TRAVELLER sites at Stevenston Shore have cost North Ayrshire Council more than £1,000 this year and residents were up in arms recently after another camp was set up near their homes.

Members of the public have claimed that the travellers are “aggressive”, defecate in bushes and allow “packs” of dogs to “run about daft” day and night. Residents have also accused the council of not doing enough after a barrier erected to keep caravans out of one of the beach car parks was broken.

Billy Duncan, who lives across from the shore, told the Herald that he was sick of the council moving the travellers on, only for them to return a few weeks later.

He said: “The camp’s an eyesore. This is about the fourth or fifth time they have been here over the last few months. They get shifted, then they just come back after a few weeks. There have been numerous complaints about getting something done about it.

“The council put a barrier up at the car park to stop huge vehicles like caravans getting in. But the barrier got mysteriously broken and the travellers just came back again, with more arriving every day. They actually block off the car park at that point so no one can use the beach.

“It’s bad. They’re running about at midnight and they use the bushes as toilets. The other night there were dogs running about daft. 

“The council are terrible. Travellers have taken over Stevenston Beach and they just don’t care. It makes me wonder why should I pay my council tax.

It’s very convenient for the council to keep them in Stevenston. Could you imagine them on Saltcoats Beach? The council would definitely have done something by now.”

Billy also accused the travellers of blocking off the swing park at the shore and charging local children an entrance fee. However, North Ayrshire Council confirmed that they had not received any complaints of travellers restricting kids from entering the park. 

A local volunteer from Stevenston also contacted the Herald and said that the council should “get their act together”. 

The resident, who did not wish to be named, is a member of the Ayrshire Litter Volunteer Network. She claimed that the travellers were undoing all the hard work of her group in keeping the beach clean.

She said: “For the last few months we’ve had a serious problem with illegal travellers at Stevenston Beach. I’m quite a free spirit and I believe that people can make a camp where they want if there are facilities to use, but the travellers leave human excrement about. I’ve seen it and I’ve smelled it and it’s absolutely vile. It’s disgusting. The council won’t fund toilet facilities, not even for the local people to use.

“We’ve been working hard to get the beach a designated nature reserve but these people just make it impossible. We’ve only just managed to get the school kids back to the beach for education reasons. Over the last 18 months, our team of volunteers have collected around 2,000 bags of litter while trying to keep the beach pristine.”

She added: “The travellers are given camp sites, like the one up at Redburn, but they don’t seem to use them.We want to know why are they not being shifted? The council and the police have got to get their act together.”
North Ayrshire Council served an eviction notice to the travellers at

Stevenston Shore and the group have now left. But the council revealed that the costs associated with gypsy encampments at the shore this year are £1,416.46.

A council spokesperson said: “We take our responsibilities regarding gypsy travellers seriously and our policy seeks to strike a balance between the needs and legitimate expectations of members of the settled community and the gypsy travellers.

“The encampment at Stevenston Shore was reported to our Gypsy Traveller Encampment Officer on Friday, July 15, and an assessment of the encampment was undertaken that morning.

“The location and size of the travellers’ encampment was considered unsuitable for the area and our Legal Services Team therefore instructed Sheriff Officers to serve notice of eviction on the morning of Monday, July 18.

A decree to evict the gypsy travellers was granted by Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Thursday, July 21.

“Our Gypsy Traveller Encampment Officer checked the encampment on Monday, July 25, and we can confirm that the encampment has now left the area. The barrier that restricts access for high-sided vehicles at the shore car park has been secured and is now locked and our Streetscene staff visited the area immediately after the gypsy travellers left to clear up any remaining rubbish.

“Throughout the period of this encampment, our Gypsy Traveller Encampment Officer liaised with Police Scotland, who have advised that no complaints have been received regarding intimidation.”