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Demolition work on a former food store in Johnstone is gathering pace as part of a major regeneration project aimed at transforming the town centre.

The Houstoun Court building, commonly known as the old Presto, is being flattened by contractors as work continues on the site.

The demolition has been described as marking “the end of an era” for the town, with the building having been a familiar feature of Johnstone town centre for decades.

The works form a key part of plans to create two new business units, alongside a green link connecting Houstoun Square and Ludovic Square.

Renfrewshire Council approved the appointment of Greenock-based contractor Caskie to carry out the demolition at a meeting of its finance, resources and customer services policy board more than three months ago.

The demolition contract has a total value of £262,305.57, excluding VAT. The figure includes the contract sum and contingency funding.

Funding for the project comes from two sources. A total of £200,000 has been allocated through the Scottish Government’s Place-Based Investment Programme, while a further £62,305.57 comes from town centre regeneration funding approved by Renfrewshire Council in March 2022.

As the former food store disappears, attention will now turn to the next stage of the regeneration plans and the proposed changes to the heart of Johnstone town centre.