INVERCLYDE’S Depute Provost fears the council is trying to introduce a permanent site for gypsy travellers in Port Glasgow.

David Wilson is concerned after officials drew up reports to be presented to councillors at two separate meetings.

Inverclyde and other councils have formed a ‘gypsy travelling working group’ to look at providing a transit site within one of their areas.

A proposal for a site at Kelburn near Parklea sparked howls of protest in 2013 and the controversial plan was eventually abandoned.

Mr Wilson says he will oppose any attempt to bring the idea back to life.
He said: “One of the reports talks about the need to undertake a campaign to promote positive attitudes towards gypsy/travellers.

“I am dead against a transit camp site at Parklea because of the mess the travellers leave behind every time they stop in Inverclyde.

“And many of my constituents are so sickened by the disruption caused by travellers that there is little chance of promoting a positive attitude after the anti-social behaviour we have witnessed in the past.”

A report to the environment committee meeting recommends that the public should be consulted on gypsy traveller policy.

It says the council’s ‘preferred’ option is to include a new policy similar to one adopted by East Ayrshire Council on applications for ‘small privately-owned gypsy traveller sites’.

This policy says the council will support such developments if they are readily accessible to main roads and don’t adversely affect areas of recognised nature conservation and built heritage interest, sites of significant landscape quality and any existing surrounding uses.

It adds that sites must be able to be accessed and serviced to council standards, be adequately screened and landscaped and ‘not cause any unacceptable damage or detriment to the amenity of residents of surrounding properties’.

Inverclyde’s environment director, Scott Allan, states in the report: “This option is preferred as it follows good practice, and would provide a policy basis for the assessment of privately promoted gypsy/traveller sites.”

Meanwhile, a separate report to next week’s education and communities committee quotes the council’s acting head of safer and inclusive communities, Martin McNab, saying: “Evidence from consultation carried out with gypsy/travellers indicates there may be a lack of permanent stopping sites in the region with access to amenities such as water, waste and showering facilities. This prevented them from settling in an area, establishing roots in a community and sending children to school.

“They indicated there was a demand for transit site provision to allow travellers to stop and access amenities while passing through the area.”

Mr McNab says Inverclyde and other councils formed the gypsy travelling working group to look at providing a transit site within one of their areas.

He said: “Partnership working between local authorities will continue, with possible options for a joint authority transit site explored.

“The consultation also highlighted issues around tensions with the settled community caused by unauthorised encampments.

“This highlighted the need to undertake a campaign to promote positive attitudes towards gypsy-travellers among key partners and the community.”

A council spokesman said today that the local authority is obliged under equalities legislation to regularly review and, if necessary, amend policies on gypsy travellers and managing unauthorised camp sites.

He added: “There are absolutely no proposals being considered or planned for a dedicated transit site for the gypsy traveller community at Parklea, Kelburn Park or anywhere else in Inverclyde.”