Renfrewshire Renfrewshire () (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. Renfrewshire is located in the west central Lowlands. It borders East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire and West Dunbartonshire, and lies on the southern ba ...

is one of the 32

council areas For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" (), which are all governed by single-tier authorities designated as "councils". They have the option under the Local Government (Gaelic Names) (Sc ...

of Scotland (also known as local authorities or unitary authorities), formally established in 1996 to succeed the

Renfrew district Renfrew District () was, between 1975 and 1996, one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland. History The district was created in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which established a two- ...

within the

Strathclyde Strathclyde ( in Welsh language, Welsh; in Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic, meaning 'strath

alley An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, footpath, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane), or a path, w ...

of the River Clyde') was one of nine former Local government in Scotland, local government Regions and districts of Scotland, regions of Scotland cre ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

, both of which were abolished; the headquarters are at Paisley. The composition of the new bodies was decided in the

Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 (c. 39) is an Act of parliament, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that created the current Local government in Scotland, local government structure of 32 Unitary authority, unitary authori ...

and elections were held nationwide in May 1995. Initially, councillors were elected via 40 individual

wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

each returning one member on a

plurality Plurality may refer to: Law and politics * Plurality decision, in a decision by a multi-member court, an opinion held by more judges than any other but not by an overall majority * Plurality (voting), when a candidate or proposition polls more ...

(

First-past-the-post First-past-the-post (FPTP)—also called choose-one, first-preference plurality (FPP), or simply plurality—is a single-winner voting rule. Voters mark one candidate as their favorite, or First-preference votes, first-preference, and the cand ...

) basis, which was the case in

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

and

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

. Under the

Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 The Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 (asp 9) is an Act of the Scottish Parliament which provided, amongst other things, for the election of councillors to the local government in Scotland, local authorities in Scotland by the single transfera ...

, the election format was changed to a more proportional

single transferable vote The single transferable vote (STV) or proportional-ranked choice voting (P-RCV) is a multi-winner electoral system in which each voter casts a single vote in the form of a ranked ballot. Voters have the option to rank candidates, and their vot ...

, with larger wards each electing three or four councillors (depending on population size), which in Renfrewshire resulted in the creation of 11 wards, still returning 40 councillors - the format used in the

2007 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2007. * Electoral calendar 2007 * Elections in 2007 * 2007 United Nations Security Council election Africa * 52nd National Conference of the African National Congress * 2007 Algerian legislative elect ...

was repeated in

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

. A national review by

Boundaries Scotland Boundaries Scotland is an independent body in Scotland created as the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. According to its website, it is responsible for: carrying out reviews of bo ...

led to a re-arrangement in Renfrewshire, with three more councillors added, an additional new ward and adjustments for others, although some remained unchanged; this was put in place for the

2017 elections Africa *2017 Somali presidential election 8 February 2017 *2017 Gambian parliamentary election 6 April 2017 *2017 Algerian legislative election 4 May 2017 *2017 Lesotho general election 3 June 2017 *2017 Republic of the Congo parliamentary electi ...

and used again in

2022 elections The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2022. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world. * 2022 United Nations Security Council election * 2022 national electoral calendar * 2022 local e ...

. The current (post-2017) wards of Renfrewshire are summarised below (ordered as they are numbered by the council), with any changes since 2007 outlined (technically those which changed name and boundaries are new entities but in each case there is a clear continuity of members and territory).

Renfrew North and Braehead

As its name suggests, its territory covers the northern parts of

Renfrew Renfrew (; ; ) is a town west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's former royal house, Renfrew gaine ...

, the northern boundary being the

River Clyde The River Clyde (, ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde, in the west of Scotland. It is the eighth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the second longest in Scotland after the River Tay. It runs through the city of Glasgow. Th ...

. Created in 2007 as Renfrew North with three representatives, the boundary review prior to the 2017 election resulted in a minor addition – streets north of Porterfield Road – which, in combination with the building of several residential developments surrounding the

Braehead Braehead (, Gaelic: ''Ceann a' Bhruthaich'') is a commercial development located at the former site of Braehead Power Station in Renfrew on the south bank of the River Clyde in Renfrew, Renfrewshire. It is particularly notable for its large ...

retail and leisure complex, increased the population sufficiently to merit a fourth councillor; the name was also amended to Renfrew North and Braehead. In 2020, the ward population was 17,827.

Councillors

Renfrew South and Gallowhill

Renfrew South and Gallowhill returns three councillors and has existed since 2007. As its name suggests, its territory covers the southern half of the town of

and north-eastern parts of the larger town of Paisley between the

White Cart Water The River Cart is a tributary of the River Clyde, Scotland, which it joins from the west roughly midway between the towns of Erskine, Renfrewshire, Erskine and Renfrew and opposite the town of Clydebank. The River Cart itself is very short, bein ...

and the

Inverclyde Line The Inverclyde Line is a railway line running from Glasgow Central station through Paisley (Gilmour Street) and a series of stations to the south of the River Clyde and the Firth of Clyde, terminating at Gourock and Wemyss Bay, where it conn ...

railway tracks, primarily the

Gallowhill Gallowhill is a housing estate in the north east of Paisley, a town in Renfrewshire, Scotland. Its approximate boundaries are formed by the M8 motorway to the north, the A741 Renfrew Rd to the west, to the south the Inverclyde railway line wit ...

housing scheme; the 2017 re-configuration was minor, with streets north of Porterfield Road removed. In 2020, the ward population was 12,232.

Councillors

Paisley Northeast and Ralston

Created in 2007 as Paisley East and Ralston with four representatives and territory including the parts of eastern Paisley between the

railway tracks to the north and Barrhead Road / Hurlet Road (the

A726 The A726 road in Scotland is a major route with several distinct sections with different characteristics and names; owing to its stages of construction, since 2005 it has two separate parts, the first running between Strathaven in South Lanar ...

) to the south, plus much of the town centre up to the line of Storie Street, the 2017 boundary review led to a large part of its territory (south of Seedhill Road and the Paisley Canal line railway tracks, plus the town centre territory west of Mill Street) being combined with part of the Paisley South ward to form an additional entity, Paisley East and Central, the existing wards losing one seat each. The 2017 definition includes the Ralston and Oldhall neighbourhoods up to the local authority border with

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, plus Barshaw, Whitehaugh and Williamsburgh further into Paisley on either side of the A761 Glasgow Road, where

St Mirin's Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Mirin in Paisley, dedicated to Saint Mirin the patron saint of Paisley, Renfrewshire, Paisley, is the mother church of the Catholic Diocese of Paisley and is the seat of the Bishop of Paisley. History The former par ...

and

Paisley Grammar School Paisley Grammar School is a secondary school in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Paisley, the largest town in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The school was founded in 1576 by royal charter of James VI of Scotland, King James VI and is situated on Glasgow Road. T ...

are both situated. In 2020, the ward population was 12,810.

Councillors

Paisley Northwest

Paisley Northwest was created in 2007 and elects four councillors. As its name suggests, it covers the north-western areas of Paisley including part of the town centre (west of the line of Storie Street / Canal Terrace) and the Castlehead,

Ferguslie Park Ferguslie Park is a residential suburb at the north-west extremity of Paisley, Renfrewshire, Paisley in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is bordered by the town of Linwood, Renfrewshire, Linwood to the west and Glasgow Airport to the north. Histo ...

, Gockston, Maxwellton, Millarston and Shortroods neighbourhoods. Coats Memorial Church,

Glasgow International Airport Glasgow Airport, also known as Glasgow International Airport () and formerly Abbotsinch Airport, is an international airport located in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, west of Glasgow city centre. In 2019 it handled 8.84 million passeng ...

Paisley Museum and Art Galleries Paisley Museum and Art Galleries is a museum in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Paisley, Scotland. It is currently closed for refurbishment and is due to reopen in 2026 with the title of Paisley Museum. It is located in the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, ...

Paisley Sheriff Court Paisley Sheriff Court is a municipal structure in St James Street, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. The complex, which was the headquarters of Renfrewshire County Council and is currently used as a courthouse, is a Category A listed building. ...

, the Royal Alexandra Hospital,

St Mirren Park St Mirren Park, also known as The SMISA Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Paisley, Scotland. It is the home of St Mirren F.C.. The stadium is the sixth home of the club and replaced Love Street. History Talks over a ...

football stadium and the main campus of the

University of the West of Scotland The University of the West of Scotland (), formerly the University of Paisley, is a public university with four campuses in south-western Scotland, in the towns of Paisley, Blantyre, Dumfries and Ayr, as well as a campus in London, England. T ...

also lie within the ward, the north-eastern boundary of which is the

, the southern boundary along the course of the old Paisley Canal line and Potterhill branch railway tracks, and the eastern boundary Calside / Stanely Road. The 2017 boundary review led to the removal of some territory to the west of the course of the former

Paisley and Barrhead District Railway The Paisley and Barrhead District Railway was a railway in Scotland that ran between the towns of Paisley, Renfrewshire, Paisley and Barrhead. It was intended to serve industrial premises and develop local passenger and goods business. The Cale ...

tracks at Barskiven Road to the Johnstone South and Elderslie ward, but with only a small reduction in population as most of the developed land comprises the non-residential Phoenix Retail Park and St James Business Park. In 2020, the population was 17,018.

Councillors

Paisley East and Central

Paisley East and Central was created in 2017 as the result of the boundary review, in which it was decided to remove part of the territory and one seat each from the existing four-member wards of Paisley East and Ralston (between Seedhill Road / the Paisley Canal line railway tracks and the

Barrhead Road – primarily Blackhall and Seedhill – as well as most of the town centre between the

railway tracks to the north, the line of Storie Street to the west and Mill Street to the east) and Paisley South (between Rowan Street /

Dykebar Hospital Dykebar Hospital is a mental health facility in Dykebar, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. The main building is a Grade B listed building. The hospital is managed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. History The hospital, which was designed by Thoma ...

and Barrhead Road, i.e. the Charleston, Dykebar,

Hawkhead Hawkhead (, ) is an area near Paisley in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The village is on the Hawkhead Burn and White Cart Water, crossed via Hawkhead Bridge. It is near Dykebar, Hunterhill and Blackhall neighbourhoods and is the source of the name of ...

and Hunterhill neighbourhoods) and form an additional ward. Landmarks within the ward include

Paisley Abbey Paisley Abbey is a parish church of the Church of Scotland on the east bank of the River Cart, White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, about west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, base ...

Paisley Town Hall Paisley Town Hall is a public hall in Abbey Close, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. The building, which is being converted into a centre for performing arts, is a Category A listed building. History In the mid-19th century the administrative c ...

and the

Russell Institute The Russell Institute is a building in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Paisley, Scotland. History The building was generously donated by Agnes Russell to the Burgh of Paisley as a memorial to her two brothers, Thomas and Robert Russell, who died in 191 ...

. In 2020, its population was 12,218.

Councillors

Paisley Southeast

The ward was created as Paisley South in 2007 with four representatives and territory including almost all of south-eastern Paisley between Barrhead Road / Hurlet Road (the

) to the north-east and Calside / Park Road / Stanely Road / Gleniffer Road (but not the Langcraigs neighbourhood) to the west. The 2017 boundary review led to part of its territory (between the A726 and Rowan Street /

, i.e. the Charleston, Dykebar,

and Hunterhill neighbourhoods) being combined with part of the Paisley East and Ralston ward to form an additional entity, Paisley East and Central, the existing wards losing one seat each and being renamed. The 2017 definition of Paisley Southeast includes Carriagehill, Glenburn, Lochfield, Potterhill and Thornly Park; in 2020, the ward population was 12,925.

Councillors

Paisley Southwest

Paisley Southwest was created in 2007 and elects four councillors – it was unaffected by the 2017 boundary review. As its name suggests, it covers the south-western areas of Paisley including Brediland, Durrockstock,

Foxbar Foxbar is a district of Paisley, bordered by the Gleniffer Braes and Paisley town centre. Consisting mostly of residential areas, Foxbar has rapidly grown over the past century to be one of the largest housing areas in the town. The local auth ...

, Lounsdale, Meikleriggs and Stanely plus the Langcraigs neighbourhood (generally considered to be part of Glenburn), as well as most of the Gleniffer Braes Country Park on the high ground to the south of the town. Its northern boundary is along the course of the old Paisley Canal line and Potterhill branch railway tracks, and the eastern boundary along Stanely Road / Gleniffer Road to Glenburn Road, then east up to Langcraigs Drive; the south and west boundaries of the ward extend beyond the Paisley built-up area. In 2020, the population was 16,505.

Councillors

Johnstone South and Elderslie

Johnstone South and Elderslie elects four councillors and covers the southern half of the town of

Johnstone Johnstone (,
) is a town in the

Ayrshire Coast Line The Ayrshire Coast Line is one of the lines within the Strathclyde suburban Railway, rail network in Scotland. It has 26 stations and connects the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow. There are three branches, to , and , all running into the high leve ...

railway tracks) and the adjacent village of Elderslie. When the ward was created in 2007 it was named Johnstone South, Elderslie and Howwood and included the village of

Howwood Howwood (, )
is a village in

East Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire (; ) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It was formed in 1996, as a successor to the Eastwood (district), Eastwood district of the Strathclyde region. The northeastern part of the council area is close to Glasgow and ma ...

and

North Ayrshire North Ayrshire (, ) is one of 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and s ...

) and assigned it to the Johnstone North, Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch ward, both entities being renamed accordingly. Some territory was gained from the Paisley Northwest ward, namely streets west of the course of the former

tracks at Barskiven Road, though most of the developed land comprises the non-residential Phoenix Retail Park and St James Business Park. In 2020, the ward's population was 15,860.

Councillors

Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch

The ward was created as Johnstone North, Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch in 2007, electing three councillors and covering the northern half of the town of

Johnstone Johnstone (,
) is a town in the

Ayrshire Coast Line railway tracks) and the villages of

Kilbarchan Kilbarchan (; ) is a village and civil parish in central Renfrewshire, in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is almost contiguous with Johnstone, about 5 miles or 8 km west of the centre of Paisley. The village's name means "cell (chape ...

, and

Lochwinnoch Lochwinnoch (; , ) is a village in the council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Lying on the banks of Castle Semple Loch and the River Calder, Lochwinnoch is chiefly a residential dormitory v ...

. Already consisting of a large rural hinterland up to the borders of

and

Inverclyde Inverclyde (, , , "mouth of the Clyde") is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire, which ...

local authorities to the west and north respectively, the boundary review in 2017 added the village of

Howwood Howwood (, )
is a village in

from the existing Johnstone South, Elderslie and Howwood ward, both entities being renamed accordingly and Johnstone North gaining one further seat. In 2020, the Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch ward's population was 14,740.

Councillors

Houston, Crosslee and Linwood

Created in 2007, its territory – which was unaffected by the boundary review in 2017 – takes in the adjoining villages of

Crosslee Crosslee is a small village lying on the bank of the River Gryffe in the civil parish of Houston and Killellan, Renfrewshire, in Scotland. It lies around half a mile south of the old village centre of Houston and immediately west of Craigends, a ...

(and

Craigends Craigends is a residential area in the Civil parishes in Scotland, civil parish of Houston and Killellan in Renfrewshire, Scotland lying south of the River Gryffe and on the banks of the River Locher. Craigends is on the south-eastern edge of ...

) and

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, and the nearby small town of

Linwood Linwood may refer to: Places Many of the place names for Linwood come from the presence of linden trees. Australia * Linwood, South Australia *Linnwood, Guildford, 11-35 Byron Road, Guildford, New South Wales Canada * Linwood, Ontario * Linwood, ...

, as well as Brookfield. In 2020, the Houston, Crosslee and Linwood ward's population was 19,152.

Councillors

Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank

Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank elects three councillors. Created in 2007, its territory – which was unaffected by the 2017 boundary review in 2017 – takes in the separate villages of Bishopton (including the modern development at Dargavel Village),

Bridge of Weir Bridge of Weir is a village within the Renfrewshire council areas of Scotland, council area and wider counties of Scotland, historic county of Renfrewshire (historic), Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Lying within the Gryf ...

and

Langbank Langbank is a village on the south bank of the River Clyde in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is 9.3 miles/15 km northwest from Paisley (Renfrewshire) and 3.4 miles/5.5 km east from Port Glasgow (Inverclyde) on the A8. History Langbank ev ...

; its limitations include the border with

local authority area to the west, the M8 and

M898 motorway The M898 motorway is a motorway in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is a spur route from the M8 motorway towards the Erskine Bridge. It lacks hard shoulders along its length. Its northern terminus comes at the junction with the A726 road, the forme ...

s to the east, and the

to the north. In 2020, the ward's population was 10,040.

Councillors

Erskine and Inchinnan

Erskine and Inchinnan elects four councillors. Created in 2007, its territory – which was unaffected by the boundary review in 2017 – contains the town of

Erskine Erskine may refer to: Places * Erskine, Renfrewshire Erskine (, , ) is a town in the council areas of Scotland, council area of Renfrewshire, and Renfrewshire (historic), historic county of counties of Scotland, the same name, situated in th ...

and adjacent village of

Inchinnan Inchinnan (; ) is a small village in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The village is located on the main A8 road between Renfrew and Greenock, just south east of the town of Erskine. History The name of Inchinnan village is derived from the Gaelic ...

; its limitations include the M8 and

s to the west, the

to the north, the

River Cart The River Cart is a tributary of the River Clyde, Scotland, which it joins from the west roughly midway between the towns of Erskine and Renfrew and opposite the town of Clydebank. The River Cart itself is very short, being formed from the conf ...

to the east and its tributary the

Black Cart Water The River Cart is a tributary of the River Clyde, Scotland, which it joins from the west roughly midway between the towns of Erskine and Renfrew and opposite the town of Clydebank. The River Cart itself is very short, being formed from the conf ...

to the south. In 2020, the ward's population was 18,063.Electoral Ward Erskine and Inchinnan

Scottish Government The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in ...

Statistics. Retrieved 22 April 2022

Councillors

References

External links

* {{Renfrewshire Politics of Renfrewshire

2007 establishments in Scotland