Objectors have been left “surprised” at the low cost to the public purse of a heavily-delayed investigation into the St Cyrus Travellers saga.
Scottish Government-appointed reporter Rob Huntley visited North Esk Park on December 8 and took 208 days to submit his report to Scottish Ministers.
The government initially refused to disclose the cost of Mr Huntley’s invoice after a freedom of information request submitted by Gordon Stalker from Aberdeen was refused on the grounds the information constituted “personal data”.
However, the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) have since confirmed a total cost of £5,200 for the investigation which DPEA concluded was “not personal data”.
These total costs include the reporter’s fee, his travel and subsistence costs, administrative staff costs for handling these cases, and postage costs.
Mr Stalker said: “I am surprised the cost was as low as £5,200.
“The report was a substantial piece of work and the cost includes travel and subsistence.
“Mr Huntley’s hourly rate must be very reasonable.”
Mr Huntley’s “heavy workload” and “full caseload” was blamed for the lengthy delay in completing his report which finally dropped on the desk of Scottish Ministers eight months later.
Scottish ministers agreed with Mr Huntley’s conclusions and refused retrospective planning permission in September with Travellers given until July to get off the site.
North East Scotland Conservative MSP Liam Kerr said: “Considering the reporter’s experience and the burdens of making life-changing decisions for hundreds of people, his day rate seems beyond reasonable.
“One almost wonders whether Mr Huntley was being paid by the hour.
“But in all seriousness, this issue has dominated life in St Cyrus for years.
“The Scottish Government should have volunteered readily-available information to Mr Stalker, instead of making the process so complicated.”
The site appeared on farmland close to the River North Esk almost exactly four years ago, triggering opposition from local residents and leading to a lengthy planning battle.
After initially refusing permissions and instigating enforcement, Aberdeenshire councillors then voted overwhelmingly in favour of granting permission for the creation of an official halting and touring site in April last year.
The application was called in after SEPA confirmed the site had flooded in 2002, 2012, 2013 and in the aftermath of Storm Frank on December 30 2015, when residents had to leave their caravans because of rising water levels.
A decision to refuse planning permission for an unauthorised Travellers’ site in St Cyrus will not be appealed to the Court of Session.
Talks will continue between North Esk Park residents and Aberdeenshire Council “aimed at finding a way forward”.
All reporters are independent experts who are appointed by the Scottish Government to make “an impartial assessment of each case based on the relevant planning considerations and policies”.
