Anger at gypsy stealth plot for Ayr
A secret council plan to open a town travellers camp has been rumbled, furious residents claim.
Community chiefs insist they uncovered the brewing plot during a stormy tenants meeting.
Now they’re pledging to launch a mass protest unless the proposal is ditched.
Locals allege officials let slip the plan during the tense exchange over land at Ayr’s Weir Road.
The site, which sits opposite the now defunct Newton gasometer in the heart of industrial Newton, is wanted by residents for a children’s playpark.
Residents’ chief Andrew McKissock, 58, said: “Everyone is up in arms and won’t accept this lying down.
“Travellers are always in this area and we were told one option the council had was to put them in the land we wanted.
“If that happens, people will go crazy. There are a huge number of businesses down here and this is not something that would be welcomed.
“The scheme needs investment and for six years we’ve been trying to get a new playpark out of the council without any joy.
“If they did this, you’d
have businesses and the residents revolting and a strong campaign against it.”
Ayr MSP John Scott said: “If indeed this area of land in Newton is being considered as a travellers’ site then I believe it is not an appropriate location.
“Use of the site by travellers would inevitably create noise, cooking smells, above ground sewage storage smells, and cause vehicle emissions on a site with nearby residential and commercial properties.
“Having spoken to residents in the Newton area who are aware of this suggestion by the council, and having heard their concerns over the implications for their community of locating a site in this area, I am supporting them in their opposition to any plans for a travellers’ site in the Newton area.”
Council housing chief, David Burns, denied any plan had been rubber stamped.
He said: “We’ve considered a wide range of options for sites suitable for the travelling community and to date no new locations have been identified.
“Any proposed development would need to strike a balance between the needs of travellers, the location, and the impact on the local community.
“Any future project would be subject to planning legislation, open to public consultation, and would need council approval.”