A walk around the town today reveals numerous projects already in progress.

Perhaps the most significant is on the site of the former House-of-Fraser-owned Arnotts department store, empty for more than a decade. This summer will see the first residents move into 31 new flats built by Link Housing Group, while a second, luxury, phase will complete in November.

The council has also led a project to bring the A-listed Russell Institute former health centre back into use, which next year will open as an employability hub with Skills Development Scotland as anchor tenant.

The surrounding Causeyside Street area has benefited from a £3.5 million investment in public realm work and restoration through a Townscape Heritage Initiative – and £2m of Heritage Lottery funding is earmarked for the High Street area.

The new InCube business incubator offers a home for start-ups and this month also saw the High Street carry evening traffic for the first time in 18 years, to boost the town’s night-life.

The council-run events programme continues to grow – the nine-day Spree arts festival will return in October, and January saw the town host a start leg of the Monte Carlo Classic Car Rally. There are wider projects on the go – Renfrewshire is one of seven local authorities in the £1.13bn Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal, which will include an airport access project, a new bridge from Renfrew to Yoker, and a Glasgow Airport Investment Area.