A public dispute over a developing Travellers’ settlement in St Cyrus could take months to resolve.
Aberdeenshire Council chiefs have warned concerned residents procedures must be followed as the authority deals with a retrospective planning application for a Traveller/Gypsy caravan site near the nature reserve.
Speaking at the St Cyrus Community Council meeting on Tuesday, William Munro, Kincardine and Mearns area manager said: “The initial process of contacting statutory consultees could take two months.
“It is a statutory requirement to determine a planning application within eight weeks. If there are five or more objections, or if the community council objects, it would come before the council.
“If it is refused by officers the applicant has a right of appeal, which is heard by the local review body and if the council asks for it to go to the area committee and they refuse it again, then there is a right of appeal to the Scottish Government.
“If it’s approved that’s it. There is no other recourse for objection. It has to run through and we don’t want to pre-judge this.
“It takes time and we do need to let the planning application run through the process, so what’s there at the site at the moment will be there for some time.”
More than 10 caravans pitched up on private land at Nether Warburton near St Cyrus more than two weeks ago. Within days the land was flattened and the foundations of a new caravan site were laid.
Worried neighbours contacted Aberdeenshire Council to express their concerns and the authority placed a temporary stop notice on the site.
The council also applied to Stonehaven Sheriff Court for an interim interdict but a spokesman for the authority confirmed it considers the interdict has been breached.
A review hearing is set to take place today, where the council will apply for the temporary stop notice to be made permanent. A strong turnout of local residents at the community council meeting underlined the depth of public concern.
Villagers said they were worried about flooding, the impact on the environment, road access and a potential impact on the St Cyrus Primary School roll should the planning application be approved.
One St Cyrus resident at the meeting said: “The application says it is for 10 caravans but with the scale of that site it could be 10 times that.
“The site falls within the St Cyrus Primary School catchment area but it is currently close to maximum capacity.
“If families move into the site it could push that number up and the current housing development nearby may have to be included as well. They may not be able to take any more than what’s already proposed.”
Mr Munro said Aberdeenshire Council was obliged to educate any child presented at one of its schools.