4 16.3 10.2 13.7 12.9 REN02 Corrected Roadside 82.3 82.3 14.8 17.9 11.3 15.1 14.2 Notes: Exceedances of the PM10 annual mean objective of 18 µg/m3 are shown in bold. All means have been “annualised” as per LAQM.TG(22), valid data capture for the full calendar year is less than 75%. See Appendix C for details. (1) Data capture for the monitoring period, in cases where monitoring was only carried out for part of the year. Data capture for the full calendar year (e.g. if monitoring was carried out for 6 months, the maximum data capture for the full calendar year is 50%). Page 439 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 47 Figure 13. Annual Mean PM10 Concentrations at Automatic Monitoring Sites 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Annual Mean PM10 Concentration (µg/m 3 ) Year Annual Mean Air Quality Objective REN02 REN02 Corrected Page 440 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 48 Table A.6 – 24-Hour Mean PM10 Monitoring Results, Number of PM10 24-Hour Means > 50µg/m3 Site ID Site Type Valid Data Capture for Monitoring Period (%) (1) Valid Data Capture 2022 (%) (2) 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 REN02 Roadside 82.3 82.3 1 14 0 1 0 Notes: Exceedances of the PM10 24-hour mean objective (50 µg/m3 not to be exceeded more than seven times/year) are shown in bold. If the period of valid data is less than 85%, the 98.1st percentile of 24-hour means is provided in brackets. (1) Data capture for the monitoring period, in cases where monitoring was only carried out for part of the year. (2) Data capture for the full calendar year (e.g. if monitoring was carried out for 6 months, the maximum data capture for the full calendar year is 50%). Table A.7 – Annual Mean PM2.5 Monitoring Results (µg/m3) Site ID Site Type Valid Data Capture for Monitoring Period (%) (1) Valid Data Capture 2022 (%) (2) 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 REN02 Roadside 82.3 82.3 7.3 7.9 5.5 6.0 6.1 REN02 Corrected Roadside 82.3 82.3 7.7 8.4 5.9 6.3 6.5 Notes: Exceedances of the PM2.5 annual mean objective of 10 µg/m3 are shown in bold. All means have been “annualised” as per LAQM.TG(22), valid data capture for the full calendar year is less than 75%. See Appendix C for details. (1) Data capture for the monitoring period, in cases where monitoring was only carried out for part of the year. Data capture for the full calendar year (e.g. if monitoring was carried out for 6 months, the maximum data capture for the full calendar year is 50%). Page 441 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 49 Figure 14. Annual Mean PM2.5 Concentrations at Automatic Monitoring Sites 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Annual Mean PM2.5 Concentrations (µg/m 3 ) Year Annual Mean Air Quality Objective REN02 REN02 Corrected Page 442 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 50 Appendix B: Full Monthly Diffusion Tube Results for 2022 Table B.1 – NO2 2022 Monthly Diffusion Tube Results (µg/m3) Site ID Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual Mean: Raw Data Annual Mean: Bias Adjusted (1) Paisley1 8.2 11.4 17.8 13.2 4.5 8.3 5.8 11.9 11.0 14.5 12.5 34.2 12.8 13.5 Paisley2 - 23.6 6.9 10.1 5.4 - 4.9 8.3 8.1 8.5 16.2 20.7 11.3 11.9 Paisley3 - 6.7 4.5 8.6 2.1 2.3 3.4 5.5 5.8 6.5 6.4 18.8 6.4 6.8 Renfrew8 31.7 39.2 14.9 23.6 15.3 31.8 29.9 23.5 22.1 34.4 - 47.0 28.5 30.2 Renfrew17 20.7 24.2 13.3 27.0 12.1 16.0 14.6 16.3 - 27.4 34.6 37.7 22.2 23.5 Paisley19 9.3 14.6 13.2 19.8 11.3 12.8 12.0 10.2 19.8 20.8 27.5 31.9 16.9 17.9 Johnstone20 14.0 15.9 15.9 24.7 18.8 10.3 14.2 12.3 13.0 25.7 36.0 18.3 19.3 Paisley21 (1) 16.9 17.5 15.6 24.1 11.8 11.8 13.3 - 15.6 14.1 26.6 37.3 -(2) -(2) Paisley21 (2) 15.6 18.0 12.1 23.6 10.7 14.2 8.5 16.0 12.1 20.7 22.2 32.8 -(2) -(2) Paisley21 (3) 11.4 18.8 11.8 25.1 9.8 13.3 12.2 8.7 - 18.2 28.2 36.0 17.5(2) 18.6(2) Paisley33 10.5 13.3 15.8 26.6 20.1 11.9 18.2 11.6 22.9 13.7 - 36.8 18.3 19.4 Paisley35 15.4 12.3 15.9 29.0 21.5 16.0 18.6 14.0 26.4 16.3 - 41.9 20.7 21.9 Paisley36 19.7 18.0 7.1 21.6 12.1 11.7 15.5 13.6 22.1 23.5 33.2 34.5 19.4 20.5 Renfrew40 12.0 7.2 12.1 16.4 13.9 12.7 9.5 11.6 12.1 17.7 23.7 36.2 15.4 16.4 Paisley43 12.3 8.0 10.7 18.1 10.2 9.2 8.9 11.7 10.4 14.8 20.3 35.3 14.2 15.0 Paisley44 9.6 7.5 12.9 17.7 10.7 8.8 8.5 15.6 17.3 15.1 23.8 28.0 14.6 15.5 Renfrew45 11.6 8.4 19.8 17.4 7.4 10.2 13.1 7.1 17.3 16.9 25.7 - 14.1 14.9 Renfrew48 13.6 10.2 14.9 10.4 7.7 13.6 11.5 7.5 20.0 23.7 29.0 38.1 16.7 17.7 Paisley50 14.2 11.1 10.7 - 15.3 11.9 12.2 7.5 21.0 18.5 21.5 35.9 16.3 17.3 Renfrew52 15.8 9.9 15.0 9.1 13.6 14.3 10.7 10.7 15.7 18.0 28.5 35.1 16.4 17.3 Renfrew56 18.0 9.5 14.0 23.1 10.4 15.9 10.7 17.3 - 21.9 28.1 33.8 18.4 19.5 Renfrew57 11.7 6.9 12.8 16.2 10.6 6.6 9.1 7.6 18.1 18.5 25.4 2.9 12.2 12.9 Johnstone59 34.1 16.5 21.4 31.9 29.2 20.4 10.6 29.7 29.2 42.0 41.0 44.3 29.2 30.9 Paisley60 21.6 8.8 17.3 15.6 15.3 12.0 16.9 20.9 25.6 21.1 34.1 42.9 21.0 22.3 Kilbarchan61 19.5 12.0 16.4 12.8 16.5 6.8 13.1 14.8 23.7 15.0 27.9 33.4 17.7 18.7 Renfrew62 (1) 28.8 16.0 14.5 18.1 15.3 11.8 16.8 14.8 24.2 26.5 31.8 40.1 -(3) -(3) Renfrew62 (2) 25.2 11.4 14.1 15.9 19.9 9.5 - 19.3 22.6 30.0 32.6 38.1 -(3) -(3) Renfrew62 (3) 24.3 17.2 12.8 18.5 8.6 11.1 2.0 - 28.0 28.8 27.6 39.8 20.6(3) 21.9(3) Page 443 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 51 Site ID Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual Mean: Raw Data Annual Mean: Bias Adjusted (1) Paisley63 19.8 18.7 15.5 17.2 17.6 6.2 16.3 17.9 - 24.4 25.9 37.3 19.7 20.9 Kilbarchan65 20.6 9.0 15.6 12.1 15.1 7.3 12.1 14.8 19.3 16.8 17.1 31.3 15.9 16.9 Kilbarchan66 10.2 - 10.5 - 9.4 - 6.4 11.5 15.4 11.5 17.8 26.9 13.3 14.1 Kilbarchan67 7.3 - 9.0 6.4 7.5 3.7 5.7 8.5 10.3 11.2 14.2 23.6 9.8 10.3 Renfrew68 12.7 10.4 13.7 10.6 7.3 7.1 10.9 14.1 17.8 18.7 32.6 40.8 16.4 17.4 Renfrew69 15.1 22.2 18.3 17.1 - - 14.3 18.6 26.8 28.0 51.4 26.9 23.9 25.3 Renfrew70 - - 14.9 9.0 15.2 7.9 13.0 - 20.5 - 28.1 - 15.5 18.1 Renfrew71 10.4 - 16.4 9.9 10.0 7.7 11.9 12.0 21.3 25.5 35.7 37.3 18.0 19.1 Johnstone72 10.0 5.3 12.6 8.6 12.0 5.2 10.0 13.4 23.3 11.6 19.6 22.6 12.9 13.6 Paisley73 11.7 7.9 13.4 14.7 16.3 7.5 16.9 15.8 18.1 16.7 20.5 41.2 16.7 17.7 Paisley74 8.9 6.3 14.1 27.1 17.8 8.1 11.4 19.2 15.7 21.0 26.2 35.6 17.6 18.7 Renfrew75 12.6 9.0 11.4 8.2 5.9 6.8 10.1 12.0 5.3 18.7 23.0 34.3 13.1 13.9 Paisley78 13.3 12.3 17.3 15.6 8.4 10.8 15.7 14.2 9.3 13.6 23.9 35.4 15.8 16.8 Paisley79 17.5 10.9 16.5 19.0 9.5 9.9 12.8 17.1 16.4 20.7 30.9 45.4 18.9 20.0 Paisley80 9.3 8.7 13.3 21.5 11.5 4.3 10.6 12.3 - 12.8 17.8 32.4 14.0 14.9 Paisley82 16.3 36.0 20.0 22.1 11.6 5.5 11.3 27.4 23.1 31.4 28.8 41.8 22.9 24.3 Paisley83 20.2 9.3 29.3 21.7 18.8 12.6 16.6 17.4 12.5 20.8 29.9 38.0 20.6 21.8 Renfrew84 6.5 5.7 10.3 11.4 9.4 7.5 10.9 11.8 11.9 14.7 22.4 26.1 12.4 13.1 Johnstone85 12.5 6.7 - 25.3 17.8 9.4 14.7 20.4 16.1 20.0 27.2 36.6 18.8 19.9 Johnstone86 16.0 10.6 13.2 22.1 19.6 6.7 12.1 19.4 - 20.6 24.8 34.4 18.1 19.2 Paisley88 - - - 11.8 - - 10.2 - - - - - - - Paisley89 18.2 19.3 12.5 24.8 15.4 9.7 16.7 18.3 14.7 14.3 23.5 38.7 18.8 20.0 Renfrew90 (1) 7.4 8.0 18.8 14.4 13.3 10.4 10.9 15.6 9.6 15.2 28.6 38.3 -(4) -(4) Renfrew90 (2) 6.2 5.1 12.7 20.6 8.6 7.5 11.0 12.8 11.1 17.8 31.5 35.2 -(4) -(4) Renfrew90 (3) 12.6 8.0 27.9 18.7 14.6 6.5 10.9 15.1 10.6 19.9 30.3 37.6 16.2(4) 17.2(4) Lochwin92 11.2 4.6 16.1 11.3 12.9 7.8 12.1 16.2 13.2 10.7 15.7 20.7 12.7 13.5 Lochwin93 8.4 6.0 17.2 10.8 10.7 4.5 7.6 7.8 6.0 10.4 16.6 19.8 10.5 11.1 Paisley94 12.1 4.2 24.7 22.3 15.1 - - 13.9 8.5 11.6 21.5 34.6 16.9 17.9 Paisley96 20.9 11.2 25.3 12.1 11.3 9.5 10.3 10.3 7.1 19.3 20.6 33.7 16.0 16.9 Renfrew97 37.8 24.7 38.2 27.0 23.9 12.8 16.9 20.9 11.0 31.5 34.6 43.1 26.9 28.5 Johnstone98 36.0 - - - - - - - - - - - - Johnstone99 - 12.3 26.8 - 27.6 18.4 16.4 29.0 17.0 18.6 31.5 44.6 24.2 25.7 Johnstone100 26.8 16.2 30.6 18.8 18.9 22.1 14.6 16.8 15.9 23.8 31.8 38.8 22.9 24.3 Renfrew101 18.1 9.3 25.8 - 13.8 9.8 5.9 9.7 15.1 18.7 23.5 35.5 16.8 17.8 Paisley102 13.6 8.2 28.2 13.6 16.3 7.8 - 27.7 10.2 14.7 22.4 35.3 18.0 19.1 Page 444 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 52 Site ID Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual Mean: Raw Data Annual Mean: Bias Adjusted (1) Paisley103 11.8 5.3 21.8 9.6 9.5 6.1 8.3 11.6 10.8 12.4 14.6 26.3 12.3 13.1 Paisley105 10.5 9.7 28.0 12.5 8.7 6.9 10.1 17.9 11.4 17.3 20.7 34.6 15.7 16.6 Paisley106 - 12.5 27.5 17.7 - 9.1 - 8.5 9.3 15.1 22.3 28.0 16.7 17.7 Johnstone107 - - 31.5 23.4 10.3 15.9 9.4 10.7 13.4 19.3 28.6 31.6 19.4 20.6 Paisley108 - - - - - 5.2 3.6 10.1 15.5 13.3 - 29.6 12.9 14.7 Notes: (1) See Appendix C for details on bias adjustment (2) Triplicate Site with Paisley21 (1), Paisley21 (2) and Paisley21 (3) - Annual data provided for Paisley21 (3) only (3) Triplicate Site with Renfrew62 (1), Renfrew62 (2) and Renfrew62 (3) - Annual data provided for Renfrew62 (3) only (4) Triplicate Site with Renfrew90 (1), Renfrew90 (2) and Renfrew90 (3) - Annual data provided for Renfrew90 (3) only Page 445 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 53 Appendix C: Supporting Technical Information / Air Quality Monitoring Data QA/QC New or Changed Sources Identified Within Renfrewshire Council During 2023 Renfrewshire Council has not identified any new sources relating to air quality within the reporting year of 2022. Additional Air Quality Works Undertaken by Renfrewshire Council During 2023 Renfrewshire Council has not completed any additional works within the reporting year of 2022. QA/QC of Diffusion Tube Monitoring The diffusion tubes for the reporting year of 2022 were supplied and analysed by Glasgow Scientific Services (GSS) using the 20% TEA in water preparation method. All results have been bias adjusted and annualised (where required) before being presented in Appendix A: Monitoring Results. GSS is a UKAS accredited laboratory and participates in the AIR-PT Scheme (a continuation of the Workplace Analysis Scheme for Proficiency (WASP)) for NO2 tube analysis and the Annual Field Inter-Comparison Exercise. These provide strict performance criteria for participating laboratories to meet, thereby ensuring NO2 concentrations reported are of a high calibre. The latest AIR-PT results were as follows: • AIR-PT AR037 (May – June 2020) – No Results (NR) • AIR-PT AR039 (July – August 2020) – No Results (NR) • AIR-PT AR040 (September – October 2020) – 100% • AIR-PT AR042 (January – February 2021) – 50% • AIR-PT AR043 (May – June 2021) – 100% Page 446 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 54 • AIR-PT AR045 (July – August 2021) – 100% • AIR-PT AR046 (September – October 2021) – No Results (NR) • AIR-PT AR049 (January – February 2022) – 100% • AIR-PT AR050 (May – June 2022) – 100% Diffusion Tube Annualisation Two diffusion tube monitoring locations within Renfrewshire Council required annualisation as their data capture was less than 75% but greater than 25%: Renfrew70 and Paisley108, details are provided in Table C.2. Two diffusion tube monitoring locations recorded a data capture below 25% and therefore could not be annualised: Paisley88 and Johnstone98. The remainder of the sites recorded a data capture greater than 75% and therefore did not require annualisation. Diffusion Tube Bias Adjustment Factors Renfrewshire Council have applied a local bias adjustment factor of 1.06 to the 2022 monitoring data. A summary of bias adjustment factors used by Renfrewshire Council over the past five years is presented in Table C.1. The 2022 national bias adjustment factor was taken from the National Diffusion Tube Bias Adjustment Factor Spreadsheet (version 03/23) of which reports six studies analysed by Glasgow Scientific Services in 2022 to give a national bias adjustment factor of 1.05. There were two locations which provided opportunity for input to local bias adjustment calculation. The local bias adjustment factor for 2022 was 1.06 from Cockels Loan co- location site, which reported good overall precision and overall data capture. Renfrew Inchinnan Road co-location site reported a poor overall precision for the diffusion tubes and therefore was not used to calculate the local bias adjustment factor as per LAQM.TG(22) which states “Where results show poor precision, then they should be treated with caution, and they may not be suitable for their intended purpose… The aim should be to use results from tubes that are giving good precision, as this will improve the overall reliability of the annual mean concentrations derived from the diffusion tubes to which the locally derived bias adjustment factors have been applied.” The local adjustment factor was used as it was larger than the national adjustment factor and was considered to provide a more conservative, worst case approach; this is consistent with the Council’s previous years’ choice of bias adjustment factors. Bias Page 447 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 55 adjustment was carried out using the Defra Diffusion Tube Data Processing Tool v3.0 (https://laqm.defra.gov.uk/air-quality/air-quality-assessment/diffusion-tube-data- processing-tool/). Table C.1 – Bias Adjustment Factor Year Local or National If National, Version of National Spreadsheet Adjustment Factor 2022 Local - 1.06 2021 National 03/22 1.12 2020 Local - 1.20 2019 Local - 0.89 2018 Local - 0.91 NO2 Fall-off with Distance from the Road Two monitoring sites (Paisley21 and Renfrew48) were not representative of exposure and so the NO2 fall-off with distance calculator was used to estimate the NO2 concentration at the nearest receptor with relevant exposure for each site. The calculations are shown in Table C.4. NO2 Fall-off with Distance from the Road was carried out using the Defra Diffusion Tube Data Processing Tool (https://laqm.defra.gov.uk/air-quality/air-quality- assessment/diffusion-tube-data-processing-tool/). QA/QC of Automatic Monitoring Automatic monitoring of NOX, PM10 and PM2.5 is completed within Renfrewshire using Chemiluminescence (NOX) and FIDAS 2000 (PM2.5 and PM10) analysers. Local Site Operator (LSO) duties are carried out by an Officer from Renfrewshire Council on a monthly basis. Automatic monitoring data is available on the Scottish Air Quality website (https://www.scottishairquality.scot/) both in real-time and following ratification by Ricardo Energy and Environment to AURN standards. The continuous monitoring sites are audited every six monthly by Ricardo and are serviced every six months by ACOEM who maintain the Service and Maintenance Contract. REN1 and REN03 NO2/NOx monitors are visited and calibrated once a month by an LSO from Renfrewshire Council and reports from these calibrations are sent to Ricardo to use in the QA/QC process. Page 448 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 56 PM10 and PM2.5 Monitoring Adjustment PM10 and PM2.5 data have been corrected in line with the Scottish Government Guidance Note in relation to the measurement of ambient Particulate Matter (PM) and the LAQM reporting of measured concentrations, issued in May 2023. PM10 data have been corrected by dividing the ratified data by 0.909. PM2.5 data have been corrected by multiplying the ratified data by 1.06. Both the corrected and uncorrected values have been reported for completeness, as per the Scottish Government Guidance Note. Automatic Monitoring Annualisation Annualisation is required for any site with data capture less than 75% but greater than 25%. All automatic monitoring locations within Renfrewshire Council recorded data capture of greater than 75% therefore it was not required to annualise any monitoring data. NO2 Fall-off with Distance from the Road No automatic NO2 monitoring locations within Renfrewshire Council required distance correction during 2022. Page 449 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 57 Table C.2 – Annualisation Summary (concentrations presented in µg/m3) Site ID Annualisation Factor Glasgow Anderston Annualisation Factor Glasgow Townhead Annualisation Factor Site 3 Name Annualisation Factor Site 4 Name Average Annualisation Factor Raw Data Annual Mean Annualised Annual Mean Comments Renfrew70 1.0604 1.1452 - - 1.1028 15.5 17.1 Paisley108 1.0911 1.0564 - - 1.0737 12.9 13.8 Table C.3 – Local Bias Adjustment Calculations Local Bias Adjustment Input 1 (Renfrew Cockels Loan) Local Bias Adjustment Input 2 (Inchinnan Road) Local Bias Adjustment Input 3 Local Bias Adjustment Input 4 Local Bias Adjustment Input 5 Periods used to calculate bias 9 7 Bias Factor A 1.06 (0.86 – 1.37) 1.12 (0.95 – 1.36) Bias Factor B -6% (-27% - 16%) -10% (-26% - 5%) Diffusion Tube Mean (µg/m3) 23.1 19.8 Mean CV (Precision) 9.3% 8.4% Automatic Mean (µg/m3) 24.5 22.1 Data Capture 100% 100% Adjusted Tube Mean (µg/m3) 25 (20 – 32) 22 (19 – 27) Notes: Local bias adjustment input 2 (Inchinnan Road) has been disregarded due to poor diffusion tube precision so a single local bias adjustment factor (Renfrew Cockels Loan) has been used to bias adjust the 2022 diffusion tube results. Page 450 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 58 Table C.4 – NO2 Fall off With Distance Calculations (concentrations presented in µg/m3) Site ID Distance (m): Monitoring Site to Kerb Distance (m): Receptor to Kerb Monitored Concentration (Annualised and Bias Adjusted) Background Concentration Concentration Predicted at Receptor Comments Paisley21 (1), Paisley21 (2), Paisley21 (3) 9.9 3.6 18.6 11.1 21.4 Renfrew48 45.0 23.0 17.7 16.4 18.4 Receptor is more than 20m further from the kerb than the monitor - treat result with caution. Page 451 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 59 Glossary of Terms Abbreviation Description AMIDS Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland South APR Air Quality Annual Progress Report AQAP Air Quality Action Plan - A detailed description of measures, outcomes, achievement dates and implementation methods, showing how the LA intends to achieve air quality limit values’ AQMA Air Quality Management Area – An area where air pollutant concentrations exceed / are likely to exceed the relevant air quality objectives. AQMAs are declared for specific pollutants and objectives AQO Air Quality Objective AURN Automatic Urban and Rural Network (UK air quality monitoring network) CAFS2 Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 CWRR Clyde Waterfront & Renfrew Riverside DEFRA Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs DMRB Design Manual for Roads and Bridges – Air quality screening tool produced by Highways England EV Electric Vehicle FDMS Filter Dynamics Measurement System GAIA Glasgow Airport Investment Area GSS Glasgow Scientific Services HGV Heavy Goods Vehicle HVO Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil JHS Johnstone High Street LA Local Authority LAQM Local Air Quality Management LEZ Low Emission Zone Page 452 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 60 LSO Local Site Operator LTS Local Transport Strategy NO2 Nitrogen Dioxide NOx Nitrogen Oxides PM10 Airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 10µm (micrometres or microns) or less PM2.5 Airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5µm or less PTC Paisley Town Centre REN1 Renfrew Cockels Loan REN02 Renfrewshire Johnstone REN03 Renfrew Inchinnan Road RTC Renfrew Town Centre QA/QC Quality Assurance and Quality Control SEPA Scottish Environment Protection Agency SO2 Sulphur Dioxide SPT Strathclyde Partnership for Transport TEA Triethanolamine TRO Traffic Regulation Order TTRO Temporary Traffic Regulation Order UTC Urban Traffic Control VPR Vehicle Replacement Programme VRC Vehicle Replacement Capital Page 453 of 470
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Renfrewshire Council LAQM Annual Progress Report 2023 61 References Air Quality in Scotland website (2022 Monitoring data), available at http://www.scottishairquality.co.uk/ AIR-PT-Rounds 37 to 50 (May 2020 to June 2022) available at https://laqm.defra.gov.uk/diffusion-tubes/qa-qc-framework/ AMIDS South - https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/transport-links-amids-south-paisley. Cleaner Air for Scotland 2. July 2021. Published by the Scottish Government. Defra LAQM helpdesk – https://laqm.defra.gov.uk/ Diffusion Tube Data Processing Tool v3.0 available at https://laqm.defra.gov.uk/air- quality/air-quality-assessment/diffusion-tube-data-processing-tool/ Local Air Quality Management Policy Guidance LAQM.PG(S)23. March 2023. Published by the Scottish Government. Local Air Quality Management Technical Guidance LAQM.TG(22). August 2022. Published by Defra in partnership with the Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly Government and Department of the Environment Northern Ireland. National Diffusion Tube Bias Adjustment Factor Spreadsheet version 03/22 available at https://laqm.defra.gov.uk/bias-adjustment-factors/national-bias/ Renfrewshire Air Quality Action Plan 2019. Renfrewshire Council (2016-2021) Annual Progress Reports. Page 454 of 470
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Page 1 of 5 ___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 31 October 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Consultation on Licensing of Activities Involving Animals ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 On 18 August 2021, the Regulatory Functions Board approved a report outlining new and revised duties regarding certain animal licensing activities under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021. 1.2 Scottish Government have now launched a consultation exercise on the extension of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 – proposing to licence further commercial animal related activities, and to replace existing legislation covering animal boarding and riding establishments. Under these regulations, the Local Authority where the premises are located is considered to be the relevant licensing authority, with one specific exception where Scottish Ministers are the licensing authority. 1.3 The consultation seeks views on proposals to extend the current licensing regime to include sectors such as dog walking, dog grooming, providing livery services and businesses offering canine fertility services. Any new licensable activities will have mandatory general and activity-specific conditions attached – these conditions are proposed to be detailed within the Regulations. 1.4 The proposal allows for fees to be set locally, which will enable Local Authorities to recover reasonable costs relating to the processing of applications, inspections and enforcement activities. There will be resource implications for the Council, should the provisions of the Regulations be enacted in full and at this stage these are not fully understood, as the Council has no information on specific numbers of traders currently operating in Renfrewshire who will require to be licensed. Item 14 CHPB311023 Page 455 of 470
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Page 2 of 5 1.5 It is proposed (as is currently the case for existing licensable activities) that Licences will be issued for either 1, 2 or 3 years and their duration will depend on a number of factors including previous compliance, confidence in management of the activity, or whether the licensee is already operating to higher standards than the minimum set. 1.6 The response to the consultation was collated from the experience of relevant services within the wider Climate & Public Protection service including Environmental Health, Trading Standards & Licensing and the Community Safety Partnership Hub (Animal Warden). The response was due to be submitted by 26 September, and a copy of this response this has been included in Appendix A. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Board: 2.1 notes the consultation proposals, and homologates the submitted response, as detailed within Appendix A, and 2.2 requests a further report is brought to a future meeting of this Policy Board, when the regulations have been finalised with an update on implications for the Service. _________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 The Scottish Government introduced new legislation in 2021 (the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021) to regulate certain activities involving animals, which included dog, cat and rabbit breeding; the sale of animals as pets; animal rehoming premises and animal welfare premises. 3.2 To improve animal welfare across other areas of currently unregulated activities, and to modernise legislation which covers certain activities, the Scottish Government are collating views on a number of areas which they intend regulating through extension of the 2021 Regulations. This is in response to a number of concerns raised about potential harm to animals subject to being in such premises which are detailed throughout each part of the consultation document. Concerns include, mistreatment, abuse, illegal use of medicines, overworking and animals being kept within unsuitable conditions. There are also concerns within some licensable activities of humans being subject to unsafe practices, putting them at risk as well as the animals eg, horse riding establishments mis-matching inexperienced riders with unsuitable horses. Page 456 of 470
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Page 3 of 5 3.3 New licensable activities include: Commercial dog walkers, Dog groomers, Livery services of all kinds, Canine fertility businesses, and Greyhound racing (currently only two operational tracks in Scotland). 3.4 The consultation document further proposes to revoke the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963 and the Riding Establishments Act 1964, both being considered as outdated and not fit for the purposes of licensing such establishments. Establishments currently licensed under these Acts will require to transition across to the proposed new licensing regime. It is possible this may have implications for their business model, in terms of the premises and staff qualifications and training. 3.5 It is proposed that licensable activities involving animal boarding and riding establishments will be updated, as follows: Catteries and dog kennels, Commercial day boarding of dogs, Home boarding of dogs, Equine activities including horse riding, donkey hire, donkey riding, pony parties. In Renfrewshire, there are around 48 businesses licensed for these activities under the current legislative regime. 3.6 Board members will note that the response is generally supportive to the proposals to extend what is considered as a licensable activity under the Regulations. However, in terms of dog fertility services, the consultation response recommends that whilst the introduction of a mandatory licensing scheme is supported, the regulation of this would be better served through an amendment to the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, making it an offence for any person to engage in canine fertility services unless they meet the requirements of that Act. This position is predicated on the level of knowledge and detail of fertility practices required to regulate such activities (and what is deemed to be medical interventions) being outwith the scope of knowledge and training of Local Authority officers. 3.7 It is recognised within the consultation response that the proposals - whilst likely to improve standards in sectors which will be subject to licensing - will also require a greater input for Inspecting Officers and Local Authorities. This will place a significant burden on Officers and will require competencies out with normal enforcement capabilities including animal condition scoring. A recommendation is made throughout the response that funding to effectively resource this licensing system is provided by the Scottish Government. It will be challenging to effectively resource this significant additional work with the existing resources available to the Local Authority to regulate current animal licensing services. Page 457 of 470
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Page 4 of 5 3.8 A further report will be brought to a future meeting of this Policy Board, when the regulations have been finalised, with an update on implications for the Service. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – minimal impact, as any reasonable costs incurred from the licensing process are recoverable from the owners of the supply. 2. HR & Organisational Development – None. 3. Community/Council Planning – Our Renfrewshire is thriving – regulation of animal welfare and licensing of persons involved in activities which are subject to a licence will ensure that operators maintain high standards, are effectively regulated and will reduce the negative impacts on legitimate businesses from unlicensed operators. This will provide confidence for businesses and the public providing or using these services. 4. Legal – None. 5. Property/Assets – None. 6. Information Technology – None. 7. Equality & Human Rights – (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – None. 9. Procurement – None. 10. Risk – None. 11. Privacy Impact – None. 12. COSLA Policy Position – N/A. 13. Climate Risk – N/A. _________________________________________________________ Page 458 of 470
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Page 5 of 5 List of Background Papers (a) Background Papers – Minutes of the Regulatory Functions Board of 18 August 2021, Agenda point 8 _________________________________________________________________ Author: Colin Hunter, Environmental Health Manager - Public Health Email: colin.hunter@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 459 of 470
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Page 1 of 11 Appendix A Renfrewshire Council response to the ‘Licensing of activities involving animals’ Consultation Full consultation can be viewed at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/licensing- activities-involving-animals-consultation-document/ Licensing of commercial dog walkers Q1. Do you agree that dog walking businesses should be subject to a statutory licensing scheme? Yes, Renfrewshire Council supports the introduction of a statutory licensing scheme for dog walking businesses. Renfrewshire Council has seen an increase in the number of dog walking businesses over recent years and this has raised concerns as these are unregulated; dog walkers have been seen with too many dogs to be safely controlled and being walked in unsuitable environments, often off-lead, which can pose risks to members of the public, their pets and livestock. Whilst the Council has a voluntary responsible dog walkers scheme, this is for the general community and does not include commercial dog walkers and therefore does not bring any degree of control over dog walking businesses. The licensing of dog walking businesses is likely to place additional, significant burden on local authorities and Renfrewshire Council would recommend funding is provided by the Scottish Government to allow effective resourcing of a licensing system for the multiple proposed areas within this consultation document. Without this funding, it is difficult to see how Renfrewshire Council will have sufficiently trained Officers to undertake these additional, onerous duties. Q2. If you do not support the introduction of statutory licensing, what controls, if any, would you otherwise recommend? N/A Q3. Do you think that license applicants should be required to hold recognised, relevant qualifications (for example, in dog behaviour, canine first aid, animal welfare)? If yes, what level of training do you consider appropriate? Yes, Renfrewshire Council would support a requirement that persons in control of dogs as part of a business have some level of training in dog behaviour, canine first aid and animal welfare as it will not be possible to demonstrate an understanding of responsibilities without such training. The Council has not explored what training is available for business operators and their staff, however a formal qualification demonstrates a commitment to learn and develop skills appropriate and necessary to care for dogs in the course of a business. Page 460 of 470
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Page 2 of 11 Q4. Do you agree that the licensing authority should, where appropriate, be able to stipulate on any licence granted the maximum number of dogs that can be walked at any one time? Yes, it is considered essential that a facility to limit the number of dogs per responsible person is available within the licensing process and Renfrewshire Council consider that to exert proper control over dogs, this should be a maximum of four dogs per responsible person. Q5. Are there any further controls or measures that you would like to see introduced as part of a licensing scheme for dog walking businesses? Renfrewshire Council would recommend and support a full expense recovery model to fund the proposals for licensing dog walking businesses, including provisions to introduce a charging scheme for processing a licence application, issuing the licence and the investigation of complaints and non-compliance with licence conditions. Q6. Do you support the proposal that applicants for a dog walking business licence are required to demonstrate that they maintain an acceptable level of record keeping and have clearly set out and established standards of service and care? Please provide reasons for your answer. Yes. Renfrewshire Council supports this proposal which will be in line with other animal licensing requirements and will allow local authority enforcement officers the ability to access information where required as part of the inspection and complaint investigation process. Q7. Do you know of any challenges or negative consequences that may arise from the introduction of statutory licensing for dog walking businesses? If yes, what are they and how best could these be addressed? No. Q8. Are you aware of any examples of how any of the proposals above may impact, either positively or negatively, on those with protected characteristics? These are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. No - the introduction of a licensing scheme for dog walking will not have any adverse impact on those with protected characteristics. Page 461 of 470
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Page 3 of 11 Licensing dog groomers Q1. Do you agree that dog grooming businesses should be subject to a statutory licensing scheme? Yes. Renfrewshire Council supports the introduction of a statutory licensing scheme for dog grooming businesses. The significant increase in the popularity of such businesses has seen a rise in numbers and it is noted that there is minimal regulation of dog groomers. It is understood and well documented that dog grooming businesses often offer other services which are outwith the scope of grooming but if undertaken by untrained staff, could give rise to injury, infection and suffering for dogs eg anal gland draining. The introduction of a mandatory scheme, with a requirement for public liability insurance, meeting model standards of operation and requirements for training/qualifications will see an improvement how dogs are looked after when in the care of a business. The licensing of dog grooming businesses is likely to place additional, significant burden on local authorities and Renfrewshire Council would recommend funding is provided by the Scottish Government to allow effective resourcing of a licensing system for the multiple proposed areas within this consultation document. Without this funding, it is difficult to see how Renfrewshire Council will have sufficiently trained Officers to undertake these additional, onerous duties. Q2. If you do not support the introduction of statutory licensing, what controls, if any, would you otherwise recommend? N/A Q3. In your opinion, should any future licensing scheme apply to dog groomers only or should it apply more widely, for example to all pet animals? The licensing scheme should be introduced for all pets who may be subject to grooming activity, unless there is another scheme already in place to regulate this. Q4. There is currently no requirement for dog groomers to hold any qualifications (although many do). Do you think that holding a recognised qualification should be a requirement under any future licensing scheme? If yes, what qualification as a minimum should be required? Yes, qualification should be required. Renfrewshire Council would support a requirement that persons in control of dogs as part of a business have some level of training in dog behaviour, canine first aid and animal welfare as it will not be possible to demonstrate an understanding of responsibilities without such training. The Council has not explored what training is available for business operators and their staff, however undertaking qualifications demonstrates a commitment to learn and develop skills appropriate and necessary to care for dogs in the course of a business. Page 462 of 470
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Page 4 of 11 Q5. Are there any further controls or measures that you would like to see introduced as part of a licensing scheme for dog grooming businesses? Renfrewshire Council would recommend and support a full expense recovery model to fund the proposals for licensing dog grooming businesses, including provisions to introduce a charging scheme for processing a licence application, issuing the licence and the investigation of complaints and non-compliance with licence conditions. Q6. Are you aware of any examples of how any of the proposals above may impact, either positively or negatively, on those with protected characteristics? These are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. If yes, please explain your answer. No. Licensing of livery services Q1. Do you support the proposal to introduce statutory licensing for operators of livery yards? Yes. Renfrewshire Council supports the introduction of a statutory licensing scheme for operators of livery yards. The introduction of a mandatory scheme, with a requirement for public liability insurance, meeting model standards for operation and requirements for training/qualifications will see an improvement in how equines are looked after when in the care of a business. The licensing of livery yards is likely to place additional, significant burden on local authorities and Renfrewshire Council would recommend funding is provided by the Scottish Government to allow effective resourcing of a licensing system for the multiple proposed areas within this consultation document. Without this funding, it is difficult to see how Renfrewshire Council will have sufficiently trained Officers to undertake these additional, onerous duties. Q2. If you do not support the introduction of statutory licensing, what controls, if any, would you otherwise recommend? N/A Q3. Should licensing apply to all livery services, regardless of type or scale? Yes. given the concerns raised within this consultation document it would be considered prudent to require all livery services to be regulated to the same standard, providing consistency across the industry and will also allow liveries to amend their business model, without falling foul of licensing requirements. Page 463 of 470
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Page 5 of 11 Q4. Are there any further controls or measures, beyond those set out above, that you would like to see introduced as part of a licensing scheme for operators of livery yards? Renfrewshire Council would recommend and support a full expense recovery model to fund the proposals for licensing livery businesses, including provisions to introduce a charging scheme for processing a licence application, issuing the licence and the investigation of complaints and non-compliance with licence conditions. Q5. Do you know of any challenges or negative consequences that may arise from the introduction of statutory licensing for livery yards? If yes, what are they and how best could these be addressed? No Q6. Are you aware of any examples of how any of the proposals above may impact, either positively or negatively, on those with protected characteristics? These are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. No Licensing canine fertility businesses Q1. Do you agree that businesses offering canine fertility services should be made subject to a statutory licensing scheme? Yes. Renfrewshire Council supports the introduction of a statutory licensing scheme for canine fertility businesses. The introduction of a mandatory scheme, with the proposed future licensing requirements will see an improvement in the welfare of dogs whilst in the care of a business operating within this sector. The requirement for persons to meet a fit and proper test will assist in removing unsuitable persons from operating within this sector however, there are concerns that the level of knowledge and detail of fertility practices, what is deemed to be medical interventions which only RVCS registered veterinary surgeons are permitted to undertake and the detail around illegal practice is outwith the scope of knowledge and training of local authority Officers. It is considered that canine fertility services (as described within the consultation document) would be better regulated through an amendment to the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 making it an offence for any person to engage in canine fertility practice unless they meet the requirements of that Act. Where it is decided that the licensing of canine fertility services rests with local authorities, it will place additional, significant burden on them and Renfrewshire Council would recommend funding is provided by the Scottish Government to allow effective resourcing of a licensing system for the multiple proposed areas within this consultation document. Without this funding, it is difficult to see how Renfrewshire Council will have sufficiently trained Officers to undertake these additional, onerous duties. Page 464 of 470
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Page 6 of 11 Q2. If you do not support the introduction of statutory licensing, what controls, if any, would you otherwise recommend? N/A Q3. If you do support the introduction of statutory licensing, which services should be regarded as "canine fertility services" and therefore require a licence? The type and level of services provided by a canine fertility business could be extensive and in terms of what is required to be covered by a licence would depend on whether a veterinary surgeon is named as being associated with the business, and whether they are present to undertake/supervise suitably qualified staff to undertake procedures. Given the level of knowledge and understanding of what is involved with related procedures this question should specifically be directed to veterinary surgeons. They will have a greater understanding of how invasive the fertility procedures are, with a knowledge of what adverse health impacts an unqualified/trained person carrying out procedures can have on a dog. Q4. Do you support the proposal that any veterinary surgeon named as being associated with a canine fertility business needs to be present during any inspection undertaken, or arranged by, the licensing authority when the authority so requests? Yes. this will ensure that businesses have a legitimate veterinary surgeon in place and can discuss issues which may arise during an inspection of the business by the appropriately appointed inspector for this purpose. Q5. Do you support the proposal that as part of the licence application process, canine fertility businesses would be required to submit evidence of the health screen testing undertaken for all dogs used by the business, including testing to assess a dog’s temperament? Yes, Renfrewshire Council would support this requirement to ensure dogs undergoing any treatment service offered by a business is healthy and will not suffer as a consequence of the treatment. Q6. Should screening also include veterinary certification of health and genetic suitability of all dogs/semen and bitches used for breeding whether or not owned by the business? Yes, Renfrewshire Council would support this requirement to ensure that dogs not considered suitable are not used within any breeding programme, regardless of whether the dog is under the ownership of the business. If a dog is not healthy or genetically suitable for breeding, the ownership of this animal is largely irrelevant and for the purposes of regulating canine fertility businesses any fit and proper person working within this field would not breed from such dogs. Page 465 of 470
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Page 7 of 11 Q7. Do you support the proposal that as part of the licence application process, canine fertility businesses would be required to provide information on any stud dogs owned by or intended for use by the business (for example ownership details, microchip number, where kept)? Yes, Renfrewshire Council would support this requirement which would form part of a reputable businesses’ operating plan and record keeping to demonstrate puppy lineage, and suitability for being used to breed. It is expected however, that new businesses may not have such information at the time a licence application is made but could be a condition that such records are provided annually to the licensing authority. Q8. The current licensing framework to which we propose to add canine fertility businesses, allows for licences to be granted for a period of 1 to 3 years, depending on assessed risk. Do you agree with the proposal that canine fertility businesses are instead required to renew their licence annually, due to the higher animal welfare risks associated with such businesses? Renfrewshire Council would support the requirement that licences for canine fertility businesses are licenced on an annual basis as it is accepted that such businesses are open to abuse and placing the welfare of animals within their care at risk. It is recognised that organised crime is increasingly becoming involved within this market which places animals at even greater risk. Renfrewshire Council would recommend and support a full expense recovery model to fund the proposals for licensing canine fertility businesses, including provisions to introduce a charging scheme for processing a licence application, issuing the licence and the investigation of complaints and non-compliance with licence conditions. Q9. Are there any further controls or measures that you would like to see introduced as part of a licensing scheme for canine fertility business? No. Q10. Are you aware of any examples of how any of the proposals above may impact, either positively or negatively, on those with protected characteristics? These are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. No. Greyhound Racing Q1. Do you agree that operators of greyhound racing tracks should be made subject to a statutory licensing scheme? Whilst Renfrewshire Council supports the introduction of a statutory licensing scheme for greyhound racing tracks and acknowledging there are only two such tracks within Scotland, there is no further comment which the Council would wish to raise in respect of this. Page 466 of 470
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Page 8 of 11 Q2. If you do not support the introduction of statutory licensing, what controls, if any, would you otherwise recommend? N/A Q3. Do you support the proposal to require veterinary presence when greyhounds are racing to allow pre and post-race health checks of dogs and ensure prompt veterinary care of any injured dog? N/A Q4. The current licensing framework to which we propose to add canine greyhound racing allows for licences to be granted for a period of 1 to 3 years duration, depending on assessed risk. Do you agree with the proposal that greyhound tracks are instead required to renew their licence annually, due to the higher animal welfare risks? N/A Q5. Do you know of any challenges or negative consequences that may arise from the introduction of statutory licensing for greyhound racing? If yes, how best could these be addressed? N/A Q6. Are you aware of any examples of how any of the proposals above may impact, either positively or negatively, on those with protected characteristics? These are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. N/A Animal Boarding (including day care) Q1. Do you support our proposal to revoke the 1963 Act and bring animal boarding under the scope of the 2021 licensing framework? Please explain the reason for your answer. Yes. Renfrewshire Council supports the 1963 Act being revoked and replaced with a new modern and more flexible licensing scheme for the boarding of animals. The proposed improvements to the licensing scheme will see an improvement in how animals are looked after when in the care of a business. Whilst LAs currently licence animal boarding establishments, it is recognised that the new licensing requirements will require greater input for inspecting officers/Local Authorities and is therefore likely to place additional, significant burden on them and Renfrewshire Council would recommend funding is provided by the Scottish Government to allow effective resourcing of a licensing system for the multiple proposed areas within this consultation document. Without this funding, it is difficult to see how Renfrewshire Council will have sufficiently trained Officers to undertake these additional, onerous duties. Page 467 of 470
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Page 9 of 11 Q2. Are there specific conditions or measures that you would like to see included in any future licensing scheme for animal boarding? Renfrewshire Council would recommend and support a full expense recovery model to fund the proposals for licensing animal boarding establishments, including provisions to introduce a charging scheme for processing a licence application, issuing the licence and the investigation of complaints and non-compliance with licence conditions. Q3. Do you know of any challenges or negative consequences that may arise from revoking the 1963 Act and licensing instead under the 2021 licensing framework? If yes, what are they and how best could these be addressed? No Q4. Are you aware of any examples of how any of the proposals above may impact, either positively or negatively, on those with protected characteristics? These are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. No Licensing of riding establishments and wider equine activities Q1. Do you support the proposal to revoke the 1964 Act and bring riding establishments under the scope of 2021 licensing framework instead? Please explain the reasons for your answer. Yes. Renfrewshire Council supports the 1964 Act being revoked and replaced with a new modern and more flexible licensing scheme for riding establishments. The proposed improvements to the licensing scheme will see an improvement in how equines are looked after when in the care of a business. Whilst LAs currently licence riding establishments, it is recognised that the new licensing requirements will be more onerous on both businesses and will require greater input for inspecting officers/Local Authorities. Whilst Renfrewshire currently use veterinary services to inspect horse riding establishments, there are currently only a handful of these within the area and the burden on veterinarian staff is relatively low. There is concern that extending this to additional areas for regulation could increase this burden which may result in veterinary support being less likely to be provided. This is likely to place additional, significant burden on them and Renfrewshire Council would recommend funding is provided by the Scottish Government to allow effective resourcing of a licensing system for the multiple proposed areas within this consultation document. Without this funding, it is difficult to see how Renfrewshire Council will have sufficiently trained Officers to undertake these additional, onerous duties. Page 468 of 470
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Page 10 of 11 Renfrewshire Council would recommend and support a full expense recovery model to fund the proposals for licensing equine activities, including provisions to introduce a charging scheme for processing a licence application, issuing the licence and the investigation of complaints and non-compliance with licence conditions. Q2. Do you support the proposal to extend statutory licensing to other riding/equine activities such as those discussed above (donkey hire, pony parties etc)? Please explain the reason for your answer. Yes. given the concerns raised within this consultation document it would be considered prudent to require all riding/equine services to be regulated to the same standard, providing consistency across the industry. Q3. If riding establishments and other equine activities were in future regulated under the 2021 licensing framework, what conditions of licence would you support or like to see included? No. Q4. The 2021 licensing framework, to which we propose to add riding establishments, allows for licences to be granted for a period of 1 to 3 years duration, depending on assessed risk. Do you agree that local authorities should be able to licence riding establishments that operate to consistently demonstrable high standards for periods of more than 1 year? Yes. However, as this is a new licensing regime and will have many new conditions which establishments will require to be compliant with, Renfrewshire Council would consider issuing any new licence under the 2021 licensing framework for one year initially, thereafter considering compliance with the new framework conditions could be assessed, alongside prior compliance under the previous Act (if it is a riding establishment) to thereafter consider potential to extend the licensed period to a longer period, up to the maximum three years. Q5. Do you think there should be any exemptions from the licensing system for certain types of equine activities or businesses, and if so, which ones and why? No - all establishments meeting the definition within the future framework should be required to be licensed. Q6. Do you know of any challenges or negative consequences that may arise from revoking the 1964 Act and licensing instead under the 2021 licensing framework? If yes, what are they and how best could these be addressed? No. Q7. What other measures do you think could be taken to improve equine welfare in Scotland, and how could they be integrated into a modern licensing system for equine activities? Renfrewshire Council has no opinion in respect of this question. Page 469 of 470
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Page 11 of 11 Q8. Are you aware of any examples of how any of the proposals above may impact, either positively or negatively, on those with protected characteristics? These are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. If yes, please explain your answer. No. Page 470 of 470