Renfrewshire Council has signed off a new five-year strategy for tackling antisocial behaviour, but not before councillors warned that some of the problems turning up in their inboxes are getting more serious.
The strategy, which runs from 2026 to 2031, was approved by the Communities and Housing Policy Board on Tuesday 27 October. It sets out how the council, Police Scotland and partner organisations will work to prevent and reduce antisocial behaviour, support victims and communities, and step in when problems persist or cause significant harm.
Six priorities
The council's stated aim is "safer, stronger and more resilient communities", where people feel secure at home, in their neighbourhoods and in public spaces. The plan is built around six priorities: prevention and early intervention; supporting victims and communities; tackling persistent and serious antisocial behaviour; children and young people; housing and neighbourhood antisocial behaviour; and safer places and environmental antisocial behaviour.
It covers a wide range of issues, from neighbour disputes, noise and youth disorder to vandalism, graffiti, littering, dog fouling and fly-tipping, as well as threatening or intimidating behaviour, misuse of public spaces and nuisance parking.
"Really, really frightening"
Labour group leader Councillor Iain McMillan, who represents Johnstone South and Elderslie, welcomed the work but said there had recently been a spate of incidents in part of his ward, all linked to drugs and some of them violent.
"For people who live in the area, it's really, really frightening," he told the meeting. "I remember when I started as a councillor noise was a big thing. Now I'm not saying that doesn't matter, of course it does, but it seems to be getting more and more extreme as more and more people downward spiral, with mental health and alcohol issues."
Councillor Janis McDonald, Labour member for Paisley Northwest, said many of the complaints she deals with are about the smell of cannabis, which can spread through a whole block of flats and leave families worried about their children breathing it in. "I think that's something that's going to grow," she said.
Calls for an outside view
Cllr McDonald also asked officers to consider independent monitoring of how the strategy is delivered. "Marking our own homework and self-assessment is really good, but at this stage with this issue it would be useful to have some sort of external view," she said.
Gerard Hannah, the council's head of climate, public protection and roads, said that sounded like "an entirely valid thing to do" and that it was a matter of finding the right point to carry it out.
Antisocial behaviour can be reported to Renfrewshire Council's community safety team, or to Police Scotland on 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.