RELATIONS between the Orange Order and the authorities are at serious risk of being undone by a surge in disputes over police parade demands, a new Scottish Government report has found.

Calling for urgent clarity on the use of road closure orders and, in the main, Loyalist parades, the report warns that "good relations, often tentative and fragile" are being undermined, with some organisations signalling a willingness to take local authorities to court over the issue.

Insisting the vast majority of Scotland's Loyalist and Republican processions are well-organised and professionally managed, and crucially making no recommendations for new legislation, the report however claims Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders (TTROs) are the biggest and most complex issue currently facing those involved with parading.

It states: "It seems absolutely clear that the current situation is sorely lacking clarity and has potential to do damage to existing procedures and relationships. The urgency of these questions are thus relevant to every community and organisation in Scotland, not simply parading organisations."

Produced by Edinburgh University sociologist Dr Michael Rosie, the report found that despite public perceptions about Loyal Order and Irish Republican marches, including a survey were over half of people opposed their right to march, there was little evidence of widespread misbehaviour "let alone serious disorder and criminality".

It states that, in particular the Orange Order but also other Loyalist and Republican groups, were professional in their approaches to parade organisation and had improved on stewarding in recent years, reducing police costs.

But it said the increased police use of TTROs, which essentially close off roads for a limited period of time and replace the more ad hoc use of officers to direct traffic, had created an "uncertainty (which is) corrosive of the good relations and trust built up between parading organisations, local authorities and Police Scotland".

TTROs, it claims, magnifies vexed issues around parades, their costs, consistency of approach with all organisations and issues of democratic assembly.

The report states: "Good relations and trust, built through dialogue and through good experiences and fulfilled promises (from all sides) on the ground, is essential to the continued positive experiences around marches and parades in Scotland."

The report also found third of councils offered no information about future marches and parades, with less than half giving information on how to make comments or objections, adding: "Clear accessible information for ordinary citizens whose lives and businesses may be inconvenienced is at a premium".

It quotes some officials claiming that a "practical lack of real consultation can be a way for local authorities to insulate themselves" from floods of calls for parades to be banned.

Elsewhere it states the impact on resources remains key to Police Scotland's view of parades, but that the force said criminality at Loyal Order and Irish Republican parades was “at a fairly low level”.

The force is quoted as saying the difficulty was "keeping a lid" on events, particularly the Glasgow Boyne celebrations in July, which officers said sometimes required "higher tolerance of behaviours that would not be tolerated on another occasion".

It also quotes Police Scotland as stating that public perceptions had not caught up with marked improvements around parades and organisations "should think further about how to reassure the public".

Minister for Community Safety Annabelle Ewing said: “A number of areas where better dialogue and increased clarity, consistency, transparency and engagement could be highly beneficial to their smooth-running have been identified and where recommendations have been made, we would urge organisers, local authorities and Police Scotland to take these into consideration.

“The Scottish Government is ready to engage will all parties on the way forward to ensure the marches and parades process continues to be a positive experience for those involved.”

Dr Rosie added: “The vast majority of Scotland’s marches and parades are well-organised, carefully planned, and well-stewarded. Overwhelmingly these are appropriately and sensitively facilitated and supervised by local councils and by Police Scotland.

“There is, though, no room for complacency and I hope my recommendations are taken on board by all relevant parties.”

See today's Agenda, page 13.