Renfrewshire Council has invested £250,000 in establishing the Historic Buildings in Villages Grants.

There are three grants available to help owners maintain and repair their village buildings built before 1945 to the appropriate conservation and heritage standard.

Maintenance Planning Grants will support owners to commission a conservation-accredited advisor to survey their property and prepare a costed maintenance plan, covering 80% of eligible costs up to £1,500.

There are also two repair grants, a Small Repairs Grant covering up to 60% of eligible costs for repairs between £3,000 and £8,000 and a Standard Repairs Grant up to 50% of eligible costs for repairs over £8,000 up to a maximum award of £25,000.

Councillor Andy Steel, convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Economy and Regeneration Policy Board said: “Renfrewshire villages are packed with historic buildings, including many within designated conservation areas and hundreds with listed status.

“Historic buildings tend to have stone walls and slate roofs, which can make them harder to heat and more difficult to keep wind and watertight.

“We know that many of these historic village properties are people’s privately owned homes and often buildings are in shared ownership. Our grant scheme will support individual and shared owners to consider and prioritise the maintenance needed and help towards the repair costs to preserve them.”

The new scheme is open across 11 villages: Bishopton, Bridge of Weir, Brookfield, Crosslee, Elderslie, Houston, Howwood, Inchinnan, Kilbarchan, Langbank and Lochwinnoch.

Priority is being given to properties in village centres and applications from owners within the four designated conservation areas of Bridge of Weir, Houston, Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch.

The scheme will also focus on listed buildings, those at risk and consider whether the property is occupied or has a long-term sustainable function.

Applications to the Maintenance Planning grant are open until 29 January 2024 while the Small and Standard Repair grants close on 25 March 2024.

This new grant scheme builds on a highly successful, seven-year Townscape Heritage and Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (THCARS2) in Paisley town centre, which saw 10 extensive building repair projects and delivered education and training to 2600 people.

It also adds to more than £620,000 committed through Renfrewshire’s Villages Investment Fund which has supported 62 community groups so far.

This includes funding to enhance woodlands, establish plant and flower areas, create outdoor gyms and play parks, design murals and fund community festivals and events.

Councillor Steel added: “We want everyone to be proud of where they live and are committed to doing all we can to support community groups to deliver projects that matter most to them.

“These new grants are the latest investment in our villages and by helping to preserve these historic buildings, it will enhance how they look and strengthen the character, identity and heritage of our village communities.”