Local community groups and elected councillors have come together in support of making community buses a reality in Renfrewshire.

The Renfrewshire Community Transport Group received £25,000 funding for the creation of a sustainable business case to bring community buses to the area from Renfrewshire Council’s Sustainable Communities Fund.

The Community Transport Group will examine the feasibility of operating costs and resources required to run the service, working with a transport consultant.

This comes at a time when the council's review of public transport provision is nearing completion.

Cllr Robert Innes, deputy convenor of Housing and Communities, said: “I am really pleased to see the Renfrewshire Community Transport Group successfully applying to the Sustainable Communities Fund, projects like this are exactly what this investment in our community is for.

“For too long our bus services have been stripped back to the point that in some areas people are truly isolated because of public transport.

"With an ageing population in Renfrewshire this should definitely be a focus not just for now but for the future.”

Lesley Compston, from Renfrewshire Community Transport, said: "We are excited about the prospect of Renfrewshire to have a sustainable community transport system.

"We can now make progress with our plans and push on to establish a much-needed community bus service."

Councillor Andy Steel described the bus service Renfrewshire as appalling, stating that anything to improve that should be encouraged.

Councillor Steel said: “We have been looking at creating community transport in Renfrewshire for a while now, and there are great ideas and enthusiasm to take this forward.

"It really is heartening to see the Community Transport Group awarded this funding to continue working towards making our communities more accessible.

“My hope is that this funding from Renfrewshire Council will help the group and that this project can be something to look forward to for the area.”

The Sustainable Communities Fund supports the development of sustainable projects that will improve community collaboration, health and wellbeing, local spaces, economic development, biodiversity and the environment.