A north-east councillor has raised “grave” concerns about the impact that planned traveller sites could have on the community.
Aberdeenshire Council is in the early stages of a public consultation on creating up to four camps in the region.
But now Ellon councillor Gillian Owen has claimed that the issue is too toxic for local members to debate.
She said: “I am gravely concerned at the damage this issue is causing my community and I believe others. The tensions raised by even an examination of a potential site are acute and sometimes worrying in their tone.”
Her comments come after several freedom of information requests were submitted to Aberdeenshire Council, requesting that email correspondence about the proposed Golf Road site in Ellon was released.
Mrs Owen claims the resulting backlash has been like a “witch hunt”.
The Conservative councillor has called on the Scottish Government to review its policy to avoid putting local members “at odds with their communities”.
But last night a government spokeswoman said decisions about where to built halting sites were best made by local people.
She said: “Decisions about gypsy traveller sites are best made at local level, by those with local knowledge and accountability. Local authorities have a legal responsibility to identify the accommodation needs of those in their area – including the needs of gypsy travellers.”
In 2014 the Scottish Government published guidance for councils planning to build stopover sites to make sure the needs of travellers are met.
The comments were echoed by councillor Sandy Hendry, chairman of the traveller subcommittee, who explained that the proposals to create halting sites are at the very earliest stage.
Mr Hendry said: “There’s a process started and that starts with visits to sites identified by council officers.
“Thereafter, consultation will be carried out. If a site is deemed suitable a planning application will have to come forward from the council. Then there will be further consultation.
“It will be a long, long time before anything happens.”
Tomorrow Mr Hendry and the rest of the local authority’s gypsy traveller subcommittee is visiting a number of sites, including the land on the northern edge of Ellon. The committee members have cancelled a scheduled meeting to make the visits.