Plans for a £2 million purpose-built stopping site for Gypsy/Traveller communities at Perth Food and Drink Park have been approved by councillors, marking the end of a 20-year wait for such facilities. The decision, hailed as "historic," was made despite a recommendation for refusal from the council's own planning department.
Flood Risk Objections Overruled
Both Perth and Kinross Council's (PKC) Flooding team and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) objected to the plans due to flood risk concerns, including potential risk to life if occupants are asleep during a flood event. However, the Planning and Placemaking Committee voted to approve the development, arguing that flood protection measures would make the site safer than the current unauthorised use of the area.
Committee convener Ian Massie stated: "Gypsy Travellers have been taking unauthorised occupation of this land at Arran Road for many years. If we acknowledge this reality, it will be better and safer if this land is used with planning consent."
Site Details and Management
The 18-hectare site will feature 10 hardstanding pitches, spaced 10 metres apart, accommodating up to 10 caravans. Facilities include a communal building with showers, toilets, and an office, as well as an electric vehicle charging point and waste bins. The managed site will allow PKC to enforce a maximum three-month stay and expedite the removal of unauthorised encampments.
PKC's strategic lead for Housing and Communities, Elaine Ritchie, assured the committee that flood risk would be "actively managed" through sustainable drainage systems, surface water management, early warning alarms, and a detailed evacuation plan. She emphasised that the lack of realistic alternatives would perpetuate unmanaged encampments elsewhere.
Historic Decision After Lengthy Process
PKC's Equalities lead Peter Barrett described the process as "painfully slow" and expressed disappointment with the planning officers' refusal recommendation. He noted that an extensive site selection process had identified no other viable location and that the site was acceptable to Travellers consulted. "The council has failed to deliver on members' decision to build a transit site for 20 years," Barrett said. "Flood risks can be mitigated."
The proposal was originally agreed by PKC's Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee in January 2023, with £2 million allocated for the project at a special council meeting in March 2023. The site at Perth Food and Drink Park, originally intended for business development, was selected due to slow uptake and existing use by the Gypsy/Traveller community.
