Aberdeenshire Council’s decision to grant consent to a vast Travellers site which was built without planning permission has “effectively rendered the planning system in Scotland redundant” according to a North East MSP.
Alex Johnstone described the controversial decision regarding North Esk Park in St Cyrus as “utterly disgraceful”.
The matter has now been referred to Scottish ministers and Mr Johnstone has already contacted the cabinet secretary for communities to ask for ways that local objectors can make their views known.
Travellers arrived suddenly at the beauty spot in September 2013 and started constructing fences and walls.
Despite warnings from SEPA that the site lies on a flood plain, it was given retrospective planning permission last month by 41 to 24.
One of the main arguments for the site to remain was that Aberdeenshire Council had failed to provide any other Travellers site in Kincardine and the Mearns.
Mr Johnstone said: “Are we now in the position where people can simply build whatever they want and then play a waiting game for the council to cave in and grant permission?
“In my view, local residents who are affected by this development, and who have justifiably objected to it, are paying the price for years of failure by the council to provide an appropriate site.
“It is shocking that the council have simply thrown in the towel and walked away.
“I do welcome the fact that this will now go before ministers, and I have already written to the Scottish Government asking for guidance on how objectors can continue to make their voices heard.”
Mr Johnstone has called on the Government to reverse the decision by Aberdeenshire Council and to provide assistance to the local authority to restore the land to its previous condition.
“The Scottish Government themselves have talked a good job about Gypsy/Traveller sites, but in reality this has not translated into support for local authorities to provide them and this situation is an example of the repercussions of this,” he added.
In his letter to the Government, Mr Johnstone describes Aberdeenshire Council’s planning processes as “extraordinarily protracted” and noted that during the time taken that a considerable amount of construction took place illegally.
There were more than 40 objections to the planning permission application as well as concerns raised by SEPA and the council’s own environmental health and flooding and coast protection team.
Councillors also considered an alternative flood risk analysis completed by a consultant on behalf of the applicant in reaching their majority decision.
