Renfrewshire Council has awarded a contract worth almost £1 million to JH Civil Engineering for the construction of a new walking and cycling route linking the town centres of Renfrew and Paisley.

Running parallel to the White Cart, the 5km route will begin on the banks of the River Clyde at the Renfrew Ferry where it will be able to connect into the new two-lane road bridge over the River Clyde to Clydebank and Yoker with its construction starting next year as part of the area's Glasgow City Region City Deal investment.

From Renfrew, it will work its way through the town centre behind the Town Hall, travel via Robertson and Knockhill Park, before following the former railway track between Wright Street in Renfrew and Abercorn Street in Paisley.

It will then cross the newly reopened White Cart Footbridge at Abercorn Street into the town centre, before finishing at Paisley Gilmour Street train station.

The route will provide a safe cycling and walking route between the two town centres for the first time in decades and will provide access to Westway Park, West College Scotland and the former Chivas site - the proposed location of the new Paisley Grammar community campus.

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It will also connect to walking and cycling routes around the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS), including a new bridge across the White Cart river connecting into Arran Avenue and Glasgow Airport.

Work is set to begin on the route in late February with the route aimed for completion by the end of 2022.

Councillor Cathy McEwan, Convener of Renfrewshire Council's Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: "This new cycle route will be a fantastic link between Renfrew and Paisley's town centres, and I'm delighted that we've been able to award the contract for its construction.

"Ensuring that local people can walk, wheel or cycle throughout Renfrewshire is a key aim of this Council as we look to encourage people to leave their cars, get active and live healthier lives - which also supports our climate change ambitions by reducing emissions.

"Construction will begin early next year, and I look forward to seeing its progress throughout 2022 as we create a key link between the two towns for the first time in decades."

The route design is a main priority of the Renfrewshire Cycling Strategy 2016-2025 and was awarded £935,000 as one of 12 projects to receive funding from the Scottish Government's Clyde Mission Fund.

Formalised in the Programme for Government set out by the Scottish Government in September 2020, the Clyde Mission Fund offers £11.2million to local authorities in the Clyde Corridor to put the river at the heart of the area's place ambitions.

Successful projects have to contribute to inclusive economic growth, reduce carbon emissions or improve the environment, involve partners and communities in the project and show a real benefit to the local community.