Kingswells Community Council

14th September, 2007

Dear Kingswells Resident,

Consultation on Potential Halting Sites For Gypsy Travellers

As you may be aware Kingswells is one of the areas identified with what Aberdeen City Council (ACC) consider as suitable Halting Sites for Gypsy Travellers (GTs). Two areas have been identified: one at the upper part of the Park & Ride car park, and the other at the unused section of Old Skene Road.

Kingswells Community Council (KCC) wishes to provide residents with some information and the ability to lodge an objection. To use this pack cut off this letter, complete the two cards and sign and address. The cards can be folded and taped closed. Apply a stamp applicable to a normal sized letter and post for delivery before 21st September. Alternatively post in the box by the notice board, and KCC will deliver for you.

The consultation process is to identify 4 suitable sites from the 9 sites identified by ACC and the GTs as suitable sites. Last year Aberdeen had 28 unauthorised sites used by GTs. The thinking is that it would be more cost effective to have 4 permanent sites in Aberdeen that offer GTs a place where they could halt for a short time.

The sites would be equipped with a stand pipe to provide fresh water, basic toilet facilities and some wheelie bins to collect rubbish. The GTs would pay a rent for the use of these facilities. They would also be required to provide details of their identity which is not required with the use of unauthorised sites.

The halting site is a concept that the Scottish Executive will be providing grants for 70% match funding during 2008. ACC want to have halting sites for up to 40 caravans in place for the 2008 season. It is not clear if ACC will qualify for any funding assistance. It will then be one of two councils providing these facilities in Scotland. Evidence shows that provision of halting sites does not remove the need for unauthorised sites, but it does level out the requirement that is increasing in other areas without halting sites.

The Clinterty site has a capacity of 21 and 40 from the halting sites giving a total capacity of 61 in Aberdeen. This represents 11% of Scotland’s requirement during January 2007 and almost a three fold increase in the current capacity.

The provision of halting sites gives a Council the ability to offer users of unauthorised sites a choice of moving to a halting site with capacity or an eviction notice that is likely to be effective.
Where there is no capacity to move onto a halting site, the Council loses its ability to move GTs on quickly, and finds itself in the current situation.

In reality a halting site may be temporary from the point of view of the GTs, but is permanent from the settled community point of view.

All Councils have a legal requirement to provide services for GTs in their area. These include sites on which to live, education, health services and all the services provided to other residents in the area. There are several pieces of legislation that compel ACC to do this. KCC have presented arguments suggesting that this only applies to true Gypsy Travellers.

KCC have identified two alternative sites located in abandoned quarry sites. This will allow ACC to provide services to the travelling community without any major impact on any community.

Old Skene Road Objections

• Site is within 10m of existing community and will suffer the usual problems associated with this arrangement.
• Proximity of the GT site will affect the value of nearby houses, businesses and future development identified by the Local Plan. Compensation payments would be required.
• The site does not have a suitable entrance as the one used in previous years is not safe to use on a permanent basis, and the entrance through the village is impaired by current parking arrangement.
• Provision of site deprives community of a right of way used by walkers and joggers, and the loss of the cycleway between Westhill and Aberdeen.An alternative access would be required by a farmer to his fields, as the current access is blocked by the use of this site.
• The site will not be cost effective when compulsory purchase of the existing access and nearby land would be required. ACC would be introducing an unacceptable burden on nearby land owners if a permanent halting site were to be introduced.
• There are safety issues for children living so close to the A944.
• The site does not meet the requirement by the GT community to live some distance apart from the settled community.
• The site will be difficult to screen when seen from the Lang Stracht.
• Use of the alternative sites identified by KCC offers a better solution to ACC’s problems.

Park & Ride Objections

• Site is within 50m of existing community and will suffer the usual problems associated with this arrangement.
• Terms imposed when the site was bought prohibit the use of the site for housing of any kind.
• It is an inappropriate use of a facility costing £7.4m, (and £0.9m of Developer Contribution from Kingswells developments).
• The Aberdeen Transport Strategy is compromised.
• It is not safe for children to live in a carpark, and a suitable barrier would be required.
• Proximity of the GT site will affect the value of nearby houses. Compensation payments would be required.
• Provision of security staff at a cost of £1,000 per week is an inappropriate use of tax payer’s money.
• The site does not meet the requirement by the GT community to live some distance apart from the settled community.
• Extensive screening would be required to hide the site from the Cults Road.
• First Group is affected by the location of the current GT site, so it is fair to assume that this will be the case with a permanent site.
• Use of the alternative sites identified by KCC offers a better solution to ACC’s problems.

Objections to the principle of the halting sites or its implementation in Aberdeen.

• The benefits of the proposals are questionable.
• The unauthorised sites can only be eliminated when spare capacity exists in the halting sites.
• Aberdeen officials cannot even agree on the numbers. Until a problem can be quantified a suitable solution cannot be found.
• The provision of halting sites may cause Aberdeen to be the Gypsy centre of the NE of Scotland.
• This could be the first of many consultations to identify permanent sites for GTs.
• Why is this process being rushed through given that “the Committee approved in principle the development of short-term halting sites on 29 November 2005”.
• Scottish executive funding may be available in 2008, and Aberdeen should take advantage of available funding.
• It is less likely that Aberdeen will attract more GTs if it makes the changes in line with the other Councils in Scotland
• Aberdeen should slow down, make proper plans and not just have a knee jerk reaction to the problem

To make an objection each person on the voters role can:

• make written representation to the address on the cards.
• Complete Aberdeen City Council questionnaire which is available at kingswells.com, or the community centre.
• Complete the postcard attached to this letter.

Any of these options can be posted directly to ACC or you can drop off at the community centre or use the post box at the notice boards outside the community centre.

The deadline has been extended to
20th September 2007