Fife Council has launched a bid to give police more powers to remove illegal traveller encampments from private land.
Councillors and officers hope a change in law will stop a repeat of problems last summer when an unprecedented number of travellers set up camps in Glenrothes and Dalgety Bay.
Landowners were forced to take legal action to remove the travellers in a move which cost thousands of pounds.
Human rights organisation Amnesty International later criticised the council for failing to have enough transit sites for travellers, who, according to the charity, suffer widespread discrimination.
The council’s travellers working group has submitted a paper to council umbrella body CoSLA and the Association of Chief Police Officers for their consideration.
The group has also proposed stopover sites for travellers in line with Amnesty’s recommendation.
Potential sites have been identified at Cairneyhill, Crossgates, Cardenden and Crail, although no decision has yet been taken.
With an estimated cost of £10,000 for the four, the council has acknowledged the sites could prove controversial with locals but said it could not put off difficult decisions any longer.
It was also made clear that the four identified sites will not necessarily be permanent, but could be moved after a couple of years.
Housing management and homelessness senior manager John Mills said a decision on at least two of the sites would be taken in May, with work due to start in the summer.
He added that most unauthorised traveller encampments were well managed with good co-operation with the council and the police.
Mr Mills said, “Firstly, we are trying to identify potential stopover sites that’s been going on since 2003 and we believe we are on the cusp of identifying sites which could be viable.
“Secondly, we are making a case for changing the law in Scotland to make it the same as elsewhere in the UK to give police powers to deal with gypsy travellers who do not comply with the law on private sector land.
“Thirdly, we are reviewing our own Fife co-operation policy to make it absolutely clear it’s fit for purpose to deal with a range of encampments.
“The main issue that remains to be resolved is the final location of the proposed stopover sites.
“The next steps involve meetings with the community councils and drop-in sessions for members of the public for the four areas under consideration.”
Mr Mills said the council had recently spoken to the procurator fiscal about an encampment at the John Smith Business Park in Kirkcaldy, and he had asked what the authority’s position was with stopover sites.
Mr Mills said, “There is a presumption the council will put these in before action is taken.”
Traveller working group chairwoman Councillor Alice McGarry said, “I understand there are feelings about these things but we need to separate genuine concerns with the prejudices that exist about gypsy travellers.”