Aberdeen City Council’s plans to establish a bylaw to address problems with traveller encampments could face a public inquiry, a new report has revealed.
Officials at the local authority have been in contact with the Scottish Government to discuss the proposals from the Labour-led coalition for new legislation.
The government has indicated that the council needs to be specific about which areas of the city would be affected and precisely what type of activity the authority is seeking to prohibit.
It is not expected that council officials will report back to elected members until March next year, with a further one-month notice period required to allow for any public objections.
The matter would then be in the hands of the Scottish Government, but a report to a full council meeting on Wednesday has pointed out that there could be further hurdles to overcome.
“The Scottish Government requires to take objections into account and may, if considered necessary or desirable, hold an inquiry,” the report states.
Any proposal for the council for a bylaw would also require for an Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment (EHRIA) to be carried out.
The ruling administration has argued that the by-law is very much required to deal with the issue in Aberdeen, which is a regular destination for travellers seeking work.
Labour group secretary Willie Young said yesterday the council will not proceed with work on any new halting sites for the city, including one planned for Howes Road in Bucksburn, until such time as the bylaw plan is dealt with.
He said: “The most important thing is to get a move on with this. Aberdeen is a magnet for travellers, it is causing mayhem and it is 365 days a year, they are not just coming here in the summer time.
“There are special circumstances as to why we need a bylaw. I hope the Scottish Government will recognise that.”
However, Callum McCaig, leader of the main opposition SNP group on the council, said the government is unlikely to support any such move.
He said: “It is quite clear this is not going to happen. What we need to be doing is providing more halting sites and enforcing existing legislation.
“We are seeing some pretty poor policies from this administration, but even worse politics.”