AN ambitious plan drawn up four years ago to breathe new life into Erskine town centre has “completely lost momentum,” a councillor claims.

Councillor Tom Begg, who represents the town, hit out at Renfrewshire Council’s administration for not pushing the blueprint forward since seizing power from Labour three years ago.

Back in 2016, a charrette – a planning forum open to the public – was held where residents and businesses met with council officers to discuss issues facing the town centre and develop proposals for improvement.

A report commissioned by Renfrewshire Council and the Scottish Government was then produced, which contained several ideas for reviving Erskine.

These included plans for a central public outdoor space between the Morrisons and Aldi stores for events, a new indoor community space, parkland and activities along the riverside and more affordable housing.

Councillor Begg is now urging SNP councillors to reopen discussions on the proposals so Erskine can be given a “vibrant” town centre.

He said: “There was a lot of people in Erskine and the surrounding area who put a lot of time into the charrette, with bold visions to create a vibrant town centre.

“However, since the SNP has been in charge, there has been absolutely no momentum behind the project and residents could be forgiven for forgetting it ever happened.

“With more homes being built in Erskine, we need to do all we can to attract people to live here and creating a sustainable town centre, with a variety of attractions, would be a significant way forward.”

Councillor Begg highlighted that Erskine is in the top 50 towns in Scotland in terms of population but he feels it doesn’t have a comparable centre to places such as Johnstone, Troon and Kilwinning, which are of a similar size.

The charrette found the town centre had the “basic essentials” but was regarded as old-fashioned and unattractive.

People also said there wasn’t much for young people, other than the Kilpatrick Drive sports centre.

A council spokesman said: “The work and projects identified through the charrette process, along with the formally-approved Local Development Plan, provide a framework for Erskine that the council and partners continuously use as a means of identifying and delivering appropriate investment and development in the town.”

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