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.

Many Ralston residents will be very concerned about the situation in Ukraine and wondering what they can do to help.

The general advice is that it is more effective to give money than food or clothes. The best way to do this is by donating to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal.

Another thing you can do is to write to the MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, Gavin Newlands, at gavin.newlands.mp@parliament.uk, urging him to support Ukraine and push for more sanctions. The Ukrainian Insitute has created an email template that you can use. If you are not a resident of the Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency, you can find your MP’s contact details at: https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP

 

 

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.

As part of its commitment to active travel and its continued drive to meet its ambitious climate change aims, Renfrewshire Council is launching a new campaign called Not Far? Leave the Car.

The campaign will launch on Friday 11 March 2022 and will reward 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.

Everyone across Renfrewshire over the age of 14 is encouraged to download the BetterPoints app on their mobile phone and track their day-to-day journeys – with sustainable journeys rewarded with points.

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

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

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

Closure Reason: Ironwork repairs

Alternative route: Hawkhead Road – Seedhill Road – Mill Street

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

Address: Glasgow Road, Paisley (westbound Only) between Newtyle Road and Alton Road.

Reason for restrictionTo allow lane closure for ironwork repairs.

This ban will be in place on Monday 10th January 2022.

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.

 

Renfrewshire Leisure has announced that it plans to reopen the Ralston Community Sports Centre gym on Wednesday 1st December. The following statement was posted on Renfrewshire Leisure’s Facebook page on 22 November 2021.

“Ralston Gym will reopen from Wednesday 1st December 2021!  All 1 hour sessions will be required to be booked in advance online or by calling 0300 300 0250. Session bookings will be available from the 24th November 2021.”

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

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

Closure Reason: BT works.

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

Scottish Water is encouraging customers in communities across Scotland to prepare their homes for winter.

Its winter advice advises anyone with a home, holiday home or business premises to take action to heat, insulate and protect their properties.

Visit the Scottish Water website for winter information, films and advice and information about your pipework responsibilities.