A report into the unauthorised Travellers’ site at St Cyrus is expected to be submitted by the end of March.
North East Conservative MSP Liam Kerr demanded a firm date for the publication of Rob Huntley’s findings as locals continue to wait for an outcome following his visit to North Esk Park three months ago.
Mr Huntley’s site visit came after Scottish Ministers called in a retrospective application for planning permission when flooding issues were raised by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
The Scottish Government has now told Mr Kerr that Mr Huntley “anticipates” that he will be able to submit his report by the end of March.
However, the report will not be made available to the general public until Scottish Ministers issue their final decision.
Mr Kerr said: “I am pleased that the reporter has recognised the urgency of this situation for those affected and responded quickly to my letter.
“Those living near this site will at least now have some degree of certainty that they will not have to wait for much longer.
“This represents some light at the end of the tunnel, but they should not have had to wait this long.
“I hope that the Scottish Government, upon receiving this report, does not cause any further delay in making the findings public.
“Whatever the outcome, it is only fair on the local residents to have this resolved as quickly as possible.”
One resident described being “trapped in an existence of fear” and unable to eat or sleep which was causing anxiety to the point of suffering panic attacks.
North Esk Park has substantially expanded since the first temporary homes appeared in September 2013, and Aberdeenshire councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of granting permission for the creation of an official halting and touring site in April.
The owners applied for retrospective permission, which was approved due to a lack of other sites for Travellers in the council’s Kincardine and Mearns ward.
But the application was called in after SEPA confirmed the site had flooded in 2002, 2012, 2013 and in the aftermath of Storm Frank on December 30, 2015, when residents had to leave their caravans because of rising water levels.
Once Ministers issue their decision in due course the decision is final, but any aggrieved party can appeal to the Court of Session within six weeks.
