Scotland’s social justice minister has been told to intervene in the “outrageous saga” of an illegal Mearns Travellers’ site.
North East MSP Alex Johnstone has accused the Travellers of deliberate delaying tactics by “relentlessly” submitting retrospective planning applications.
He was speaking after it emerged that a fresh retrospective application at the St Cyrus site has now been validated by Aberdeenshire Council.
Mr Johnstone has written to Alex Neil MSP and told him he was extremely disappointed in the way the situation has “dragged on”.
He said: “It isn’t fair on nearby residents and, by the time this process is over, I suspect the costs for the council, and thereby the taxpayer will be astronomical.
“Some objectors I have spoken with feel that the system is loaded against them and that the amount of work that has been done on the site means there will be a presumption in favour of site residents and owners.
“I can empathise with this view, and those affected by the illegal work done on the site must have their voices heard,” he said.
“Relentlessly submitting applications and appeals smacks of deliberate obfuscation.
“The council, and the Scottish Government need to expedite this process and get it resolved.
“That is why I have written to the minister asking for action. This relentless process must be brought to a conclusion.”
Three Travellers appealed the enforcement notices to the Scottish Government in October and they were told that a site inspection would be carried out.
After lodging the latest retrospective planning permission application with Aberdeenshire Council, an attempt was made to delay the Reporter’s site inspection until after the application was considered by the local authority.
However, the Reporter decided that a new attempt to gain planning permission was not sufficient grounds to delay the inspection and this was carried out at the site at Nether Warburton, known as North Esk Park.
The site, thought to be home to around 120 people, borders St Cyrus Nature Reserve.
Work on the site started suddenly in September 2013 after several caravans and equipment arrived.
Fences and walls were put up without planning permission and more and more caravans arrived.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said they would not comment on the issue as it was a “live appeal”.