Notorious Edinburgh illegal travellers site in Granton 'to be cleared by end of January' according to Minister
A notorious Edinburgh illegal travellers site in Granton is set to be cleared by the end of January, according to a Scottish Government Minister.
In a letter to Edinburgh Northern and Leith MSP Ben MacPherson, the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson, promised that travellers will be removed from the illegal site on Scottish Government land between West Granton Road and Waterfront Avenue.
Residents living near the site behind the Granton B&M and Lidl stores have spoken in recent months of their despair at continued anti-social behaviour and regular fly-tipping fires at the sire, which is earmarked for a national collection of artworks called The Art Works, part of the wider £1.3 billion Granton Waterfront regeneration project.
In the letter, seen by the Evening News, Mr Robertson said: “I have agreed to aim to have the Scottish Government owned land in Granton cleared and secured by the end of January 2026, dependant on alternative accommodation being identified and made available.”
He added that as housing provision is outwith the remit of the Scottish Government, his officials will engage with City of Edinburgh Council on this issue “as a matter of urgency”. With work underway to complete the necessary formalities in relation to equality impact assessments.
Mr Robertson said: “I expect the necessary legal work to commence which will likely result in a Sherrif order to clear all occupants from the site. I hope this timeline provides reassurance to the local community that delivering a resolution that balances the needs of all communities involved is a priority.”
He also said that the site has now been cleared of fly-tipped waste, with active monitoring in place, alongside a prevention strategy which is being implemented to minimise the risk of further fly-tipping.
After asking Mr Macpherson to share this information with the community stakeholders group, Mr Robertson added: “I trust that this update will be welcomed by the community stakeholders, and I am always happy to discuss with you.”
Reacting to this letter, one local resident, who asked not to be named, said: “It’s my understanding that elsewhere in Scotland unauthorised travellers do not require alternative accommodation to be moved on by councils or private landlords - so why on this site?
“The fly-tipping has not been fully cleared from site at all, and there cannot be any active monitoring or prevention of the fly-tipping as there has been three major fires since his letter alone, and I can see fly-tipped waste on the land from my windows right now. There was some clearing a couple of days but the site is in no way clear.
“This letter is not welcome nor does it provide any assurances or actual commitments for the community or residents as there is still no firm timeline or date to clear the site of the unauthorised travellers, nor to eliminate the fly-tipping, nor to bring an end to the massive fires - which is the most worrying and fearful element of the behaviour by some on the site.”
He added: “Mr Robertson waxes about balancing the needs of all communities - there is no balancing the needs of all communities - its just platitudes and condescension while a small handful of people basically do what they please with no consequence or responsibilities.
“The council officials and the fire service capitulate to a perceived threat from these unauthorised travellers, which are only a handful in number that light the fires, yet the residents who pay council tax and Scottish Government income tax have their services diminished.
“More importantly their health, safety and wellbeing is not being supported by the very services that our hard earned money pays for.”
One of the travellers living on the Granton site, Jim - who asked us not to reveal his surname - was also quick to dismiss Mr Robertson’s claims about fly-tipping, and he said he isn’t moving from the site.
He said: “They will do well to get me out of here. My wife is due the month after in February and our kids are happy at the local school. We are not moving.
“The fly-tipping is still going on. I had to put up a fence to stop the fly-tippers getting in but it’s not stopping them.
“The Scottish Government is saying they are monitoring the fly-tipping but they are not doing a good job at it. I met a man from the Scottish Government on the site and showed him the mess, so they know it’s still an issue.”
Housing Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Cllr Lezley Marion Cameron, said: “I can confirm that the council is committed to supporting the resolution of issues at the site in Granton and that we are in ongoing discussions with the Scottish Government and communities to help find a suitable solution for everyone.”