The decision to grant an unauthorised Mearns Travellers site planning permission is still not in the hands of Scottish Ministers.
The notification is still being prepared and has taken longer than expected due to the need by the Scottish Government to receive full proposed conditions of approval.
It is hoped that the notification for the vast Travellers site at North Esk Park in St Cyrus should be in the hands of the Scottish Government “within the next week or so”.
Once received and considered valid by the Scottish Government, it has a maximum of 28 days to assess and decide if they wish to call-in the controversial application.
If they decide to call it in then they would proceed to determine the application which could be through the submission of written information, a hearing or even a public inquiry.
North East Scotland Conservative MSP Alex Johnstone said: “I share the frustration of objectors that this saga continues to drag on, and I am disappointed that it is taking so long to get this into the hands of the Scottish Government.
“It seems obvious to me that this case raises issues of national importance and must be called in by the Minister.
“I am personally of the view that this issue is of such significance, that a simple review of documentation is not appropriate, and that a Hearing or a Public Inquiry are the only ways to examine the sequence of events and allow objectors to have their voices heard.”
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 in April by 41 votes 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.
The notification can only include the information that was available to the full council at the time of the consideration of the application.
If the application is called-in then relevant parties will likely be able to table submissions, including residents and emergency services, as they see fit.
The occupants of the site in St Cyrus had faced eviction before Aberdeenshire Council’s surprise decision to grant retrospective planning permission.
More than 40 people objected to the plans as well as the council’s own flooding and coast protection team which said the permitting the site would “result in significant risk to lives and property”.
