TRAVELLERS have vowed to fight to stay on a plot of land they have bought to create a permanent base for up to 50 gypsies.
Residents living close to the site are furious about the sudden arrival of a number of caravans and ongoing construction work to supply it with electricity and water.
Police have been patrolling the area, next to St Cyrus National Nature Reserve, following the creation of the camp amid complaints that grasslands classified as a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) have been damaged.
Five caravans have arrived so far, but a legal order has prevented other families who part-own the land at Kinnaber, North Water Bridge, from moving in.
The travellers say they have a right to stay on their property and create a settlement, but their planning application for a 10-berth encampment has yet to be ruled on by councillors.
Meanwhile, Aberdeenshire Council will go to court today to try to get a group of travellers evicted from the defunct Archaeolink prehistory park.
Yesterday, James McCallum, 40, a father-of-three who describes himself as a Romany gypsy, said he and 10 other families clubbed together to buy ground near St Cyrus four weeks ago after local authorities failed to provide them with a site.
He said: “Our children need to get into schools, we need access to doctors and to dentists. For all this you need an address and you can’t just say you live on a layby off the dual carriageway and you might only be there for the next 24 hours until you are moved on.”
Mr McCallum, who was born and brought up in Scotland, added: “Aberdeenshire and Scotland has got to understand that for the past 500 years there have been Romanies in Britain. It is 2013 and they are going to, at some point, accept us.
“People would not be complaining if we were building bungalows on this land. Every family here knows there will be a fight. We have taken the initiative here and we are not moving unless the council can come up with a site similar in size to this one.”
One home-owner said she feared for her security.
“This has been going on for a week,” she said. “I woke up last Monday morning to find a big mound of earth in front of my window. I’m scared for my property and my animals.”
Another neighbour added: “The issue is that the site has been allowed to happen without planning permission. My anger is directed at the planners.”
A number of attempts to create halting sites for travellers in Aberdeenshire have failed because of local opposition.
The council has no power to evict someone from land it does not own, but has planning authority over what goes on it.
Ian Robertson, Aberdeenshire’s Council’s head of protective services and waste management, said some work had been stopped on the St Cyrus site. He added: “Representatives of the planning service and environmental health visited the site to record what works had taken place, following reports of building activities.
“Advice was provided to formally cease works and a temporary stop notice has since been served preventing any further works that require planning permission.” He said a planning application had been received and officers would continue to monitor the situation.
Ewan Lawrie, Scottish Natural Heritage’s operations officer for the area, said he had been contacted by members of the public following the arrival of the travellers.
He said: “It appears that part of these works has damaged some of the grassland which is a feature of the St Cyrus and Kinnaber Links SSSI.
“Those parts of the works that impinge on the SSSI were also done without consent from us. We have therefore reported the matter to the police for further investigation.”
A police spokeswoman confirmed last night that officers were aware of the situation and inquiries were ongoing.