Battle lines drawn in St Cyrus Travellers’ site dispute - Aberdeenshire

From the Courier

The battle lines have been drawn in a fiery dispute between Mearns residents and the occupants of a Travellers’ site.

A month-long dispute over illegal building works started near the St Cyrus Nature Reserve has sent shockwaves through the nearby village.

Residents reacted in anger after a patch of private land was flattened and work to build a Gypsy/Traveller caravan site was started without planning permission.

Aberdeenshire Council placed a stop notice on the site and obtained an interim interdict from Stonehaven Sheriff Court, prohibiting any further work.

Villagers turned out in force at a St Cyrus Community Council meeting to register their feelings against the work after a retrospective application for planning permission was submitted to Aberdeenshire Council by the Traveller group.

Aberdeenshire Council’s director of infrastructure services, Stephen Archer, said: “We are in the process of applying to the court for a full interdict. In the meantime, the interim interdict against further building work on the St Cyrus site remains in place.

“The time limit for the developer to lodge a notice of intention to defend has passed, without any such notice being lodged.

“The period within which public comment on the planning application can be accepted closed on October 24.”

The hot topic could come before the authority’s infrastructure services after a number of representations were made to the council’s planning team.

Among their concerns, residents have listed fears over the impact a new development could have on the already strained school roll at St Cyrus Primary School and the detrimental impact the site could have on the nearby nature reserve.

Village resident Paula Beveridge said: “I object to this proposal as it is very close to the nature reserve and a site of scientific interest. I feel it is unfair to have a development like that so close to where the birds are nesting.

“I am extremely surprised to see the land has already been flattened and there are several caravans parked there, even although planning permission has not yet been granted.”

The Kincardine and Mearns area education office also expressed “serious concerns” for the school’s capacity should the development go ahead.

Hazel Hall, business support officer for the office said: “The current roll of St Cyrus is 139. The school has very limited space at some stages and is only six pupils short of capacity overall.

“It is unknown what number and turnover of pupils would likely come from a development of this type.

“We would have serious concerns about the capacity for St Cyrus school to cope with additional and fluctuating pupil numbers across the age stages.”

However, despite the objections, support for the application has also been registered on the council planning site.

One letter, submitted in support of the Travellers, has quoted extensively from local, national and international policies, including the Human Rights Act, which are aimed at addressing the needs and rights of Gypsy/Traveller communities.

The letter states: “This application has the potential to deliver on the well-documented recommendations for permanent, private, Gypsy/Traveller sites as a means to addressing the shortfall of pitches in the North East of Scotland.

“Further, the proposed site would enable Aberdeenshire Council, as a human rights bearer, to meet its obligations (to minority ethnic groups, particularly but not exclusively, the children and young people).”

Mr Archer added: “We are still awaiting responses from a number of statutory consultees.

“Only once these consultation responses have been received will the planning service be in a position to make a recommendation and confirm what route the application will take for determination.”