Dundee Travellers bill ‘ridiculous’

From the tele.co.uk

Dundee City Council was forced into action 10 times this year to deal with Traveller groups.

In the last 12 months, Travellers set up camp on six pieces of public land — some more than once — and the bill for eviction or to clean the sites ran well into five figures.

Residents have branded it “ridiculous” and called for more powers for councils to deal with illicit Traveller encampments in the city, but there have also been calls for better promotion of an official Traveller site north of Dundee.

A Freedom Of Information request showed that the 12-month bill for the city council was £19,000. Costs included: £8,500 for three visits by Travellers to Charles Bowman Avenue in Claverhouse; £4,500 for one visit to nearby Jack Martin Way; £1,000 for two visits to Mariner Drive; £1,500 for two encampments on South Road; and £3,500 for a camp at Riverside.

However, encampments adjacent to the Riverside pavilion had no cost as the Travellers cleared the site themselves. Figures for 2011/12 were not recorded, but the cost to the council in 2010/11 totalled £13,084.45. Claverhouse resident Alan Stewart said: “There’s not a lot of money about in this day and age. It’s just too much money coming out of people’s pockets. Whenever they pull back in, we should say, ‘you’re not stopping there’.

“The council has all the time in the world to get some kind of law laid down.”

Fintry resident Ron Neave, who chairs the local community council, said: “I think the figures are ridiculous and there should be something getting done about it. Councillors have been trying to do something, but it seems they’ve got to go through the courts and that seems to be what takes the time.”

Andrew McBride, chairman of West End Community Council, said: “It’s ridiculous. It’s quite shocking and scandalous. The problem is that council officers have a terrible time as they have got to keep going to the court. I do feel sorry for them because they’re trying to do their best.”

West End councillor Fraser Macpherson said the city was not ‘anti-Traveller’, but urged Travellers to use the official council site at Balmuir Wood, Tealing.

He said: “Dundee City Council provides a properly-serviced site for the Travelling community. There’s a real need to promote that within the Travelling community to avoid these sorts of illicit encampments in the future. It’s not that the people of Dundee are remotely anti-Traveller, but we provide well-serviced facilities at Tealing.”

Dundee environment convener Craig Melville said: “We have been trying to get to grips with this, but there’s only so much the local authority can do. We are trying to come up with a policy which will have the least impact on the council tax payer and is the most appropriate thing for the environment. These people give Travellers a bad name. It’s not fair on the majority of them.”

Cheryl-Ann Cruickshank, Shelter Scotland national services manager, said: “Shelter Scotland has over the last four years developed deep knowledge of working with Travellers and understands many complexities associated with engaging with these communities.

“We acknowledge the site provision that Dundee has made, but this site does not fully meet the needs of all the Traveller communities. There are challenges around access to appropriate transit facilities for this particularly marginalised group.

“For any Travellers experiencing difficulties, Shelter Scotland can offer expert advice via our free National Helpline on 0808 800 4444.

“We would like to work with Dundee City Council in order to find the best solution for supporting Travellers.”

Pitches available

There are about 500 pitches available for Travellers on 32 council-run sites across Scotland, according to the charity Shelter Scotland.

Dundee’s council-run Traveller site, at Balmuir Wood, Tealing, is about six miles to the north of Dundee.

The purpose-built caravan park has 20 individual pitches, each with its own utility unit, a hook-up facility for electricity and hard standing for parking caravans and other vehicles.

There is also a children’s play area.

Pitches can be rented on a long-term basis or visitors can stay for just a few weeks.

Those using the site may be able to claim housing benefit to help pay for the rent of the pitch.

Other local services available to site residents include weekly refuse collections, the local doctor’s surgery and the primary school at Tealing.

It’s illegal for Travellers to park vehicles and caravans on roads, verges or a lay-by that could be a danger to other road users; on enclosed plantations or cultivated land (such as farms); or on private land without the consent of the owner.

The council has the right to evict Travellers from an unauthorised site on council land if their presence is causing serious problems or the council needs the land for something else.

The local authority also has the right to remove anyone who lives in a vehicle and does not have permission to be on the land they’re parked on.