Renfrewshire Council launched its Not Far? Leave the Car campaign in March 2022 as part of its commitment to active travel and its drive to meet its climate change aims. The campaign rewards people in Renfrewshire for walking, cycling and using public transport, with discounts and prizes at local Renfrewshire businesses. It is being provided through the free BetterPoints app and has been funded by the Scottish Government.

The campaign now has nearly 1,000 members, and you are encouraged to sign up if you haven’t done so already and to encourage others across Renfrewshire to take part. The campaign is also being promoted through the Beat the Street game currently running in Paisley, which is supporting young people, their parents and carers, and the community to get active.

A recap of Not Far? Leave the Car

You can earn points by walking, wheeling, cycling or using public transport for your journeys – basically any journey that leaves the car at home.

You can use these points to collect vouchers or discounts from more than 125 local businesses in Renfrewshire – including cafes, restaurants, hairdressers, jewellers and more.

It’s a great way to support local businesses while getting healthier.

You can also donate your points to charities like St Vincent’s Hospice, ACCORD Hospice or the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

What’s going on at the moment?

16-22 September is TravelWise Week and there’s £1,300 worth of prizes on offer, including a European city break.

Eurostar top prize

Everyone who tracks a car-free trip over a mile on three days between Thursday 22 September and Wednesday 5 October – and takes a short survey to opt in – will go into the draw for a £500 travel and accommodation voucher from Eurostar, plus £300 of spending money. The winner will be announced on Thursday 6 October

Refer a friend

There are three weekly prizes of 100,000 BetterPoints (£100!) and every friend you refer, up to ten per week, will earn you an entry into the draws during September.

Car Free Day

Every car-free trip of over a mile on Thursday 22 September will earn an entry into the draw for one of two prizes of 50,000 BetterPoints.

Get involved

You can download the free BetterPoints app from Renfrewshire Council’s website.

As soon as you’re registered, you can start earning points and discounts.

Renfrewshire’s Provost Lorraine Cameron has expressed condolences on behalf of the people of Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire Council to the Royal Family following the death of Her Majesty The Queen. Flags are being lowered to half-mast at Renfrewshire House, Houstoun Square in Johnstone and Renfrew Town Hall.  

Renfrewshire Council has announced that books of condolence will be available from Friday 9 September at Renfrewshire House, Johnstone Town Hall, Renfrew Town Hall and Tweedie Hall, Linwood, from 09.00 to 17.00 Monday to Saturday. The council will share the link to the official online book of condolence when it becomes available. 

Renfrewshire Council has refused Kelburne Hockey Club’s application for a community asset transfer (CAT) of Ralston Community Sports Centre to the club. The decision was made at the meeting of Renfrewshire Council’s CAT Panel on 30 August 2022. The reasons given for refusing the application were:

1. Uncertainty of funding available to carry out works detailed in the CAT Request; and
2. Impact of the significant degree of community opposition to the CAT Request on community cohesion.

More details can be found in Renfrewshire Council’s decision notice.

A huge thank you to the community for coming together to oppose the application, for attending meetings, and for the massive amount of letters and email representations. Your collective voices have been heard! We look forward to supporting and working with OneRen to make Ralston Community Sports Centre great again.

The date for the August meeting of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment (ILE) Policy Board has been changed from Wednesday August 24 to Wednesday August 31.

Kelburne Hockey Club’s application for a community asset transfer (CAT) of Ralston Sports Centre to the club will be considered by the ILE Policy Board at either this meeting or its meeting on Wednesday 2 November. The meetings will be held in the council chambers in Cotton Street at 1 pm.  The agendas for the meetings are published a week in advance, and we will not know until the agenda for the August meeting is published which meeting will consider the application. We will publish a post on the website as soon as we know which meeting will be considering the application.

Details of the ILE Policy Board meetings can be found on the Renfrewshire Council website.

As there are only 60 places in the public seating area of the chambers, you are advised to arrive well in advance of the starting time if you wish to attend the meeting. The meeting will be live streamed and you can watch it from the following link:

https://renfrewshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home

Phase 2 of the work to install the new pedestrian crossing in Penilee Road, at the junction with Kinpurnie Road, started Wednesday 3 August with physical buildouts for pedestrians. Advance warning signage will be installed during the week starting 8 August. The work is due to finish by Friday 12 August.

Kelburne Hockey Club’s application for a community asset transfer (CAT) of Ralston Sports Centre to the club will be considered by Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment (ILE) Policy Board at either its August or its November meeting. These meetings will be held in the council chambers in Cotton Street at 1 pm on Wednesday 24 August and Wednesday 2 November. The agendas for the meetings are published a week in advance, and we will not know until the agenda for the August meeting is published which meeting will consider the application. We will publish a post on the website as soon as we know which meeting will be considering the application.

Details of the ILE Policy Board meetings can be found on the Renfrewshire Council website.

As there are only 60 places in the public seating area of the chambers, you are advised to arrive well in advance of the starting time if you wish to attend the meeting. The meeting will be live streamed and you can watch it from the following link:

https://renfrewshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home

Renfrewshire Council launched its Not Far? Leave the Car campaign in March 2022 as part of its commitment to active travel and its drive to meet its climate change aims. The campaign rewards people in Renfrewshire for walking, cycling and using public transport, with discounts and prizes at local Renfrewshire businesses. It is being provided through the free BetterPoints app and has been funded by the Scottish Government.

The campaign now has more than 750 members, and you are encouraged to sign up if you haven’t done so already and to encourage others across Renfrewshire to take part. In addition to the normal discounts and prizes, everyone who records a journey before the end of July will be entered into a draw to win a £15 voucher at Nomads’ Coffee Shop in Paisley.

More details of the campaign and a link to allow the app to be downloaded can be found on Renfrewshire Council’s website.

On Friday 1 June, Ralston Community Council submitted nearly 1200 letters of objection to the proposed community asset transfer (CAT) of Ralston Community Sports Centre to Kelburne Hockey Club. The letters, which were from Ralston residents and Ralston Community Sports Centre users, were submitted to Renfrewshire Council. We know that hundreds more representations have been submitted by email. The presentation of the objections was reported by the Glasgow Evening Times.

As a community we have made the strength of our opposition abundantly clear. We want our community sports centre to remain a community asset and have also consulted on what we would like to see in the centre. We have asked to work in partnership with OneRen to return the centre’s usage to the more than 85,000 visits per year that it was pre- covid.

A decision on the CAT application will be made by Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board. We have been advised that this will happen at either the August 2022 or the November 2022 meeting of the board.

The community council would like to thank the many residents who attended the public meetings to give their views on the application for the transfer.

There are many other people to thank for their ongoing support, including: Russell Findlay, MSP; Neil Bibby, MSP; Neill Graham, local councillor; Graeme Clark, local councillor; St Mark’s Church for allowing us to use it for one of the public meetings; and John and the team at Ralston Community Centre for preparing the centre for the first public meeting (and helping with leafleting). Dionne and her team at the Corner Shop did a superb job in gathering representation letters, leaflets with class choices and the signing of the petition. The biggest support in three rounds of leafleting came from Ralston Skills; a big thank-you for that and for their help with the letter collection. Penultimate thanks go to Idgraphiques and Ukprint1 for their design and printing of our leaflets.

However, the biggest thanks has to be the community who have made clear their wishes and helped with leaflet drops. Some even chapped on doors to help in the representation gathering. We couldn’t have done any more.

Phase 1 – Hawkhead Road works. Works start Monday 20th June 2022.

The main Hawkhead Road works will be undertaken during the day and is expected to take 2 weeks; three weeks in total has been booked to allow for any unforeseen issues that may arise during the works.

Access for vehicles will be maintained during the works to the residents of Hawkhead Road including all side roads & associated premises within the area of resurfacing. This access will be provided from the Seedhill Road side of the works.

Access for vehicles within the works areas will be under the direction of the contractor, Finco Contracts Ltd, who will provide signage and traffic marshals who will direct you through the works to ensure your safety.

The existing road surface will be made safe with suitable ramps and signage where required.

The diversion will be:

Glasgow Road / Mill Street / Lone End / Barrhead Road and vice versa

Phase 2 – Roundabout works. Works Start Monday 20th June 2022 – overnight working 8 pm to 6 am

To minimise disruption to road users and businesses, the resurfacing of the roundabout will be undertaken as overnight works (8pm to 6am), with the roundabout reopening to traffic during the day. This section of the works is expected to take a maximum of 3 nights to complete.

The existing Hawkhead Road closure will remain in place with the addition of the following diversion:

Glasgow Road / Mill Street / Lone End / Gordon Street / Neilston Road / Caplethill Road / Grahamston Road and Vice versa.

Access to Hawkhead Estate (Ben Nevis Road) will be taken across the central reserve by means of temporary traffic measures from the Grahamston Road side of the works.

Renfrewshire Council has changed the arrangements for bins that were due to be collected on Thursday 2 June. The council did not make this known until the morning of 2 June.

Grey bins will now be collected on Sunday 5 June. Brown bins will not be collected until the next scheduled date, Thursday 16 June.

Friends of Barshaw Park have submitted a planning application to turn the disused donkey paddock in Barshaw Park into a community garden. The plan for the new garden has been made possible by the Royal Horticultural Society who are awarding the Friends of Barshaw Park £50,000 to create the new community garden. In addition, RHS has appointed leading garden designers to create the garden, and will support the new garden over the next 3 years with a grant of £15,000.

Community gardens can be of great value to an a local area. They can improve soil and air quality, increase biodiversity, increase economic opportunities, and improve the mental and physical health of those who use them.

Details of the application can be found on Renfrewshire Council’s website.

Update on the community asset transfer application

At the community meeting about the community asset transfer (CAT) application from Kelburne Hockey Club (KHC) held on 4 October last year, an overwhelming majority of those present were opposed to the transfer of this asset.

KHC has now been granted charitable status, but its application is still to be ratified before it can even be considered by Renfrewshire Council. If it does proceed, the community council will have to work within legal guidelines to raise objections. Renfrewshire Council’s Petitions Board is also investigating the application. In addition, Gleniffer Thistle Football Club has apparently confirmed its interest in the sports centre and is likely to submit a CAT in the future. We will let you know of any developments when we hear of them.

How we can support the sports centre

The community council is preparing objections to be raised in the event of the application being validated and moving to the first stage. However we can’t fight for something that we are not using. So part of our strategy is to work with Renfrewshire Leisure (rebranded as OneRen), who are responsible for the running of the centre, to help us make full use of this resource in our community. The community council has already met with OneRen to discuss this, and we now need to hear from the community and current users.

Gym

Covid has greatly impacted on the usage of all gyms, and Ralston gym has been no exception. However, if we want to retain this gym, then the number of memberships needs to increase.

Classes

The current operating model is for the pavilion to be open in evenings and at weekends, but as soon as Covid restrictions are lifted we can arrange classes in the centre.

We can book our own self-employed instructors to run classes at the centre. Each class needs a (volunteer) class coordinator to arrange who will be attending and to confirm the time of the class with the instructor and the sports centre. So please let us know (in the comments box on this form)  if this is something you would be interested in supporting.

Possible new activities

• We would like to tie in with the current walking group.
• We have recently met with ROAR and have another meeting arranged to discuss how we can work together to make better use of our facilities.
• We have had a suggestion that parents would like a class to be run in the pavilion whilst their child/children are playing football on the pitches.
• We would like to hear from everyone, across all age groups, about how we as a community could use this facility better than we are at the moment.

Survey form

Please let us know your suggestions, thoughts, ideas, preferred classes and times using this form. The form should be returned by 30 April 2022, either to the counter of The Corner Shop or or by email to admin@ralstoncommunitycouncil.org.

Renfrewshire Council’s grass cutting programme will restart on Monday 4 April. The council’s teams will work to a 14-day cycle and will tackle a different area of Renfrewshire each day, although they will return the following day to finish any section that they weren’t able to complete.

This means that the teams will cut grass panels, open spaces, school playing fields, public parks, cemeteries, and provide their grass and hedge cutting assistance scheme for council house tenants, at the same time in each area.

If the teams are unable to complete an area because of the weather, theyvwill retain some of their resources to complete that area when the grass is able to be cut as normal.

The fortnightly timetable can be seen on the Renfrewshire Council website.

Hedge cutting will continue 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.

Renfrewshire Council will be carrying out work to clean the pond within Barshaw Park, beginning on Friday 1 April.

The aim of the work is to remove the silt that has gathered in the pond over a number of years, as well as removing some invasive weed species, which will protect the health of the pond.

To do this, the council will require to drain the pond and then remove the silt, which will be kept at a location near the pond to dry out before being disposed of safely by the contractor.

There will be a fishing specialist on site to assist in keeping any fish in the pond safe and they will be stored in a bunded area within the pond until the work is complete. There are no swans nesting at the pond; so no nests will be disturbed by the work.

During the work, the pond will be fenced off to stop anyone entering the area while it is drained. The council anticipates that it will take around 3 weeks to complete the work and refill the pond to its previous level.

Renfrewshire Council has installed crash barriers at the south-west corner of the junction of Hawkhead Road and Glasgow Road. Ralston councillor Neill Graham has been campaigning for some time to have barriers installed at this dangerous junction. Councillor Graham is still trying to persuade the council to change the phasing of the traffic lights at the junction to avoid the current problems experienced by vehicles attempting to turn right from Hawkhead Road into Glasgow Road. One option would be the addition of a right filter light.

Renfrewshire’s Big Spring Clean will take place in April. The annual event was postponed last year because of the pandemic, with Renfrewshire supporting Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Summer Clean event instead, but it is back for 2022.

Previous events have seen thousands take part in litter picks across the month of action, with the campaign’s sister event Spotless September in 2021 seeing almost 1,500 people take part in 430 litter picks.

How can you take part?

Renfrewshire Council will provide litter pickers, hoops, bibs and bags for anyone or any group wishing to take part in a litter pick, and the StreetScene team will collect the bags of litter afterwards too if you let them know where you’ve left them.

To request equipment, you can call 0300 300 1375, email wardens.es@renfrewshire.gov.uk, join the Team Up to Clean Up Facebook group at www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/groups/teamuptocleanup or visit the council’s website at www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/BigSpringClean2022.

Anyone taking part should consider the health and safety measures in place during litter picks with the Wardens Service able to advise on how to take part safely, including in group settings, and people should only take part if they are comfortable doing so.

Why is it taking place?

The event forms part of the council’s £2.5million investment in the Team Up to Clean Up campaign which supports volunteers, but also invests more in roads sweeping, gully clearing, fly tipping prevention and litter picking.

The award-winning campaign created the annual Big Spring Clean and Spotless September events to encourage mass participation from the community, but the campaign continues all-year-round with the council enhancing its environmental work and supporting volunteers who want to improve their local area.

Thousands of local people have joined the campaign since its launch and everyone is welcome to take part and meet like-minded people who want to make Renfrewshire a more inviting place to live in, work and visit.

Road closure: Glasgow Road, Paisley (Westbound Only) between Hawkhead Road and East Lane

This closure will be in force on Sunday 6^th February 2022.

Closure Reason: Ironwork repairs

Alternative route: Hawkhead Road – Seedhill Road – Mill Street

Renfrewshire Council will close at 2:30 pm on Friday 24 December 2021 and will open again at 8:45 am on Thursday 6 January 2022. However, all essential services will continue to operate.

Further details, including information on key service areas such as bin collections, leisure centre opening times and social work services, along with emergency contact numbers, can be found on the Renfrewshire Council website.

Road closure: Glasgow Road, Paisley (westbound only) between Kilnside Road and Mill Street.

This closure will be in force on Saturday 27^th November 2021 and Sunday 28^th November 2021.

Closure Reason: BT works.

Alternative routes: Kilnside Road – Seedhill Road – Mill Street – Glasgow Road

Renfrewshire Leisure has announced that it plans to reopen the Ralston Community Sports Centre gym soon. The following statement was posted on Renfrewshire Leisure’s Facebook page on 17 November 2021.

“We are delighted to announce we are now in the final stages of preparations to re-open the Ralston Community Sports Centre Gym.  Up until now we have been unable to allow gym access due to complexities around covid operating safe, access, and the need for ventilation improvements. This work is now being finalised and we will confirm a re-open date very soon.”

Further information will be posted on this website when it becomes available.

Renfrewshire Council has issued the following road closure notice.

Road Closure: Strathmore Avenue, Paisley from its junction with Woodend Drive eastwards for approx. 40m.

• Duration: This restriction will be in force on Friday 19th November 2021.
• Reason: This is to allow for BT pole installation to take place.
• Diversion: Rotherwick Drive – Newnham Road – Woodend Drive or vice versa.

Renfrewshire Council has commissioned a survey to help it understand the requirements and aspirations of communities which may be supported by the new Grammar School campus. To support it in providing a facility to meet the needs of the wider community, the council asks you to complete the survey questionnaire.

Renfrewshire Council has issued the following road closure notice.

Road Closure: Gordon Street, from Lonend to Causeyside Street (southbound)

• Duration: This notice will be in force from Monday 18th October 2021 until Friday 22nd October 2021.
• Reason: This is to allow for carriageway resurfacing to take place.
• Diversion: A726 Lonend, A726 Barrhead Road, Lochfield Road, B774 Neilston Road, B774 Causeyside Street to junction with A761 Canal Street, or vice versa.
• Emergency and local access will be maintained.

Two meetings have recently been held about the future of Ralston Community Sports Centre, in particular about Kelburne Hockey Club’s application for a community asset transfer (CAT) of the centre to it.

The first meeting was an online event held by Kelburne Hockey Club on 30 September 2021 and the second a public meeting held by Ralston Community Council on 4 October 2021.

Two documents relating to these meetings are now available on the website. The first contains a list of questions that were raised at the Kelburne meeting and the answers that were given. The second contains notes on the Ralston Community Council meeting.

Ralston Library is now open from 10 am until 1 pm and 2 pm until 5 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The library is open for a “click and collect” service and for limited browsing.

The library will be closed on Saturday 25th September for the autumn public holiday.

Renfrewshire Council has issued notice of the following waiting and loading ban.

Glasgow Road, Paisley – North side from the junction with Arkleston Road westwards for approx. 105m.

This closure/ban will be in force on Sunday 19^th September 2021.

Reason for Restriction:  Ironwork Repairs.

Renfrewshire Council’s Team Up To Clean Up team is holding another month-long clean up event in September 2021. Last year, despite the pandemic, 225 litter picks took place and 1,072 bags of litter were collected by volunteers and removed by the council’s StreetScene team.

Details of this year’s event, and how to take part in it, can be found on the Renfrewshire Council website.

Renfrewshire Council has been awarded funding from Sustrans Scotland’s “Places for Everyone” programme to look at improvements to the junction outside the main entrance to Barshaw Park, where Glasgow Road meets Arkleston Road and Hawkhead Road.

As this is a well-used route for both the park and commuting, the council wants to ensure that people can use this junction safely as a cyclist or pedestrian; so it has  identified three possible options for upgrades that it would like your opinion on.

Option 1 – Unidirectional (2 traffic lanes going North/South)

• Protected cycle lanes on both sides of Glasgow Road
• Dedicated traffic signals for cyclists on all junction approaches helping cyclists to get ahead of vehicles
• Introduction of ‘two stage right turns’ for cyclists turning right from Glasgow Road
• Two lanes for vehicles to be retained on Glasgow Road, Hawkhead Road and Arkleston Road (as existing)
• No cycle lanes on Hawkhead Road or Arkleston Road

Option 2 – Unidirectional (1 traffic lane going North/South)

• Protected cycle lanes on both sides of Glasgow Road
• Dedicated traffic signals for cyclists on all junction approaches helping cyclists to get ahead of vehicles
• Introduction of ‘two stage right turns’ for cyclists turning right from Glasgow Road
• Two traffic lanes for vehicles to be retained on Glasgow Road (as existing)
• One lane for vehicles to be provided on Hawkhead Road and Arkleston Road, allowing cycle lanes to be provided on both of these roads

Option 3 – Protected Junction

• Entirely protected junction for cyclists with safe cycle lanes around the full junction
• Cyclists can safely turn right from Glasgow Road whilst all traffic is stopped
• Two traffic lanes for vehicles to be retained on Glasgow Road (as existing)
• One lane for vehicles to be provided on Hawkhead Road and Arkleston Road
• Provides separate and safe crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.

All options offer landscaping and improvements to the surrounding area around the junction.

You can see the full technical drawings on the council’s website at www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/BarshawParkJunction

The council wants to ensure that local residents, businesses and road users have the opportunity to put forward their thoughts on the potential improvements and asks you to fill out the survey on the above web page.

The survey will run from Monday 9 August 2021 to Sunday 5 September 2021.

If you are not able to fill out the online survey, you can submit your feedback or any questions in writing to Environment and Infrastructure, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1BR, or by emailing ei@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

Once it receives all submissions, the council will analyse the feedback, and this will inform any decision made around improvements to the junction.

The council will endeavour to keep you, and all interested in this project, updated regularly on the next steps.

If you require further information, please email ei@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

All residents in Scotland under the age of 22 will be eligible for free bus travel from 31 January 2022.

The Scottish Government has confirmed the timetable for the roll out of the scheme, delivered in partnership with the Improvement Service, the National Entitlement Card Programme Office and Young Scot.

Legislative changes to allow the scheme to be extended from its original commitment to provide free travel for under-19s will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament this summer.

Approximately 930,000 young people will join the third of Scotland’s population who already benefit from free bus travel through the Older and Disabled Persons Free Bus scheme.

Further details can be found on the Transport Scotland website.

The summer issue of the Ralston Community Council Newsletter is now being delivered to Ralston residents. Copies are also available in the Corner Shop on Penilee Road and a digital version is available on the website.

Can you spot the ‘deliberate’ mistake in the word search in our printed version?

The TAPfit Lite exercise class that was due to be held at St Mark’s Church has been cancelled. The class was scheduled for Thursdays, starting on 10 June, but no one turned up for the first two meetings.

Kelburne Hockey Club has informed the community council that it intends to apply for a community asset transfer of Ralston Community Sports Centre. If this transfer goes ahead, it would mean that the hockey club would take over the management of the sports centre.

The community council has raised concerns about the lack of football facilities in the hockey club’s plan; a new synthetic hockey pitch would be built over the current synthetic football pitch and it would be unsuitable for football. In addition, the hockey club would use the facilities at times when football is currently played. The plan does include the retention of grass areas where football could be played.

We have had meetings with a local councillor and with the leader of Renfrewshire Council about the proposed application. We understand that the council is legally bound to consider this application and any other applications for community asset transfers that are submitted.

We do not have any figures about the past usage of the sports centre’s gym and football facilities, but we have requested these. We have also spoken with groups who currently use the sports centre facilities:  Ralston Skills Centre, Alba Thistle and Renfrewshire Sports Association.

If you have any views on the proposed transfer, please email us at admin@ralstoncommunitycouncil.org.

Penilee Road, Paisley from Arkleston Road to Kinpurnie Road.

The closure will be in force from 22:00 on Wednesday 9th June to 06:00 on Thursday 10th June, 2021. This is to allow Network Rail works.

Alternative route: Arkleston Road, Glasgow Road, Penilee Road or vice versa.

The Scottish Government has confirmed that, from Monday May 17, Renfrewshire will be in Covid Protection Level 2.

The key restrictions are summarised below. Full details can be found at www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-protection-levels/pages/protection-level-2/.

The Covid-19 vaccine is your best protection against Coronavirus; so when contacted for your vaccination appointment, please attend at the time stated.

Please also keep in touch with your friends and family who may need support during this time and contact Renfrewshire Council should you need  support or guidance.

Here is a summary of the restrictions which apply in Level 2:

• You can meet socially in groups of up to:
  • 6 people from 3 households in your home or theirs – and you can stay overnight
  • 6 people from 3 households in an indoor public place like a café, pub or restaurant
  • 8 people from 8 households outdoors
  • Under 12s do not count towards the total number of people or households meeting outside, but do count towards household numbers indoors
• You do not need to physically distance from family and friends in a private home
• You can travel anywhere in Scotland in Levels 0, 1 or 2 but must not enter a Level 3 or 4 area unless for a permitted reason
• You can travel to England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands – before you travel you must check the travel rules in those countries
• You can provide informal childcare, for example to look after a grandchild
• Up to 50 people can attend weddings and funerals
• Tradespeople can carry out any work in your home such as painting, decorating or repairing
• You should work from home where possible
• Places and business that can open at Level 2 include:
  • Cafés, pubs and restaurants
  • All shops and stores
  • All close contact services including hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons
  • Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools
  • Tourist accommodation
  • Visitor attractions
  • Public buildings like libraries and community centres
  • Cinemas, theatres, concert halls, amusement arcades, casinos, bingo halls, bowling alleys and snooker/pool halls
  • Stadiums and events – with maximum numbers
• Places and business that must close at Level 2 include:
  • Soft play, funfairs, nightclubs and adult entertainment

For more details on how the restrictions currently in place affect Renfrewshire, please visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/coronavirus.

If anyone does not have internet access, they can call 0300 300 0230.

Everyone should continue to follow the FACTS advice at all times to keep themselves and others safe and anyone with symptoms of Coronavirus should book a test immediately and self-isolate while they wait for the results.

If contacted by the Test and Protect team, please follow their instructions and self-isolate for the period requested.

For further Coronavirus health advice, please visit www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus.

Renfrewshire Libraries reopened on Monday 26 April on a “click and collect” basis for items and for personal computer access.  Details of which services are available can be found on the  Renfrewshire Council website.

The libraries are currently operating different opening hours from previously. Ralston Library is open from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.

You can order items online or by phoning 0300 300 1188.

Nursery-grown bedding plants, pots, tubs and baskets (plants by McLaren Nurseries, Lugton)

Come along and enjoy yourself:

• Boxes of home baking – 6 items for £5
• Pre-ordered collection only; email office@stmarksoldhall.org.uk

Where?

• On the church  lawns, St Marks Oldhall, Glasgow Road (opposite  Penilee Road)

COVID-19 measures will be in place: masks and social distancing advised.

Glasgow Road, Paisley, from Lacy Street to Crossflat Crescent, westbound only (i.e. towards Paisley town centre). The closure will be in place from Monday 12th April to Sunday 18th April, 2021. This is to allow resurfacing work. Emergency and limited local access will be maintained.

Alternative route: Hawkhead Road, Barrhead Road, Lonend, Mill Street.

All Renfrewshire libraries, including Ralston Library, are closed at the moment because of coronavirus restrictions. However Renfrewshire Libraries have recently launched a home delivery service, which will operate until the libraries are able to open again. The service is available to:

• anyone over 70 years of age
• anyone with a disability or medical condition which limits their ability to leave their home
• pre-school or school age children (primary and secondary)

To make use of this service, you first have to register as a Delivery Service customer by phoning 0300 300 1188 or emailing libraries@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

Books can be ordered online on the Renfrewshire Libraries website, by phoning 0300 300 1188 or by emailing libraries@renfrewshire.gov.uk. You can select individual books or ask for a selection by a particular author or of a particular genre or theme.  Books ordered by Ralston residents are delivered on Tuesday mornings.

More details can be found on the Renfrewshire Libraries website.

There are an estimated 700,000 people in Scotland who care for a friend, family member or neighbour affected by a disability, physical or mental ill-health, frailty or substance misuse.

If you are aged 16 or over and provide face-to-face care for family or friends who need extra support, you are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

You are eligible to register for vaccination at this stage if all of the following apply:

• you are aged 16 to 64 years old
• you provide face-to-face care and support to one or more family members, friends or neighbours
• the care you provide is not part of a contract or voluntary work
• if caring for someone under 18, they are affected by a disability, physical or mental ill-health, developmental condition or substance misuse
• you have not already received your first coronavirus vaccination

More information and registration instructions can be found on the NHS inform website.

Renfrewshire Council has been awarded match funding from Sustrans’ Paths for All fund for a “Smarter Choices, Smarter Places” project which will investigate the potential for using a smartphone app provided by the organisation BetterPoints Ltd.

The app challenges people to carry out their journeys through sustainable methods of transport, i.e. on foot, by cycling or on public transport, with the aim of reducing the level of carbon emissions created in Renfrewshire. The more green journeys they carry out, the more points they receive and these can be exchanged for discounts at local businesses and other rewards which would be set out at the beginning of the project.

The purpose of the app is to motivate people to make positive changes to their behaviour by travelling more sustainably and to live healthy lives – something which is incredibly important as we continue in the current pandemic.

Background

Renfrewshire Council is pursuing a programme of sustainable transport strategy initiatives in Renfrewshire, including segregated walking and cycling routes, real-time bus passenger information screens, bus priority measures and pedestrian-friendly road junction redesigns to increase the active travel options available to its population.

In light of the council’s declaration of a climate emergency in June 2019, it wants to investigate if the Better Points app would motivate and reward people for travelling more sustainably as this could contribute to its pledge to make Renfrewshire carbon neutral by 2030.

The app would be used by the general public and also by the council’s our staff members as it wants to encourage its teams to stay active and look after their health and wellbeing, particularly when the majority of staff are working from home.

What should you do?

The council’s consultant has created an online survey to see if the Better Points system could work for people in Renfrewshire. The more responses that are received, the more tailored the system would become and the greater the chance of it being a success. Therefore, the council asks that you complete the Better Points survey.

More information about the survey can be found on the Renfrewshire Council website.

The survey will close on Friday 26 February 2021.

If you have any problems in submitting your response, please email ei@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

The first issue of the new Ralston Community Council Newsletter will be delivered to Ralston residents this week. Some of the things you can look forward to are:

• Tales of Local Heroes – who would you like to recognise in the next issue?
• A card you can use to offer help to those who might need it this winter
• Information about our community council, and how you can get involved
• Information about things happening in our community
• A recipe for a delicious festive treat
• A kids’ drawing competition.
• Corny Christmas jokes
• A variety of puzzles
• And much, much more.

Additional copies of the newsletter will be available in the Penilee Road Corner Shop and an electronic version is available on the website.

The Scottish Government has confirmed that, from Friday 20 November at 6pm, Renfrewshire will be in Covid Protection Level 4. These measures will last for three weeks until Friday 11 December.

Essential council services are still operating during the Level 4 restrictions.

The key restrictions are summarised below. Full details can be found at www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-protection-levels/pages/protection-level-4/.

Level 4 restrictions include:

• At this time, you should not host people from any other household in your home or visit people you do not live with in their home, no matter where that is – unless they are in your extended household.
• You can continue to meet in a maximum group of six people from two households outside – although you must follow physical distancing.
• Schools and nurseries remain open, but with additional safety measures in place
• You can travel only for essential reasons and this will become law from Friday 20 November, so please do not travel outside our local authority area for any non-essential reason – and avoid car-sharing and public transport where possible.
• Pubs, restaurants, cafes, close-contact retail such as hairdressers and beauty services, leisure and entertainment premises, and non-essential retail shops are closed in level 4.
• Essential shops, such as supermarkets and pharmacies remain open.

Follow the FACTS advice at all times to keep yourself and others safe.

If you have symptoms of Coronavirus, book a test immediately and self-isolate while you wait for the results.

If you are contacted by Test and Protect, follow their instructions and self-isolate for the period requested.

For full details on the restrictions in Renfrewshire, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/coronavirus.

For further Coronavirus health advice, visit www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus.

If anyone doesn’t have internet access, they can call Renfrewshire Council on 0300 300 0230 for support.

Renfrewshire’s Community Safety Partnership has advised residents not to have firework displays or bonfires this year.

Its advice is as follows:

As Bonfire Night approaches, we continue to ask all of our communities to follow the restrictions in place for Renfrewshire to protect ourselves and others.

Unfortunately, due to the current restrictions, there will be no organised fireworks display in Renfrewshire this year.

We recognise that people may be tempted to hold their own displays. However, personal displays or bonfires can cause a safety risk if not handled correctly and we would advise that these do not take place this year.

It’s extremely important that we do all we can to keep our communities and fire service safe.

Our Wardens Service will be patrolling known hotspot areas in advance to remove any illegal bonfires being built, as well as working closely with the Scottish Fire and Rescue and Police Scotland on the night of the 5^th to support their crews against any anti-social behaviour that they may encounter.

For more information on fireworks and bonfire safety, visit: www.firescotland.gov.uk/your-safety

During the week Monday 26 October 2020 to Friday 30 October 2020, between 10:00 am and 3:30 pm,  any Renfrewshire resident aged over 65 who has yet to receive a flu vaccination can have the vaccination at the drop-in clinic at St Mirren Flu Centre, Greenhill Road, PA3 1RU.

That week was being held for rescheduled appointments, but the centre has been so well attended that it now has the capacity to welcome residents on a drop-in basis.

People over 65 can attend the drop-in, whether or not they have received a scheduled appointment letter. The last of the appointment letters will be issued by Friday 30 October. Residents who have not yet received a letter can either drop in any day between Monday and Friday or wait for their scheduled appointment in November. If you have received a letter, please bring it with you as this will help the clinic staff find your details on the system more quickly.

November will be reserved for scheduled appointments only.

More details can be found on the Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership website.

Kinpurnie Road, Paisley, between house numbers 23 and 33. The closure will be in place on Monday 2nd November from 08:00 to 18:00. This is to allow Openreach works.

Alternative route: Tylney Road, Balfron Road, Penilee Road or vice versa.

An art exhibition will be held in the Barshaw Park Peace Garden on Saturday August 22, from 10 am until 1 pm. The paintings have been done by Peace Garden volunteers, and most of them will be on sale, with the proceeds going to Friends of Barshaw Park

You can see some of the paintings in the exhibition catalogue. Most of them are framed, and the prices range from £10 to £95. If you would like to reserve any of the items, please email Friends of Barshaw Park.

Gartmore Road, Paisley from Hawkhead Road to Alton Road. The closure will be in place on Friday 7th August 2020 between 08:00 and 18:00. This is to allow Open Reach to have crane access to replace a defective pole.

Alternative Route: Newtyle Road, Alton Road, Lanfine Road or vice versa.

Renfrewshire Council has been awarded £540,000 in funding from the Scottish Government’s Spaces for People Fund to make temporary changes in Renfrewshire aimed at making physical distancing easier for residents.

As part of the changes, the council plans to create the following nine cycleways:

• Howwood to Paisley corridor (including Elderslie Gap)
• Glasgow Road (West), Paisley
• Barrhead Road, Paisley
• Causeyside Street, Paisley
• Central Paisley and West – including Ferguslie, St Mirren and Kilbarchan Rd
• Inchinnan Road, Paisley
• Greenock Rd, Inchinnan
• Inchinnan Road, Renfrew
• Paisley to Renfrew

Full details of the proposed plans can be found on Renfrewshire Council’s website. The council is inviting comments on the plans, and these must be submitted before midnight on Sunday July 26.

Residents of Roffey Park Road have raised more than £3,000 for local charities by playing street bingo during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The bingo, which has run weekly since April, was organised by Tracy Coyle, Helen Irvine and Karen Macpherson. The project was run in memory of Roffey Park Road resident Norman Tucker, who died of pancreatic cancer last year, and the last session took place on Thursday July 2. The organisers decorated the street every week with balloons and bunting and an app was used to announce the bingo numbers. Prizes, including bottles of Prosecco, were delivered to the winners’ doorsteps. Most of the sessions took place before the Clap for Carers event every Thursday evening and the final session was celebrated by a street party. Local businesses donated prizes and food for all the sessions.

The total amount raised for the charities was £3,250. At the final session, two cheques, each for £1,320, were written to the Accord and Princess of Wales hospices. A further £610 will be donated to Renfrewshire lifeline charities.

The Paisley Daily Express featured a double-page spread about the fundraising effort on July 7.

Organisers Helen Irvine, Karen Macpherson and Tracy Coyle (Photo: Pogie Manson)

Alison Scott, Ralston Community Council secretary, dressed for the occasion (Photo: Pogie Manson)

Newtyle Road, Paisley, from Alton Road to Rosshall Avenue. The closure will be in place on Thursday, 2nd July 2020. This is to allow for ironwork repairs to take place.

Alternative route: Rosshall Avenue, Golf Drive or vice versa. Emergency access will be maintained.

Because of the Covid-19 emergency, the Ralston Community Games, which were due to be held on 6 June 2020, have been cancelled. We are sorry about his, but we have no option but to cancel in view of the government’s emergency measures. We hope that the emergency will be over in time for us hold community games again next year.

Because of the Covid-19 precautions, meetings of Ralston Community Council have been suspended until further notice. All events on the website’s events calendar have also been suspended.

Please watch the website for updates.

A Geocache treasure hunt will be held at St Mark’s Church, Oldhall, on Saturday, 26 October, 2019, from 1 until 4 pm.

Details can be found on the treasure hunt flyer.

Hawkhead Road, Paisley, from Glasgow Road to Seedhill Road.  The closure will be in place from Monday, 07^th October, 2019, till Sunday, 20^th October, 2019.  This is to allow for carriageway resurfacing works to take place.

Alternative Route: Glasgow Road, Mill Street, Seedhill Road or vice versa.  Emergency and limited local access will be maintained.

Elections to community councils across Renfrewshire are taking place between 12 August and 13 September 2019. To be eligible, candidates must be 16 or over, live in the community council area and be registered to vote.

If you would like to stand for the Ralston Community Council, you can obtain a nomination form by contacting the council’s secretary at sec@ralstoncommunitycouncil.org.

More information about the elections can be obtained by visiting Renfrewshire Council’s website or by phoning 0141 618 7104.

Work to reinstate the flat grass area within Barshaw Park has started. The work will involve the existing grass and weeds being killed using a non-selective weed killer. The area has been fenced off with signs on the fence. Once the grass and weeds have been killed, the area will be rotovated and levelled and any large stones will be removed before it is re-seeded with grass seed.

Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Hillington, from Montrose Avenue to Buccleuch Avenue.  The closure will be in place on Monday, 01st July 2019 till Friday, 05th July 2019.  This is to allow for carriageway resurfacing works to take place.

Alternative route:  Montrose Avenue, Cameron Street, Buccleuch Avenue or Buccleuch Avenue, Cameron Street, Montrose Avenue, Watt Road.  Emergency and limited local access will be maintained.

On Monday 13 May, 2019, Renfrewshire Council launched its “Our Renfrewshire” Community Survey. The survey is designed to start a conversation about the values that are most important to local people and the values and behaviours that they expect from their council.

The survey, which includes 15 simple questions, is intended to change the way the council works. Everyone who lives, works or studies in Renfrewshire is invited to take part in it.

More details about the survey can be found here.

To take part in the survey, click here.

Ralston Primary School is 80 years old and having a birthday celebration on Thursday 2nd of May. All former pupils and staff are invited to an open afternoon.

Feel free to pop along anytime from 2pm until 7pm. We look forward to taking people a little trip down memory lane!

Plans have been approved by Renfrewshire Council which could safeguard the future of one of Paisley’s best loved buildings, Thomas Coats Memorial Church. The project would see the church transformed into a world class events and entertainment venue to be used for arts performances, concerts and weddings as well as a range of community activities.

Coats Memorial Preservation Trust (CMPT) is aiming to raise the sum of £1.5 million over a 100-day campaign to fund the conversion works.

One way you can contribute is to Buy a brick for £100. Your brick will be mounted on the wall of fame within the building. The bricks are hand made from the pews by the pupils of Castlehead High School and will be engraved with your name and a short message.

For more information, see the Save Coats Memorial website: https://100daystosavecoatsmemorial.com/

Between 10pm and 6am on Monday 1 April until Friday 5 April, Penilee Road will be closed from Arkleston Road to Corse Road.

This is to allow for Scottish Water works to take place.

Alternative route: Penilee Road, Arkleston Road, Glasgow Road, Penilee Road or Vice Versa (this is a night closure only).

The next meeting will be held at Ralston Community Centre at 7:30pm.

Agenda     Minutes of March meeting