The shell of a destroyed caravan, abandoned toilets, heaps of rubbish and a discarded gas canister is among the waste left scattered around Perth Food and Drink Park on the outskirts of the city. The mess at the North Muirton site - used as a stop off for Gypsy/Traveller communities - has prompted calls for action.
Local resident Gordon Muir came across the scene on his walk home from work this week and says rubbish dumped at the site is an ongoing problem.
Speaking to our sister title the Perthshire Advertiser, he said: “There is a caravan full of rubbish there and there was one left abandoned here previously. There are gas canisters, fishing rods – you just can’t believe it.
“The situation isn’t just the mess, it is the fact that it keeps happening. It is an ongoing issue. It has still not been cleared by the council. It is public funded money used every time to clean it up.
“Not every community that comes here is the same but if they just took their rubbish with them when they leave they would make friends with people. There needs to be a proactive system from the council in stopping this from happening.”
In February, councillors agreed on a £2.4million fund to set up a managed transient stop-off site at the park for Gypsy/Travellers. The site, when built, will accommodate 10 caravans, and provide four showers, three toilets as well as an accessible toilet and shower.
A small building with a kitchen, an office, water supply, an electrical charging point for each pitch and bins will also be provided. Councils have a legal duty to support the Gypsy/Traveller lifestyle and it is hoped managing the site will allow PKC more power to move people on faster.
Perth City Centre ward councillor Chris Ahern lives in the area and questioned the cost of “continuous cleaning up” while Travellers are in the place. He said: “I do think that the council should act quicker when they leave. I was initially against the new site, however, if this did not go ahead then nothing would change.
“It would be a controlled site and hopefully there would be more sight of what is happening there. At the end of the day the Travellers should take some responsibility.
“This is not just a Perth and Kinross problem but a national problem. It is worth noting that I have been chasing this up for a while and the area is going to be cleaned up this weekend. I chase up this problem every time they are at the food and drink park.”
When the site plan was agreed, Almond and Earn councillor Frank Smith asked if Travellers would pay council tax. Senior housing manager Elaine Ritchie responded that the council may explore introducing a small charge.
The council’s equalities lead and Perth City Centre ward councillor Peter Barrett responded: “The damaged caravan and the spilled waste material hasn’t been reported to me by the correspondent.
“If he had then I would have reported the issues without delay and we might have cleared the site sooner. The site will be cleared this weekend.
“There has been an accumulation of items left by two separate encampments added to by fly-tipping. I have some sympathy with the complainant that if the site is not cleared swiftly then the risk of fly-tipping increases.”
He added: “I completely disagree with the view that investing in proper stopping facilities is not worth spending money on, the reality is the absolute opposite. Investment in a safe, secure and managed site will reduce the problems associated with temporary encampments and improve the amenity of the area.
“A managed site may help prevent fly-tippers from their criminal and opportunist dumping of waste at Arran Road but these are two separate issues. It is too easy to conflate the two and blame the Gypsy/Travellers.”
Perth and Kinross Council did not respond to a request for comment.
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