A long-running court case to determine the future of a controversial unapproved Travellers’ settlement on the Angus/Mearns border has been adjourned, yet again.
Civil proceedings between Aberdeenshire Council and Traveller James McCallum over an alleged breach of a court interdict have been running since December last year but met their latest stumbling block when Stonehaven Sheriff Court ditched today’s hearing because of a scheduling clash.
Evidence was to be discussed for the first time before the public at the court but an administrative clash now means the case, which centres on the Travellers’ site near St Cyrus nature reserve, will not be heard before Stonehaven Sheriff Court closes for good on May 30.
A tentative procedural hearing has been added to Aberdeen Sheriff Court’s list for June 12, where new evidential dates should be set if that hearing goes ahead.
The setback is the latest in many delays for the court proceedings which were started by Aberdeenshire Council last year.
Mr McCallum and a number of other Travelling families moved on to a patch of private land near the St Cyrus nature reserve at the end of September last year and began construction work to turn the site into a permanent caravan park.
The work was carried out without planning permission from the local authority and an enforcement notice was served to stop the development.
A retrospective application for planning permission was submitted and work continued and the council obtained an interim interdict from Stonehaven Sheriff Court to try to stop construction.
The council alleged further work was carried out and served a breach of interdict notice against Mr McCallum, who, according to the retrospective planning application for the site signed in his name, is the owner of the land.
Mr McCallum denies the breach and disputes he is the owner of the land but evidence in the long-running dispute has never been led due to the adjournments, rearranged dates and cancellations.
The case will now move to Aberdeen while the Travellers remain on the land without permission and with no planning applications for consent before the council.