|
Item
|
Discussion |
Introduction by Chair
The meeting was given over to the matter of the Travelling People who had set up camp in the Park & Ride car park and the future issues in that regards
|
|
| |
|
|
There were two issues
- The situation with the Park & Ride area
- The council’s search for “Halting” sites for the travellers.
|
JT
|
|
1) Council gave its view; not appropriate to action the problem, which must be in line with legislation and best practice.
Council obliged to weigh up the travellers rights and current situations.
Must work with the travellers thro’ dialogue with their liaison officer.
Where encampments are not appropriate the Council will move them on by means of eviction as a last resort. Problem here is that the Council to persuade the Sheriff of a sound case. Cases are better if there are places as halting areas.
Criteria to establish cases; use of land; nuisance & health; suitability – occupation and vehicles; welfare of travellers; road hazards created; time; employment; animals; fly tipping; litter; dog fouling; threatening issues; urinating in public places; and intimidation.
|
JT
|
|
Travellers have problems getting into private sites.
|
IT
|
|
Agreed that the P&R site is inappropriate but the Council will discuss it on Wednesday.
|
JT
|
|
Council should be looking for Greenfield sites.
|
Public
|
|
The P&R and A944 sites are being used as public places but the abusive language drives people away.
|
Straiton
|
|
P&R site per Tomlinson was illegal.
|
Stott
|
|
Council is in control; when Sheriff grants eviction powers pass to Police to evict in support to Sheriff Officers. If any criminality, then Police get involved.
|
Munro
|
|
Is there an end date to discussions? Discussions ongoing with travellers; Council were drawing up an assessment including a human rights assessment. The current situation was inappropriate and assessments take two weeks according to JT.
|
KCC
|
| |
|
2) The halting sites. |
|
| |
|
|
There is not enough accommodation in Scotland; Travellers have rights under the homeless legislation. Council have to identify halting sites; Council have to identify unsuitable sites, which would upset the community; and identify sites for consultation. The halting sites will become permanent with caravans moving on and off with peaks in the summer months.
|
JT
|
|
Is the situation in Grampian of urgency for the Council?
|
Public
|
|
KCC Questions. Why is the old caravan site on Groats Road not being considered? Answer, none.
|
|
|
Q. Appears that KCC was never advised of the consultation in 2005.
A, Provost Stephen said it was advertised in 2005 in the Press & Journal with an agreement in principal but due to disinterest, the matter was dropped.
|
|
|
Q. How many of the declared sites have been used by the travellers.
A. all.
|
|
|
Comments.
There was a need to see how the policy is to be effected. It would seem that given the policy being implemented, the rights of the residents are being ignored.
It would appear, given the sites used by the travellers that the travellers are choosing the sites and the Council are agreeing to them.
The Clinterty Site was built with a capacity of 30, 8 are habited just now, 13 are being refurbished and 9 are being demolished. The problem with travellers is that they don’t like being too crowded.
|
|
|
Q. What was the future for Clinterty?
A. The site is being upgraded; delay in starting and being reduced to twenty, because in reality, travellers don’t like large groups; the fact is that they are an ethnic minority.
|
KCC
JT
|
|
Q. Were the travellers all considered to be an ethnic minority.
A. Yes all travellers were in this category.
Comment. The Clinterty site was actually being reduced because of vandalism. JT conceded that there was a bad element as in all levels of society.
|
KCC
IT
|
|
Q. How were the nine sites identified?
A. By prior consultation. However, it was established that Kingswells was not party to that consultation.
The Granite Group were at this time identifying spaces.
The report now to hand would go towards the meeting on Wednesday, the site at Kingswells was actually land adjacent to the Park & Ride.
|
Public
JT
|
|
Q. When would KCC become part of the consultation?
At the Wednesday meeting, and the parties to the consultation would decide the sites.
|
KCC
JT
|
|
Q. Asked who produced the list of sites.
A. JT and his officers.
|
KCC
JT
|
|
Wanted all information and due process to date to be made public.
Believed that officials carrying out policy in this case were not democratic, wanted his and every body’s voices to be heard.
Felt that there was an imbalance on both sides of the discussion; the Council had not carried out the investigation properly; believed that the rules had been contravened; KCC must know what is going on; if the travellers were there illegally then they must go now; residents own rights are being ignored.
The Council was not able to evict immediately as already stated.
Taking all that everybody had said it would appear that the meeting would take place on the Wednesday and that it would decide on the process, asked Provost Stephen to comment, as he was to chair that meeting.
Indeed, the meeting was to take place but that was to move to a consultation on the nine sites.
An area committee was to be set up and the agenda would be advised to KCC
Until then KCC asked how Clinterty was to be funded and when it would start. Council could not answer that point.
|
Public
Public
Public
JT
KCC
Stephen
|
|
There was no other competent business.
|
|
|
Meeting closed at 10pm.
|
|
Date of Next meeting:
Next meeting will be on 11th September, 2007 in coffee shop of Kingswells Community Centre at 8pm. |
|
