Item 1 - Operational Performance Report

Renfrewshire Council · 24 May 2023
Back to Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board — 24 May 2023 and its agenda

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To: Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board 
On: 24 May 2023 
Report by: Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure 
Heading: Operational Performance Report 
1. Summary 
1.1 This report provides an overview of key service activities since the last Policy Board
report on 15 March 2023 and an operational performance update on the services and
key projects delivered during this period. 
2. Recommendations 
It is recommended that the Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board: 
2.1 Approves the operational performance update detailed within this report. 
3. Background 
3.1 Environment, Housing & Infrastructure provides essential services to every
household in Renfrewshire and works in partnership with the local community, other
service areas and Community Planning Partners, to deliver key Council priorities and
initiatives. A progress update on the main activities delivered by the services in
respect of the areas of activity delegated to this Policy Board, is detailed below.

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Updates for Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board
4. Fleet, Roads and Transportation
4.1 Fleet Services
4.1.1 Fleet services continue to trial the alternative fuel source HVO (Hydrotreated
vegetable oil) and have now expanded this trial by adding in additional vehicles.
HVO is stable, renewable, sustainable, high quality and significantly reduces
greenhouse gas emissions.
4.1.2 Over 2,000 litres of HVO have been used. Thus far, the trial has reduced
greenhouse gas emissions by 5.05 tonnes of CO2e. 2,000 litres of HVO have cost
£936 more than the cost of diesel for the same volume of fuel.
4.2 Roads Capital Investment Programme
4.2.1 The Roads Capital Investment Programme for 2023/24 has recently commenced. This
programme consists of 44 carriageway resurfacing schemes and 74 footway resurfacing
schemes. The programme will also include large carriageway patching and surface
dressing schemes.
4.2.2 The Drainage Improvements Programme for 2023/24 has also commenced. This
includes 12 capital drainage schemes as well as a ditching programme.
4.3 Winter Maintenance
To the 1 May 2023, the Winter Maintenance programme for 2022/23 has used a
cumulative total of 4,465 tonnes of salt gritting Renfrewshire roads. The service has
gritted primary network routes 95 times and our secondary network on 30 occasions
over the winter period.
4.4 #YouDecide
Five of the fifty #YouDecide projects are now complete. These have included:
upgrading the paths within Howwood Park, installing a tarmac path and benches in front
of West Porton Farm in Bishopton, upgrading the Erskine Walkway, upgrading the path
along the river at Abbey Road, Elderslie and installing a tarmac surface at Queens Road
Park, Elderslie. The remaining projects will be delivered throughout 2023.
4.5 Safe Road Crossings
New Pedestrian Crossings have been installed on Dimity Street and Walkinshaw Street,
Johnstone and Barhill Road, Erskine as part of an SPT funded capital programme to
improve road safety. The service has secured a further £200,000 of funding from SPT to
continue this programme through 2023/24 and are in the process of developing
proposals which will be shared with members.
4.6 Active Travel & Infrastructure Improvement Update
4.6.1 Environment, Housing & Infrastructure, in partnership with colleagues in City Deal, have
been notified of the successful application for over £2million from Transport Scotland’s
Active Travel Transformation Fund. This means that Renfrewshire has secured 10% of
the total £20million fund available for 2023/24.

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The projects awarded cover a range of capital infrastructure funding for
construction ready projects in 2023/24 including;
• Erskine - Red Smiddy roudabout to Southholm roundabout (£516,000),
• Hawkhead Estate to Seedhill Road active travel link (£200,000),
• AIMDS South Gallowhill link to existing Paisley to Renfrew active travel
route (£827,000) and
• Completion of Paisley to Renfrew active travel route (£500,000).
4.6.2 The next element of the Paisley to Renfrew active travel route, McClue Lane,
Renfrew has been widened and resurfaced to accommodate shared use by
pedestrians and cyclists. Further works are planned on connections for
Nethergreen Road and Kirklandneuk Primary School during summer holidays.
4.6.3 Work in association with Sustrans to improve accessibility to the National Cycle
Route Network has upgraded the path connecting NCN7 to Miller Street,
Johnstone and the connection from Hawkhead Road through Jenny’s Well to
NCN7.
5. Climate Change
5.1 Biodiversity
Seeding of eleven additional wildflower areas has commenced and will continue
throughout May. As the soil temperatures start to increase, we expect to see growth
through July as these areas of perennial wildflowers become established and flower.
6. Team Up to Clean Up
6.1 In 2022/23, over 9,500 volunteers took part in 3,750 clean ups.
6.2 Team Up to Clean Up member numbers and engagement levels continue to steadily
grow with 4,344 group members now engaging, an increase of 43% in group activity with
members posting, reacting, and commenting on volunteer’s posts. One area of interest,
reaching over 3.5k users, focused on the work of the Environmental Taskforce and
seeks to educate on the responsible use of “white van man” companies, encouraging
group members and the general public, to check uplift companies for SEPA registration
and request recent receipts.
6.3 The Environmental Taskforce continue to proactively monitor Renfrewshire’s flytipping
hotspot locations. The volume of visits deployed to each site mirrors identified trends in
offenders preferred locations, with over 450 visits taking place from February until mid-
April.
6.4 331 reports of flytipping were received with each prompting an investigation. As a result
of evidence found, information provided by reporters of flytipping or any witnesses, 19
Fixed Penalty Notices have been issued over this period.
6.5 The BBC’s ‘The One Show’ focused on the work of the Taskforce and its core purpose
of investigating flytipping. The interview, aired on 27 March, took place at 2 recognised
hotspots, Harbour Road and Wilson Street, Renfrew where flytipping reports had been
received. A Taskforce camera, deployed at the Harbour Road site, captured footage of

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a vehicle entering the site with the same waste found in situ. The camera further
captured the flatbed vehicle exiting the site empty. Investigations are ongoing to ensure
the flytipper pays for the cost of the clean-up operation as well as the penalty issued.
6.6 The Taskforce’s range of cameras are worthwhile in deterring/detecting flytipping in
chosen hotspots. Footage captured has identified flytipping both from vehicles as well
as from households. A review of locations is being undertaken to relocate cameras,
where required, for maximum impact.
6.7 Linstone is the latest housing association to meet with the Taskforce and arrange to
share information to build a more productive relationship. Each organisations
obligations and responsibilities have been agreed.
6.8 The Environmental Taskforce has further met with one of Renfrewshire’s largest van
rental companies to raise awareness of the work involved within the Team to reduce
flytipping in Renfrewshire. The Company agreed to share tracking information for hired
vans where flytipping has been witnessed.
6.9 The table below offers the Environmental Taskforce’s KPI’s from the last board report to
3 April 2023:
6.10 Big Spring Clean in Renfrewshire Schools
Twenty-two presentations have been delivered to secondary and primary schools in
advance of the Big Spring Clean which launched on Monday 17 April, and ran until 16
May (statistics in next Board round). School presentations focus on creating civic pride
by concentrating on the impact of litter on wildlife, the environment, climate change, as
well as their local community.
6.10.1 Secondary school pupils were greeted on return from their Easter holiday with stencils
sprayed close to school’s gullies, re-enforcing the high-profile message to reduce
plastics in our oceans. Public bins on the route to lunchtime take-aways have been
visible, and an increased bin provision has been delivered to Johnstone High. The
supply will be rotated around each of the schools to encourage positive behavioural
change.
Action Feb – 3 April Total from 1
December
Proactive visits to identified hotspot
areas
453 679
Number of reports investigated 331 623
Tonnes of flytipping removed 173 215
Number of sites secured to prevent
further flytipping
2 6
Letters to private landowners 20 34
Visits to businesses to ensure Waste
Disposal Arrangements in place
23 46
Fixed Penalty Notices Issued 19 35

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6.11 Take the Lead
The launch of the ‘Take the Lead’ Campaign took place on Sunday 14 May at Barshaw
Park.  Dog owners were invited to attend for a walk around the park and to sign ‘The
Pledge’.  The images below illustrate the merchandise offered which promotes the
Campaign; a lead, a poop bag dispenser and collar flashlights are offered to those
signing the Pledge which sees participants agree to: 
• Promote the message of the Campaign by using the branded items
• Always pick up after their dog
• Ensure anyone else walking their dog also picks up
• Recognise that wearing the merchandise indicates to other owners a bag will be
offered if requested
• Never aggressively approach an owner who does not pick up   
7. Waste and Recycling Services 
7.1 Waste services have identified another eight candidates through the skills
development Scotland upskilling programme. From the start of 2023/24, these eight
collectors have started their training to become Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) drivers. 
7.2 All infrastructure works at Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs), including
the installation of new compactors and static roller packers, have been completed on
time. Project completion has included all signage. A formal launch will be arranged in
conjunction with Zero Waste Scotland showcasing the new site facilities and layouts.

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8. Street Scene
8.1 Following consultation and feasibility exercises conducted in Lochwinnoch in 2020, a
pilot scheme launched in 2021 replacing smaller litter bins with 30 new larger bins.
These bins increased waste collection capacity by 300% and were placed in existing bin
locations or entrances/exit to parks. Placement of these bins near roads and kerbsides
allowed them to be emptied by waste collection vehicles. Following the success of this
pilot, an exercise is now underway to explore opportunities to extend this across other
areas of Renfrewshire when bins are due for replacement.
8.2 We have commenced the cyclical grass cutting with hedge cutting to be provided twice a
year and will operate in line with the grass cutting model, with communities seeing their
first cut between May and July and their second cut between August and October.
9. Play Parks
9.1 The agreed and planned refurbishment of Howwood Park Toddler / Junior, Houston
Public Park and Inchinnan Playing Field play areas is in the procurement phase with the
works anticipated in Summer 2023. In addition to these projects, four further play areas
will be renewed as part of the #YouDecide project. These are Jenny’s Well, Paisley;
South Candren Village Green, Paisley; Glebe Street, Renfrew and Station Road,
Langbank. Installation of these sites is estimated to begin late in 2023.
9.2 It is proposed that a further 5 play areas will be renewed in 2023/24 and these are Miller
Street, Johnstone; Anne Avenue, Renfrew; Netherhill Road, Paisley; Victory Gardens,
Renfrew and Tannahill Crescent, Johnstone. One additional play area, Urquhart
Crescent, Renfrew, will receive a part renewal / refurbishment. The next step for the 6
sites will be to conduct consultation surveys before progressing to Procurement. Based
on current timescales, it is estimated that these sites will be installed late in 2023 or early
2024.
9.3 A specification is being prepared for the refurbishment of the Multi Use Games Area
(MUGA) at Netherhill Road in Gallowhill and will soon proceed to a Procurement phase.
9.4 Works to repair the pond edge in Durrockstock Park are currently being investigated with
a view to carrying out improvements later in the year.
10. Clyde Muirshiel
10.1 Countryside Rangers have educational programmes with schools, community networks,
volunteers, and care home groups. Additional events and activities for visitor
management have been introduced to promote responsible countryside access, nature
restoration and biodiversity activities.
10.2 A Regional Park Osprey flew to Barbados! The story made it to the national news in
March as this has been the very first record of a UK osprey migrating 4,000 miles across
the Atlantic Ocean. More details on this partnership working can be found at
https://clydemuirshiel.co.uk/clyde-muirshiel-osprey-flies-to-barbados/ or
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65089646

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Implications of the Report 
1. Financial – Note capital funding allocations and award in this report. 
2. HR & Organisational Development – None 
3. Community & Council Planning - None 
4. Legal – None 
5. Property/Assets – The Council’s roads, fleet and open space infrastructure is
maintained and enhanced. 
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 Risk – None 
List of Background Papers: None 
Author: Gordon McNeil, Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure
e-mail: gordon.mcneil@renfrewshire.gov.uk