Aberdeen proceeds with plans to tackle 'ridiculous' Travellers problem - Aberdeenshire

From STV

Aberdeen council chiefs are proceeding with plans to tackle rogue Travellers, amidst claims that a record number of caravans have descended on the city this week.

Willie Young, the Labour group's finance convener, told STV Local that a report will be presented to the full council on May 1, designed to help the local authority and the police by introducing a new bylaw which will make illegal camping a criminal offence.

Mr Young branded the situation "pathetic" and "ridiculous", claiming that up to 70 caravans have parked at seven unauthorised sites across Aberdeen in the last week, with nobody able to remove them under current regulations.

Mr Young said: "This problem has been getting worse and worse, because nobody in the last administration was willing to tackle it and it is moving out of control.

"A report will be put before the council on May 1, and our aim is to make illegal camping a criminal and not just a civil offence.

"We recognise that it's not a one-way street and we want to provide a site for legitimate Travellers. Nor are we criticising the majority of people who are moving from place to place.

"But, in recent months, we have had several cases of Travellers just dumping their rubbish and leaving others to deal with it. That is not acceptable and we have address it."

"I can't pre-empt what will be in the report, but I would hope that other councillors realise that we cannot simply allow this situation to continue, because it is not going to go away."

However, the SNP's Callum McCaig heaped scorn on the proposals.

He said: "The chances of Aberdeen City Council successfully implementing a by-law on this issue is incredibly small.

"Travellers are a minority protected by a combination of EU, UK and Scottish legislation. This will make drafting a by-law that would criminalise them virtually impossible.

"By their very nature, illegal encampments are against the law, so I struggle to see what benefit there would be from introducing a local by-law to reinforce that.

"The council administration said very recently that the solution to such encampments was for the creation of official halting sites.

"Whilst that will undoubtedly be a difficult process, that is the only way the council will be able to solve this issue."