Traveller sites could be dotted alongside the Aberdeen bypass once it is finished.
Aberdeenshire Council’s gypsy-traveller sub-committee has suggested official halting sites could be built on excess land surrounding the new 28-mile road to help tackle the number of unauthorised camps across the region.
The committee hopes “redundant” land obtained by Transport Scotland through compulsory purchase orders for the bypass could be used, and has asked officers to investigate further.
The local authority is in urgent need of official halting sites in order to tackle the growing issue of unauthorised encampments springing up on private land across the north-east.
Earlier this year new figures revealed there were more unauthorised traveller camps in Aberdeenshire than anywhere else in Scotland in 2016, with 61 recorded.
Last night Allan Hendry, chairman of the sub-committee, said spots along the AWPR between Blackdog and Dyce, and Netherley and Cookney would be “perfect” locations.
He added these would feed into current plans for further camps in Blackdog and Balmacassie.
The SNP Mid-Formartine councillor said officers from the council’s housing department were looking into the idea.
He added: “There is going to be quite a lot of spare land near the new AWPR all along the road, pieces of land that are not going to be used by the AWPR. There could be two or three sites.
“My information is it would be redundant land, compulsory purchased to construct the road. Some of it will be a fair bit away from the road. All of the land is not going to be used (by Transport Scotland), old bits of road for example.
“I came up with the idea some considerable time ago and put it to housing officers. Obviously one of the jobs of our housing service is they have got to try and identify land to provide halting sites.
“If you speak to gypsy-travellers, and I have done, they are very keen on the idea. They’d be quite happy with that if they had access onto the road. It makes sense to me.”
He added since there was a “presumption against prosecution” of travellers, having more halting sites for travellers would help police tackle the issue of unauthorised camps.
Planning consultant Alan Seath acted as the agent for the travellers behind North Esk Park in St Cyrus and Quarry Wood in Kemnay through his firm.
Last night he said the idea showed a “proactive approach in trying to meet the accommodation needs of the gypsy-traveller community”.
He added: “What has always got to be born in mind is the suitability of these sites and the need for consultation with the travelling community. You have got to take the positives out of this.
“I would think it sends message out to do likewise.
“Aberdeenshire and Morayshire have been mentioned as areas which traditionally gypsy-travellers visit and live and originate from.
“I think having dealt with a number of families throughout Scotland, there is now a willingness to liaise with local authorities to try and resolve any issues there is.”
A council spokesman said: “As a council we are committed to identifying sites across Aberdeenshire that might be suitable for use as halting sites for gypsy-travellers.
“As part of this, we hold discussions with a variety of organisations and landowners who may be able to help us identify potential sites.
“There are no formal proposals for halting sites in connection with the AWPR-B-T (Balmedie to Tipperty) project.”
A Transport Scotland spokesman said no formal discussions had taken place between the council and the AWPR team on the subject.
He added: “There are currently no plans to include stopping sites on the AWPR and we received no requests to include any during the extensive consultation that was undertaken during the project development period.”
