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12th September 2006
Travellers Leave Garlogie Site
Today (12/09/06)
Stewart Whyte, Conservative candidate for West Aberdeenshire
and Kincardine, revealed that the Travellers have finally
left Garlogie. Since January the layby previously used as a
popular picnic area has been illegally occupied by a series
of Traveller caravans. To the fury of local residents the
Council refused to move them and prevented Dunecht Estates
from blocking them accessing the site. The Council provided
a skip and a portable toilet for the Travellers. Mr Whyte:
"At long last they are gone. Now the Council should back
local residents and put in place measures to prevent their
return. The Travellers used the press recently to say that
they were determined to keep the site clean and it was only
a few Travellers that gave them all a bad name.
Unfortunately they have not left the area the way they found
it: there is a rope between two trees that was a makeshift
washing line as well as general rubbish left behind.
I hope that the
local community start using the woods again - it had been a
well used dog walking area and it was the meeting place for
a local cycling club. I have written to the Council asking
them to put in place measures to prevent the Travellers
returning. The fact that Aberdeenshire Council do not have
an official site cannot be used as an excuse for lack of
action anymore. It is time that they stood up for the people
who elected them and the people who pay Council Tax. I have
also asked the Council to remove the skip and portable loo
and to clean up the site as soon as possible."
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