Major changes in legislation are required to tackle illegal camps of Gypsy Travellers, a leading Fife Council official has stated.
Derek Muir, head of housing and neighbourhood services in the region, says legal changes are necessary to “empower” Fife Council to evict Gypsy Travellers from private ground.
His words form part of a report prepared for a meeting of the council’s executive committee, and follow a recent incident in Glenrothes where an illegal Travellers’ site was established in an industrial estate.
As part of his report, Mr Muir also recommends small seasonal sites be established throughout the region from March to October, in an effort to prevent illegal camps from being established.
Acknowledging the possible concerns of the public, Mr Muir says such a policy would, however, allow the local authority to seek funding from outwith its own budgets.
“The change in direction to move away from stopover sites to short-term seasonal, permanent sites may prove controversial,” he said. “However, the council can move forward with a clear position on managing unauthorised encampments and the creation of seasonal sites.
“Fife would be in a position of strength to engage the Scottish Government to seek funding support.”
The summer tends to see a dramatic rise in the number of illegal camps established by Gypsy Travellers in Fife. Just weeks ago a large group of about 30 vehicles broke through a security fence at a derelict factory site in Eastfield, Glenrothes. The group had been removed hours beforehand from another illegal camp just miles away.
Legal powers in Scotland are different to those in England and Wales and Councillor Ross Vettraino admitted there was effectively nothing Fife Council could do to remove the group.
The local authority, however, has established a “co-operation policy” to help in its dealings with the Traveller community, although the working group acknowledges improvements are needed, particularly in relation to finding suitable alternatives to unauthorised camps.
However, without effective legislation and legal muscle behind it, Mr Muir says Fife Council is not on a level playing field when it comes to working with Traveller groups.
He adds: “The lack of an effective legal power for Scottish local authorities mitigates against the effective implementation of co-operation policies to improve the management of such encampments, and leads to conflict between all of our communities (Gypsy Traveller, residential and business).
“There is a need for change to ensure the council and Police Scotland can effectively deal with a minority of large unauthorised encampments on private land each year.
“The council should seek support from Cosla and Police Scotland to lobby the Scottish Government for a change to Scottish legislation, to align it with the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act in force in England and Wales.
“The need to change the Scottish legislation to empower the council to take effective action to manage unauthorised encampments on private land is accepted.
“The council, through Cosla, needs to urgently lobby for a change to the law to ensure that the Fife Co-operation Policy is implemented to assist all of the communities in Fife.”