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Renfrewshire Council
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| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| name | Renfrewshire | |
| coa_pic | Coat of Arms of Renfrewshire.svg | |
| coa_caption | Coat of arms | |
| logo_pic | Renfrewshire Council logo.svg | |
| logo_caption | Council logo | |
| leader1_type | Provost | |
| leader1 | Lorraine Cameron | |
| party1 | ||
| SNP | ||
| election1 | 18 May 2017 | |
| leader2_type | Leader | |
| leader2 | Iain Nicolson | |
| party2 | ||
| SNP | ||
| election2 | 18 May 2017 | |
| leader3_type | Chief Executive | |
| leader3 | Alan Russell | |
| party3 | ||
| election3 | November 2021 | |
| members | 43 councillors | |
| structure1 | Scotland_Renfrewshire_Council_2025.svg | |
| structure1_res | 250px | |
| : | border | darkgray}} SNP (20) |
| : | border | darkgray}} Labour (12) |
| : | border | darkgray}} Conservative (3) |
| : | border | darkgray}} Reform UK (3) |
| : | border | darkgray}} Liberal Democrat (1)}} |
| : | border | darkgray}} Independent (4)}} |
| voting_system1 | Single transferable vote | |
| last_election1 | 6 May 2022 | |
| next_election1 | 6 May 2027 | |
| session_room | Renfrewshire House Building, Paisley.jpg | |
| meeting_place | Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA11AN | |
| website |
SNP SNP ;Administration (20) : SNP (20) ;Other parties (23) : Labour (12) : Conservative (3) : Reform UK (3) : :
Renfrewshire Council is the local authority for Renfrewshire, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It consists of 43 councillors who elect from among their number a provost to serve as the council's convener and ceremonial head and a leader of the council who is typically the head of the largest political group. The council is based at Renfrewshire House in Paisley.
The council meets collectively as a full council and carries out a number of functions. Its scheme of delegated functions sets out where the council has agreed to allow powers to be exercised by a committee (referred to as a "board" in Renfrewshire Council), a sub-committee, an officer of the council or a joint committee with one or more other councils. The council continues to reserve a number of functions that can only be carried out by the council acting as a whole. The council's staff is headed by a chief executive who is responsible to the elected council.
Renfrewshire Council acts as the lead authority for Scotland Excel, a collaborative procurement vehicle established in 2008 to support the local authorities of Scotland.
Political control
The council has been under no overall control since 2017. Following the 2022 election an SNP minority administration took control of the council with support from independent councillor Andy Doig on a confidence and supply basis.
The first election to Renfrewshire Council was held in 1995, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 1 April 1996. Political control of the council since 1996 has been as follows:
| Party in control | Years |
|---|---|
| 1996–2007 | |
| 2007–2012 | |
| 2012–2017 | |
| 2017–present |
Leadership
The role of provost is largely ceremonial in Renfrewshire. They chair full council meetings and act as the council's civic figurehead. Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1996 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hugh Henry | 1 Apr 1996 | May 1999 | |||||||
| Jim Harkins | May 1999 | May 2007 | |||||||
| Derek Mackay | May 2007 | May 2011 | |||||||
| last1=Rennie | first1=Alison | title=Councillor Brian Lawson is new leader of Renfrewshire Council | url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/councillor-brian-lawson-new-leader-2571318 | access-date=24 August 2025 | work=Daily Record | date=27 May 2011}} | 26 May 2011 | May 2012 | |
| Mark MacMillan | May 2012 | May 2017 | |||||||
| title=Council minutes, 18 May 2017 | url=https://renfrewshire.cmis.uk.com/renfrewshire/Document.ashx?czJKcaeAi5tUFL1DTL2UE4zNRBcoShgo=rRXGAtzS1xErVSnSAWpABU3liHjriyxOAz6twuoL8XrXZCqzfIuB0A%3d%3d&rUzwRPf%2bZ3zd4E7Ikn8Lyw%3d%3d=pwRE6AGJFLDNlh225F5QMaQWCtPHwdhUfCZ%2fLUQzgA2uL5jNRG4jdQ%3d%3d&mCTIbCubSFfXsDGW9IXnlg%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&kCx1AnS9%2fpWZQ40DXFvdEw%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&uJovDxwdjMPoYv%2bAJvYtyA%3d%3d=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&FgPlIEJYlotS%2bYGoBi5olA%3d%3d=NHdURQburHA%3d&d9Qjj0ag1Pd993jsyOJqFvmyB7X0CSQK=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNR9xqBux0r1Q8Za60lavYmz=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNQ16B2MHuCpMRKZMwaG1PaO=ctNJFf55vVA%3d | website=Renfrewshire Council | access-date=7 February 2023}} | 18 May 2017 |
Council composition
Following the 2022 election and subsequent changes of allegiance up to June 2025, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Councillors | Total | 43 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | |||
| 12 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 1 | |||
| 4 |
The next election is due in 2027.
Premises
The council is based at Renfrewshire House on Cotton Street in Paisley, which was built between 1969 and 1973 as the "County and Municipal Buildings", being a joint facility for the old Renfrewshire County Council and Paisley Town Council. After the reforms of 1975 the building was shared between Renfrew District Council and Strathclyde Regional Council. Following the creation of Renfrewshire Council in 1996 the building was renamed Renfrewshire House.
Elections
Main article: Renfrewshire Council elections
Since 2007 elections have been held every five years under the single transferable vote system, introduced by the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004. Election results since 1995 have been as follows:
| Year | Seats | SNP | Labour | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | Independent / Other | Notes | Scottish National Party}}; width: 3px;" | Scottish Labour}}; width: 3px;" | Scottish Conservatives}}; width: 3px;" | Scottish Liberal Democrats}}; width: 3px;" | Independent politician}}; width: 3px;" | Scottish National Party}}; width: 3px;" | Scottish Labour}}; width: 3px;" | Scottish Conservatives}}; width: 3px;" | Scottish Liberal Democrats}}; width: 3px;" | Independent politician}}; width: 3px;" | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 40 | 13 | 22 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | 40 | 15 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | New ward boundaries. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | 40 | 15 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | 40 | 17 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 0 | New ward boundaries. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | 40 | 15 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 43 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 2 | New ward boundaries. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 43 | 21 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
Electoral wards
Main article: Wards of Renfrewshire
For the purposes of elections to Renfrewshire Council, the Renfrewshire area is divided geographically into a number of wards which then elect either three or four councillors each by the single transferable vote system. The electoral system of local councils in Scotland is governed by the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, which first introduced proportional representation to councils in Scotland.
These electoral wards, following a 2017 review and first used in the 2017 Renfrewshire Council election are as follows:
| Ward number | Ward Name | Location | Seats | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renfrew North and Braehead | [[File:Renfrewshire UK ward map 2017 Renfrew North and Braehead.svg | 100px]] | 4 | 17,827 |
| 2 | Renfrew South and Gallowhill | [[File:Renfrewshire UK ward map 2017 Renfrew South and Gallowhill.svg | 100px]] | 3 | 12,232 |
| 3 | Paisley Northeast and Ralston | [[File:Renfrewshire UK ward map 2017 Paisley Northeast and Ralston.svg | 100px]] | 3 | 12,810 |
| 4 | Paisley Northwest | [[File:Renfrewshire UK ward map 2017 Paisley Northwest.svg | 100px]] | 4 | 17,018 |
| 5 | Paisley East and Central | [[File:Renfrewshire UK ward map 2017 Paisley East and Central.svg | 100px]] | 3 | 12,218 |
| 6 | Paisley Southeast | [[File:Renfrewshire UK ward map 2017 Paisley Southeast.svg | 100px]] | 3 | 12,925 |
| 7 | Paisley Southwest | [[File:Renfrewshire UK ward map 2017 Paisley Southwest.svg | 100px]] | 4 | 16,505 |
| 8 | Johnstone South and Elderslie | [[File:Renfrewshire UK ward map 2017 Johnstone South and Elderslie.svg | 100px]] | 4 | 15,860 |
| 9 | Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch | [[File:Renfrewshire UK ward map 2017 Johnstone North Kilbarchan Howwood and Lochwinnoch.svg | 100px]] | 4 | 14,740 |
| 10 | Houston, Crosslee and Linwood | [[File:Renfrewshire UK ward map 2017 Houston Crosslee and Linwood.svg | 100px]] | 4 | 19,152 |
| 11 | Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank | [[File:Renfrewshire UK ward map 2017 Bishopton Bridge of Weir and Langbank.svg | 100px]] | 3 | 10,040 |
| 12 | Erskine and Inchinnan | [[File:Renfrewshire UK ward map 2017 Erskine and Inchinnan.svg | 100px]] | 4 | 18,063 |
References
References
- (22 December 2022). "Alan Russell - Renfrewshire Council's new Chief Executive". Mill Magazine.
- "Scheme of Delegated Functions".
- "About us".
- "2022 LOCAL ELECTIONS:Renfrewshire Council". Ballot Box Scotland.
- "Compositions Calculator". University of Exeter.
- (15 April 1995). "Labour pick Hugh Henry". Paisley Daily Express.
- (16 May 1999). "Paisley South". Scotland on Sunday.
- (21 May 1999). "Labour unveils its leaders". Paisley Daily Express.
- (4 May 2007). "Council round-up: Renfrewshire". Glasgow Times.
- (8 December 2011). "Derek's political career soars to see him named government minister". Daily Record.
- (27 May 2011). "Councillor Brian Lawson is new leader of Renfrewshire Council". Daily Record.
- (30 April 2012). "Councillors take part in "emotional" last meeting before the election". Daily Record.
- (1 November 2016). "Renfrewshire Council leader Mark Macmillan to stand down at local government elections". Holyrood.com.
- (29 March 2017). "An ex-Labour MP, a UKIPer and 12 Greens and a hospital campaigner are among the 95 candidates standing for election to Renfrewshire Council". Daily Record.
- "Council minutes, 18 May 2017".
- Macdonald, Aidan. (6 March 2025). "Second Renfrewshire Tory councillor defects to Reform UK". The Renfrewshire Gazette.
- "Renfrewshire". Thorncliffe.
- "Paisley, Cotton Street, County and Municipal Buildings". Historic Environment Scotland.
- Glasgow Area Telephone Directory, October 1971, p. 709, Renfrewshire County Council, County Buildings, Cotton Street, Paisley
- "Renfrew County Council, Paisley Town Council and Police Station building".
- "Contact us".
- {{cite legislation UK. (1998)
- {{cite legislation Scotland. (2006)
- {{cite legislation Scotland. (2016)
- "Electoral wards".
- (30 June 2019). "United Kingdom: Scotland {{!}} Council Areas and Electoral Wards".
- [https://statistics.gov.scot/atlas/resource?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fstatistics.gov.scot%2Fid%2Fstatistical-geography%2FS12000038 Council Area {{!}} Renfrewshire], [[Scottish Government]] Statistics. Retrieved 22 April 2022
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