Historic Buildings in Villages Grants Scheme - Update E&R 17 03 26 AM reviewed
Renfrewshire Council · 17 March 2026
Back to Economy and Regeneration Policy Board — 17 March 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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PUBLIC ___________________________________________________________________ To: Economy and Regeneration Policy Board On: 17 March 2026 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Chief Executive ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Historic Buildings in Villages Grants Scheme - Update ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Following the papers to Board in August 2023 and August 2024, this report provides a further update on the Council Motion of 3 March 2022 to create a conservation and heritage grants scheme for property owners in and around the centres of Renfrewshire’s villages. 1.2 Available across the eleven Renfrewshire villages, two complementary grants were launched in November 2023 as a first round of funding under the “Historic Buildings in Villages Grants” scheme: “Maintenance Planning Grants”; and “Repairs Grants”. A second round of funding was launched in May 2025. 1.3 The scheme was originally launched with £250,000 of Council funding as allocated in 2022. Since it’s launch, a further £150,000 has been allocated to the scheme comprising: an additional £50,000 of Council funding in 2025/26, and £100,000 from the Scottish Government’s Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP). 1.4 The application process follows a similar model to the online process successfully established for the Retail Improvement Scheme, with applications scored on a range of criteria which assess impact, quality and deliverability. 1.5 Across two rounds of the scheme over 100 applications have been received, with a geographical spread across Renfrewshire’s villages. 1.6 At the conclusion of Round 2 assessments, all available funds were allocated. ___________________________________________________________________
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PUBLIC 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Board: (i) Notes the progress to date in respect of the number of enquiries and applications received for the scheme. (ii) Approves a third round of the Scheme should any of the current allocation remain unspent. (iii) Authorises the Head of Economy and Development to seek sources of funding for future rounds of the scheme. _________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 The Council meeting of 3 March 2022 agreed to allocate £250,000 of capital resources committed to town centre regeneration and underpin a conservation and heritage grants scheme for property owners in and around Renfrewshire’s village centres. 3.2 The Historic Buildings in Villages Grants Scheme focuses on preserving and enhancing the historic built environment in Renfrewshire’s villages, complementing the existing Villages Investment Fund, to support projects which strengthen the character, identity and heritage of Renfrewshire’s village communities. 3.3 In aligning with the Villages Investment Fund, the Historic Buildings in Villages Grants scheme has been available to property owners in eleven Renfrewshire settlements: Bishopton, Bridge of Weir, Brookfield, Crosslee, Elderslie, Houston, Howwood, Inchinnan, Kilbarchan, Langbank and Lochwinnoch. ___________________________________________________________________ 4 Historic Buildings in Villages Grants Scheme 4.1 In devising an application and assessment process, lessons were learned from Renfrewshire Council’s established Retail Improvement Scheme and the Paisley TH.CARS2 regeneration project. Research was also undertaken into similar schemes offered by local authorities and heritage trusts nationally. Following Round 1, a review of the parameters of the scheme was undertaken and small adjustments subsequently made to the guidance and grant percentages for Round 2. 4.2 The Historic Buildings in Villages Grants scheme is targeted primarily at private property owner occupiers (including shared owners), but third sector organisations and commercial businesses (who are more likely to be lessees) are eligible to apply. 4.3 Properties dating from 1945 or earlier are eligible for funding. Applications are scored according to a range of criteria weighted to prioritise listed buildings, buildings at risk, buildings within conservation areas, and buildings in shared ownership.
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PUBLIC 4.4 Grants are available through two complementary schemes: (i) Maintenance Planning Grants support a conservation accredited professional advisor to undertake an external survey and prepare an illustrated, costed maintenance plan for a privately owned historic property. Grants of up to 80% of eligible costs (excluding VAT) - up to a maximum value of £1,500 per property - were available in Round 1. To further incentivise uptake, this grant was raised to 90% in Round 2. Applications to Round 2 closed on 26 June 2025. (ii) Repairs Grants support the repair of a privately owned historic property. Small Grants of up to 60% of eligible costs (excluding VAT) are available for works valued between £3,000 and £8,000 (excluding VAT). Standard Grants of up to 50% of eligible costs (excluding VAT) are also available; these support works valued over £8,000 (excluding VAT). The maximum amount awarded for Standard Grants under both rounds was £25,000 however in Round 1 applications for grants above £25,000 were considered in exceptional circumstances. Applications for Round 2 Repairs Grants closed on 9 October 2025. 4.5 The criteria for the Historic Buildings in Villages Grants scheme assess the impact, quality and deliverability of proposed works. Criteria include: (i) Whether the property is listed, within a village conservation area or is identified on the Buildings at Risk Register; (ii) Ownership and evidence of commitment of owners to repair and maintain the property; (iii) Whether the property is currently occupied and has a long-term, sustainable function; (iv) Evidence of a level of input from a suitably experienced professional advisor; (v) Whether quotes have been obtained from Renfrewshire based contractors and their experience working on older properties. 4.6 By supporting demand for traditional building skills in Renfrewshire the scheme also seeks to grow this specialist part of the construction sector regionally. ___________________________________________________________________ 5 Outcomes to date 5.1 In total, officers have recorded 150 formal enquiries to the scheme. Of the 11 eligible villages, enquiries have been received from every village, except Inchinnan. 5.2 Under Round 1: (i) Of 13 applications for Maintenance Planning Grants, 8 offers of grant totalling £8,419 were accepted - and Maintenance Plans completed - by
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PUBLIC property owners in Bridge of Weir, Houston, Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch. (ii) Of 36 applications for Repairs Grants from 7 villages, 21 progressed to delivery. 19 of those have completed, with the remaining 2 nearing completion. To date, grant payments totalling over £180,000 have been made in support of works valued at almost £420,000. 5.3 Under Round 2: (i) Of 13 applications for Maintenance Planning Grants, 11 offers of grant totalling £11,984 have been made to property owners in Bridge of Weir, Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch, with 4 already having been completed. (ii) Of 39 applications for Repairs Grants from 6 villages, 29 Offers of Grant, totalling nearly £200,000, have been made. (iii) While a similar number of Repair Grant applications were received under both rounds, in Round 2 the total value of eligible works was almost 20% higher. Consequently, to ensure the widest support of eligible works, unlike Round 1, no Repair Grants were awarded at the maximum possible percentages. (iv) Applications for Repairs Grants largely continue to be for roof repair or replacement, and window refurbishment or replacement. (v) As well as promotion through social media, press and posters displayed in eligible villages, flyers were distributed as part of the Round 2 launch, with those villages underrepresented in Round 1 specifically targeted. 5.4 For a variety of reasons, under Round 1 not all offers of grant ultimately progressed to delivery of the proposed works. For example, grantees circumstances changed, or grantees did not obtain the required consents. It is anticipated that the same will happen under Round 2 and that while all available funds have currently been allocated, ultimately there may be some underspend. ___________________________________________________________________ 6 Feedback 6.1 A small percentage of grantees have submitted formal feedback. (i) Grantees are supportive of the scheme, though some find the application process onerous. (ii) Obtaining quotes from suitably qualified contractors is a recurring challenge for grantees – this mirrors what prospective applicants and applicants report to officers. (iii) Grantees are satisfied with the work that has been supported. (iv) Grantees say they would have had to wait until a later date to instruct works – or would not have instructed works at all – without grant support. (v) Grantees appreciate the support received from officers. ___________________________________________________________________
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PUBLIC 7 Next Steps 7.1 Officers will review scheme guidance and the application process and seek to continue to improve the guidance and simplify the application process. 7.2 Officers will continue to seek external funding for the scheme to match any underspend, with a view to offering a Round 3. 7.3 Officers will consider whether submitting formal feedback should be a condition of the final grant claim. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – Funding for the scheme has utilised approved Council budgets totalling £300,000 and PBIP funding of £100,000. 2. HR & Organisational Development – None 3. Community/Council Planning – • Our Renfrewshire is thriving – The schemes support development which will protect and enhance the built heritage of Renfrewshire’s village centres, contributing to the creation of thriving places which support individuals, communities, and businesses. • Reshaping our place, our economy and our future – The schemes will help support the restoration and productive re-use of buildings in the centres of Renfrewshire’s villages, improving the built environment, helping to create job opportunities and contribute to economic growth. 4. Legal – Third party grants are awarded within the relevant Council policies and will be subject to the Council’s approved conditions. 5. Property/Assets – None. 6. Information Technology – ICT have developed and maintain the online application process for both grants offered under the scheme. The Digital Experience team maintain the landing page for the scheme and guidance information for both grants on the council website. 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. Risks – None. 11. Privacy Impact – None.
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PUBLIC 12. Climate Risk – With cognisance of Historic Environment Scotland’s ‘A Guide to Climate Change Impacts: On Scotland’s Historic Environment, Our Place in Time, 2019’, the repair and maintenance of Renfrewshire’s historic fabric will contribute to the restoration and repair of buildings and will improve the performance of these properties over time. 13. Children’s Rights – None. 14. COSLA Policy Position – None. _________________________________________________________ Author: Euan Shearer; Regeneration and Place Manager Email: euan.shearer@renfrewshire.gov.uk