But questions were raised about how the investment would benefit Johnstone and other towns and villages in the county.

At the heart of the move is an ambition to enhance Paisley’s heritage infrastructure in the hope it will boost tourism and attract further business to the town and Renfrewshire as a whole.

However, Johnstone North, Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch representative Cllr Andy Doig, SNP, had a particular bee in his bonnet about what he perceived to be a failure to allocate sufficient funds to his ward. He accused the Labour administration of “talking the talk without walking the walk” by failing to support all of Renfrewshire.

He said: “In the last two and a half years they’ve voted down a Johnstone Development Trust, they’ve voted down extending the retail incubator scheme to Johnstone — although they belatedly accepted it — they voted down area assistance status for Cartside and Johnstone, they’ve failed to get any new capital projects for Johnstone as part of the City Deal, unlike Paisley and Renfrew.

“Where is the new money for Johnstone, where are the big ticket, the big new capital projects? Johnstone Labour’s feeble five seem to have lost their voice as well. When we were in administration, we put £14m into Johnstone town hall that Labour voted against, £11m into Johnstone High that Labour voted against, £6m for the Johnstone Sports Hub that Labour voted against, £10m into housing investment along with SNP Government support that Labour voted against.” He went on to welcome the £1m capital investment earmarked for parking at Johnstone train station and he noted what he described as a “paltry” £370,000 for the regeneration of shops at Spateston.

Cllr Jim Sharkey, Paisley East and Ralston, hit back by pointing out that the SNP’s budget proposal didn’t specify any Johnstone projects.

He said: “It’s interesting that in the big long list that Cllr Doig gave of all the new Johnstone items that he’d like considered, he actually shoots himself in the foot with his argument because not one of those items actually appears in the two pages that the SNP have put forward. In fact he is only willing to congratulate us on the bits that are in the bigger budget, the 77 pages that we will generally agree on.” His Labour colleague Cllr Christoper Gilmour, Johnstone North, Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch, also weighed in pointing out that Johnstone wasn’t mentioned in the SNP’s budget proposal.

Referring to previous decisions made under the former SNP/Lib Dem administration, he added: “They are totally embarrassed about their slash and burn policy in Johnstone and now through weasel words they are trying to make up for it through falsification. The fact is Cllr Doig, you destroyed Johnstone.” But questions were raised about how the investment would benefit Johnstone and other towns and villages in the county.

At the heart of the move is an ambition to enhance Paisley’s heritage infrastructure in the hope it will boost tourism and attract further business to the town and Renfrewshire as a whole.

However, Johnstone North, Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch representative Cllr Andy Doig, SNP, had a particular bee in his bonnet about what he perceived to be a failure to allocate sufficient funds to his ward. He accused the Labour administration of “talking the talk without walking the walk” by failing to support all of Renfrewshire.

He said: “In the last two and a half years they’ve voted down a Johnstone Development Trust, they’ve voted down extending the retail incubator scheme to Johnstone — although they belatedly accepted it — they voted down area assistance status for Cartside and Johnstone, they’ve failed to get any new capital projects for Johnstone as part of the City Deal, unlike Paisley and Renfrew.

“Where is the new money for Johnstone, where are the big ticket, the big new capital projects? Johnstone Labour’s feeble five seem to have lost their voice as well. When we were in administration, we put £14m into Johnstone town hall that Labour voted against, £11m into Johnstone High that Labour voted against, £6m for the Johnstone Sports Hub that Labour voted against, £10m into housing investment along with SNP Government support that Labour voted against.” He went on to welcome the £1m capital investment earmarked for parking at Johnstone train station and he noted what he described as a “paltry” £370,000 for the regeneration of shops at Spateston.

Cllr Jim Sharkey, Paisley East and Ralston, hit back by pointing out that the SNP’s budget proposal didn’t specify any Johnstone projects.

He said: “It’s interesting that in the big long list that Cllr Doig gave of all the new Johnstone items that he’d like considered, he actually shoots himself in the foot with his argument because not one of those items actually appears in the two pages that the SNP have put forward. In fact he is only willing to congratulate us on the bits that are in the bigger budget, the 77 pages that we will generally agree on.” His Labour colleague Cllr Christoper Gilmour, Johnstone North, Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch, also weighed in pointing out that Johnstone wasn’t mentioned in the SNP’s budget proposal.

Referring to previous decisions made under the former SNP/Lib Dem administration, he added: “They are totally embarrassed about their slash and burn policy in Johnstone and now through weasel words they are trying to make up for it through falsification. The fact is Cllr Doig, you destroyed Johnstone.”