COUNCIL bosses have ditched their search for a new travellers site.

North Ayrshire Council revealed this week they are no longer searching for a new short stay site for travellers in North Ayrshire.

The council say this is due to a significant drop in the number of encampments between June and September this year – a trend NAC hope will continue.

In total, 10 sites – all in Irvine, Dreghorn and Kilwinning – were considered as potential short stay sites but the council believed none were suitable.

The decision to consider a short stay site was made at a Cabinet meeting in June which laid bare the extent of North Ayrshire’s issues relating to travellers.

The Times has previously reported how problems relating to the travelling community have arisen at Irvine Moor and the town’s i3 Business Park.

A report set to be presented to this week’s Cabinet meeting revealed that between June and September this year, there was a 75 per cent reduction in the amount of unauthorised encampments on council land compared with 2014.

Last year, 93 encampments appeared in North Ayrshire – a rise of 132 per cent – but only 37 of these were on council land with 56 on private property.

According to NAC, this rise was “clearly influenced” by the number of evictions carried out by the council and other landowners resulting in greater movement between locations.

In addition, the council say a number of measures they carried out affected the significant June to September drop.

These included restricting vehicle access to certain areas, landowners being given greater security, helping settle seven families into the Redburn Caravan Park and helping secure housing for two traveller families.

And it was this significant drop that prompted council chiefs to halt their attempts of finding a short stay site.

NAC say they hope the number of unauthorised encampments continues to drop but insist they will continue to monitor the situation.