The Scottish Government is being urged to review the law so councils and the police can evict travellers from illegal campsites more quickly.
Communities and Housing Minister Alex Neil has been asked to act by Aberdeen North MSP Brian Adam, who claims his constituents are unhappy about the length of time it has taken to move on people from unofficial sites at Bridge of Don, Dyce and elsewhere in the city.
Last week, it emerged that travellers evicted from parkland at Bridge of Don moved just a few hundred yards away after were presented with a court order forcing them out on Friday.
SNP MSP Mr Adam said: “Every year residents in Dyce, Bridge of Don and elsewhere in Aberdeen have to suffer travellers setting up unofficial camps, some of whom seem to have no respect for local people.
“I am asking the minister to review current guidelines and the law to ensure that both the council and police have sufficient powers to move people on and so that travellers are clear about their responsibilities to the local community.”
Mr Adam said his constituents felt travellers were using their rights to the full extent without upholding their responsibilities to keep camps clean, reduce noise and be courteous to the local community.
Mr Neil said unauthorised camping was a “sensitive” issue and a balance had to be struck between the rights of the traveller population and their responsibility to respect the rights of the settled community.
“There are powers already available to local authorities and the police for managing encampments, and the guidelines set these powers out,” he said. It is for the relevant local authority and police force to determine whether or not to use the powers available to them.”
Mr Neil said he would be happy to discuss the issue with Mr Adam and Aberdeen City Council soon.
Meanwhile, a campaign being led by an Angus woman at Holyrood to protect gypsies and travellers from discrimination has suffered a blow.
The Scottish Government has told MSPs it has no intention of removing the Trespass (Scotland) Act 1865 from guidelines for councils on the management of “halt sites”.
Holyrood’s public petitions committee raised the issue with SNP ministers after Lynne Tammi claimed gypsy travellers were being discriminated against.
The campaigner, of Ogilvie Terrace, Ferryden, Montrose, claims councils and the police use the legislation to move travellers on from fields and laybys, despite the fact the settled community is allowed to participate in so-called “wild camping” under the Land Reform Act.
Aidan Grisewood, of the Scottish Government’s social housing department, told MSPs the act does not just apply to travellers.
He said it creates an offence of occupying private property without permission, and of camping or lighting a fire near a road, enclosed land, cultivated land or plantation without authorisation from the owner.
MSPs will discuss the petition on September 7.