One of the key actions by Aberdeenshire Council to house minority and ethnic communities is:

Provide one well-maintained stopover site every two years that meets the needs of the Gypsy/Traveller Community and manage stopover and established sites effectively.

Unauthorised encampments:

Several locations are used by Gypsies/Travellers on a temporary basis, such as lay-bys. Many of the sites traditionally or previously used by Gypsies/Travellers are no longer available to them either due to the development of that site or barriers being put in place. This has resulted in Gypsies/Travellers using relatively few locations and for longer periods of time with quite often larger numbers of caravans present than in the past. The location chosen by Gypsies/Travellers is influenced by the type and extent of work available.

To date, no Gypsy/Traveller stopover sites have been developed in Scotland. The Scottish Government has yet to publish guidance ono the key elements necessary to design, develop and manage Gypsy/Traveller stopover sites.

The permanent site currently operated by Aberdeenshire Council in Banff is checked in February each year with any maintenance work carried out in March before the site opens for the summer season. Aberdeenshire Council is currently in discussions with Aberdeen City Council to develop and possibly expand the number of pitches currently run as stop-over pitches on Aberdeen City Council’s Clinterty Travelling Persons Site. Options are being explored in terms of providing a further stop-over site in North Aberdeenshire. This will also include the management of these stop-over pitches as well as those that may be developed in the future both at Clinterty and throughout Aberdeenshire including those sites detailed within the council’s Local Development Plan.