Two pensioners with health issues are devastated after learning they face being kicked out of their home in Gretna.
George and Jenny Allan, both aged 74, are part of a nine-strong traveller family which set up home on an unauthorised site near Raydale Park Stadium around two-and-a-half years ago.
While they bought the land and two static caravans/chalets costing £60,000 each, the family did not have planning permission and were forced to seek retrospective consent.
That was refused by Dumfries and Galloway Council last September – and the family’s appeal to the Scottish Government has now been rejected.
Mr Allan this week said: “We have nowhere to go. There’s nowhere available for us, and the children are all settled at school.
“I had two heart attacks last year, I’ve had coronavirus, and a month ago I had salmonella poisoning. I’m a living miracle, I don’t know how I’m still on the go.
“You don’t know how stressful all of this has been. My wife cried for two days over all this and has been extremely stressed.”
Mr Allan told the Standard he has poured all his savings into buying the two chalets for his family and the land adjoining Steelville at Loanwath Road.
His daughter Elizabeth lives in the second chalet with her six children, aged from one to 17, and she is very concerned about the impact on her kids.
Speaking after being hit with an enforcement order from the council last year, she said: “Everybody is settled and we’ve built up friendships here. We don’t want all the upheaval in our kids’ lives.”
The council has two designated gypsy/traveller sites at Glenluce and Collin. However, there is currently no space – and Collin needs millions of pounds worth of investment to meet the Scottish Government’s minimum standards.
Mr Allan said: “I don’t know what’s going to happen now. I have very little funds left, I’m living off my pension.
“I’m not in good health to be shifted up and down.”
At previous planning meetings, lengthy debates have ensued about the family’s welfare, and council officials gave assurances that social work and housing services would step in to assist them after their caravan permission was refused.
The family’s appeal to Holyrood against eviction was rejected two weeks ago, but they say that no one from the Scottish Government or council has been in contact to formally notify them.
The matter will be discussed again at the council’s planning committee next week.
A report due to be tabled at the meeting reads: “This decision was subsequently the subject of an appeal to the Scottish ministers.
“He also declined to make any award of expenses to the appellant against the council.”
