Residents hit out at new Travellers’ camp in Dundee

From thetele.co.uk

A Travellers encampment has been set up in a Dundee industrial estate.

Local residents have hit out at the reappearance of an unauthorised camp at Charles Bowman Avenue.

Nearly a dozen caravans have set up on a patch of land in the Claverhouse area — where last year, over 150 tonnes of rubbish were dumped, costing taxpayers £13,000 to clean up.

Alan Stewart, who lives near the site off Charles Bowman Avenue, said neighbours were fearful the occupation could lead to rubbish being left again.

“They came on Thursday — about 10 caravans — using a gap in the trees,” he said.

“I don’t know how long these guys are going to be here.”

The stretch of land, which is a favourite spot amongst children and dog walkers, has been hit by a number of unauthorised camps in recent years.

Last April, two camps moved between Charles Bowman Avenue and nearby Jack Martin Way before officials went through the courts to win clearance to evict them.

Yet upon their dismissal, residents were left fuming by the 150 tonnes of rubbish left strewn across the land — including broken TVs, used gas cylinders and even two abandoned caravans.

City council environment convener Craig Melville said the mess took scores of council workers an entire day to clear up.

And Lord Provost Bob Duncan said he was “totally disgusted” by the mess.

In November, the caravans returned to Jack Martin Way — and were served an eviction notice by sheriffs after a week on the site. Similar camps were also set up at the city’s technology park and at sites in the West End.

Mr Stewart said neighbours are growing fed up with the unauthorised use of the site, and also the council’s inability to deter camps from being set up on the land.

“These guys shouldn’t just be allowed to pull in,” he said.

“There’s been barricades put up, but they just do it anyway — and to me, that’s breaking and entering.

“It’s just really upsetting to see someone blow into your town and just disrespect everything and everyone in it.”

Dundee City Council operates an official site for Travellers at Balmuir Wood.