Renfrewshire Council is moving towards the compulsory purchase of two privately owned shop units as part of the regeneration of the Howwood Road area in Johnstone.
The council’s Communities and Housing Policy Board agreed on Tuesday 18th August to give authority for a compulsory purchase order to be pursued if voluntary agreements cannot be reached with the owners.
The properties are at 44 and 46 Highcraig Avenue. They form part of four existing commercial units earmarked for demolition under the approved regeneration plans. The other two units were already owned by the council when the project began.
The council report said the condition and appearance of the Highcraig Avenue shops “continue to be a cause of blight to the area”.
Attempts have been made to reach voluntary agreements with the owners of the two remaining privately owned units.
The report said: “Despite repeated efforts to engage with the remaining private owners, voluntary agreement has not yet been forthcoming.”
It added that authority for a compulsory purchase order was being sought to allow demolition plans to continue in line with the regeneration programme.
The wider Howwood Road regeneration is already progressing. Improvement work is planned across 24 blocks of four cottage flats, all 16 council-owned bungalows and two terraced houses.
Photo: Howwood Road regeneration is underway.
Photo Credit: Renfrewshire News
Construction of new council homes is also under way, with the first homes expected to be handed over towards the end of 2026 or early 2027. The housing allocation process for the first phase has started.
Council plans show 70 social rented homes on the first Howwood Road site, with the development currently expected to be completed in March 2027. The homes include 11 one-bedroom, 26 two-bedroom, 19 three-bedroom and 14 properties with four or more bedrooms.
Speaking at the meeting, Councillor McMillan welcomed the move towards compulsory purchase and called for shops to be included in the regenerated area.
He said: “I am delighted to see that we are finally moving to our CPO. As Jennifer McLaren mentioned, the shops in the Howwood Road scheme are in a sorry state, and it looks even worse now that all the new houses have been built around it.
“I am glad that that is moving along. I reiterate what I said at the policy board meeting. I would be particularly pleased to see a shop or shops in the Howwood Road scheme.
“I know that there is potential—and I say that because nothing has happened yet—for a new shop across the road, but it is not within the Howwood Road scheme. I hope that we do everything in our power to attract, whether in existing businesses or new businesses, at least a couple of shops in Howwood Road.”
He added: “Obviously, there are a lot of safety barriers up and all the rest of it, so I could only see so much, but it seems to be coming on very well. A local chap who puts it on Facebook has aerial shots of how it is going on, and it looks really good.”
Image above and headline image:The two privately owned shop units at Highcraig Avenue, Johnstone, which Renfrewshire Council is seeking to acquire as part of the Howwood Road regeneration programme.