Sunday October 19th 2025
West Lothian Council headquarters
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Stuart Sommerville
Concerns have been raised over whether a new working group on traveller issues in West Lothian will be able achieve anything substantial.
The council faced huge clear up bills after a series of unauthorised traveller encampments around West Lothian this summer.
The new working group aims to bring together police and prosecution service and council services to look at ways of using existing legislation more effectively as well considering introducing dedicated sites for travellers.
Janet Campbell, the leader of West Lothian’s opposition SNP group, pointed out that the chair and vice chair appointed this week had both voted against the SNP proposal to set up the working group in the first place.
She also doubted that a January reporting date outlined in the papers drawn up by the council’s Governance Manager would give the working group enough time to speak to” a number of outside bodies including other local authorities for some expert advice.”
Councillor Campbell’s nomination of the sole Lib Dem councillor Sally Pattle to chair the working group was rejected in favour of Labour’s Tom Conn.
And an SNP proposal that Andrew Miller, who suggested the working group, be vice-chair was rejected in favour of Conservative Angela Doran-Timson.
Councillor Conn scoffed at the SNP criticism. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he stood by his record in serving on working groups and said Councillor Campbell should wait until the group delivered its deliberations before judging.
Councillor Doran-Timson had raised a motion at the last full council meeting, calling on the council to write to the Scottish Government demanding an update to the laws to allow councils and the police to act faster to evict travellers.
Under existing legislation the council has to petition a Sheriff for permission to evict travellers from unauthorised encampments.
The motion followed a series of encampments in Livingston by travellers this summer which cost the council thousands of pounds to clear up.
It was defeated by Councillor Andrew Miller’s amendment which called for a cross-party working group, working with existing partners, and the Traveller community to look at how to use existing council legislation more effectively.
Councillor Pattle and Independent Andrew McGuire backed the SNP to win the vote for the working group.
Both councilors, along with Councillor Miller, will serve on the working group.
However following the appointments to head the working group at the Executive this week Councillor Campbell told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Whilst I welcome the report brought to council on Tuesday to set up a working group to tackle this issue I have grave concerns that the two people put forward by the Leader of the Council to be Chair and Vice Chair both voted against the amendment that led to this group being set up at all.
“Can we really have confidence that either of these two people will work cooperatively with the other members to ensure the work of this group is both constructive and will work in partnership with traveller representatives to find a way forward.”
She added: “The SNP’s Councillor Andrew Miller brought this to West Lothian Council as a constructive way forward regarding unauthorised encampments. We recognise and share the concerns raised by local residents. We also acknowledge however that currently West Lothian Council does not have a permanent site for travellers nor does this council allow travellers access to Civic Amenity Sites.
“We have asked for senior officers from Waste Services, Safer Neighbourhood Teams and recycling and Waste Services, in addition to representatives of the travelling community to be asked for their expert opinions on finding a way forward for West Lothian.
“We have also requested that advice be sought for other local authority areas on good working practice. Will the chair and vice-chair put forward by Councillor Lawrence Fitzpatrick take expert advice seriously when their views are already well known?”
Councillor Conn told the LDRS: “The council Executive has made a decision and I will carry out the duties that would be expected, taking account of the papers presented and the motion put forward by Andrew Miller.
“I will do my level best to comply with the spirit of the working group. I think its best any questions are left until after the working group delivers on its deliberations to the full council. I think it’s at that time the Councillor Campbell can judge how effective it is. ”
He added that if the SNP didn’t like the results they could walk out- referring to the opposition group’s exit from the last meeting of the full council.
Councillor Doran-Timson said her constituents were “fed up with anti-social behaviour, environmental damage, and significant disruption” to local communities, public services that followed the series of encampments over the summer.
At this week’s meeting, along with accepting her place on the working group, Councillor Doran-Timson repeated her call that it was time for a change to legislation.
Councillor Pattle welcomed the setting up of the working group but asked that the January date suggested for reporting back to councillors should be an update on progress rather than the culmination of the group.
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