'All options' studied at Collin travellers' site

A council has agreed to explore "all options" to upgrade a travellers' site facing an estimated cost of nearly £8m to bring it up to standard.

The facility at Collin, near Dumfries, is built on peatland and needs the major work to tackle subsidence.

The improvements are required to meet guidance on minimum standards published more than three years ago.

Dumfries and Galloway Council will look at how it can tackle the issues at the site.

A further £338,000 has been recommended to improve the other council-run travellers' site at Glenluce

Andy Ferguson, who chairs the council's communities committee, said he was keen to see alternative ideas for Collin looked at.

"I don't think the public would be very happy - that includes the travellers - if we were to spend £8m basically digging out a bog," he said.

"So we have asked officers to leave no stone unturned to look at all the potential options there could be."

Ian Blake, who represents the Abbey ward, questioned the need to operate facilities at two locations.

"There may be an option to actually leave that site and look at a neighbouring site should one be available," he said.

"I still think we need to look across the board to see if two sites are actually necessary."

He said he had asked if it was an option to increase capacity at Glenluce - about 70 miles (113km) from the Collin site - and had been told that space was available.