A project aimed at tackling the spread of invasive non-native plants along Renfrewshire’s rich riverbanks has been welcomed by elected members.

The Restoring Renfrewshire’s Rivers initiative, which sees volunteers work with council biodiversity officers to tackle the damaging effects of specific species, is now under way.

The local authority has secured £350,000 from the Scottish Government’s nature restoration fund to deliver the ambitious programme.

The project is focused on removing five species – Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed, rhododendron, Himalayan balsam and American skunk cabbage  – from Calder Burn, Dargavel Burn, Locher Water, Old Patrick Water and Sergeant Law Burn.

Councillor Chris Gilmour, Labour group environment spokesperson and representative for Johnstone North and the surrounding villages, said at last Wednesday’s infrastructure, land and environment policy board: “I welcome that and I think they’ve got a hard job personally. I think we all do.

“People who are living in the village of Lochwinnoch and even in our towns, we can see the spread of Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam, which is very clear come this time of year. You can see it all the way down the riverbanks.

“It will be good to see how that goes and I wish them all the very best.”

The five identified species grow alongside watercourses, producing an abundance of seeds that spread by wind and water.

They are large and fast-growing and can easily dominate the riverbanks, replacing species-rich, native plants.

These non-native plants die back each winter, exposing the riverbank soil and increasing the flood risk.

Volunteers will participate in a specialist certified training course to ensure they have the knowledge, skills and qualifications to help protect, identify and properly remove the invasive non-native plants.

Councillor Michelle Campbell, board convener and SNP representative for Erskine and Inchinnan, said the project had been met with enthusiasm from members of the public.

She added: “I know that the council and council officers do acknowledge when people do voluntary work but this formalisation and giving skills so that it can be done effectively and also to help those volunteers to feel appreciated, not just by platitudes but by action, I think is a really important thing.

“In particular with the Ren Zero policy that’s come in, it’s meaningless unless we actually have action attached to it, so I’m really pleased to see that come in.”