COUNCILLORS and residents have reacted angrily to the revelation that Transport Scotland have spent £5,500 of taxpayer's money building a driveway for the Balmacassie Travellers.
At the time of going to press however, the Travellers remain firmly unmoved.
Transport Scotland, who own the land, installed the gravel driveway last week after the group complained that they could no longer move their caravans due to the muddy st
ate of the verge. The pathway was constructed so that they could leave, which they have thus far failed to do. Councillor Gillian Owen (Conservative) told the Times that it was now up to Transport Scotland to remove the Travellers.
"The matter is now in the hands of their legal department, so we will just have to see what happens next", she said. "The rubbish continues to be piled up, which is a disgrace."
Councillor Owen, and Councillor Rob Merson, have lobbied Transport Scotland over the past few weeks to have the site cleared. Transport Scotland has since been in contact with Sheriff Officers to serve a notice requesting that the Travellers leave. It seems likely, however, that further costs will be incurred both in rendering the site inaccessible to caravans, and in cleaning the site up once it is vacated.
The Times visited on Friday to hear the Travellers' side of the story. The site was untidy, with chewed dog bones, litter and rubbish bags strewn across the path. An old, shaggy dog raised his head as we passed, and went back to sleep.
Two caravans seemed to be occupied, with a third caravan apparently empty and derelict. Knocking at the door of the first caravan brought no answer. The owner of the second caravan answered.
The young lady who came to the door looked decidedly down-at-heel, and asked if we were from a regional "tabloid" newspaper. She was extremely reluctant to speak. On learning that we were from the Times, however, she was slightly more forthcoming. She said she was unaware of the furore surrounding the construction of the road. "We're leaving soon anyway," she told us. Her husband's family are Aberdeen-based, which is why the family are in the north-east.
"We're not sure where we're going to go next. We'll just have to wait and see," she said.
