The illegal St Cyrus Travellers’ site grew in size even as a council committee met to discuss its future, a neighbouring resident has claimed.
A large static caravan arrived at the site near the Angus and Aberdeenshire border as the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee discussed two retrospective planning applications on Tuesday.
The committee recommended that planning permission for the site which is now home to more than 60 children be refused on the basis of flooding concerns.
A final decision on the planning applications will be taken by Aberdeenshire Council next month.
The resident said: “We couldn’t believe it when a large mobile home arrived. This is now the fourth one on the site. They are continuing to act as if they are above the law.”
North Esk Park was established in September 2013 and quickly developed into a site with roads and lighting which was home to around 20 caravans surrounded by a 1.8 metre fence.
After several delays, which saw two retrospective planning applications made and then withdrawn, the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee finally were able to give their views 18 months after the development started. They voted to refuse permission by eight votes to two.
The owners of the property adjacent to the site said they were pleased at the committee’s decision and that they hoped the full meeting of Aberdeenshire Council would also reject the scheme.
Kathleen Smith, of Eskview Farm, said: “We’ve got to wait until full council. Until all 68 councillors have sat down and refused it, we won’t be happy.
“It’s supposed to be considered like any other planning application but we don’t think it has been. I think the council is going over the top because it’s Travellers if it was anyone else it would have been thrown out by now on the basis of Sepa objections.”
Mrs Smith added: “I know there’s a need for Travellers’ sites, but is there a need for one here when there’s one three miles away in Montrose?”