New Trump golf course upsets Scottish environmentalists

Construction of the new development consists of 2,000 acres of over 1,000 homes and vacation rentals, a 450-bedroom hotel and two golf courses. Optimistically, Trump hopes to open the new location by Spring 2011, hoping to immediately create 6,000 jobs, including 1,400 permanent positions.

Martin Ford, the former chairman of Aberdeenshire Council’s planning committee, is opposed to the project.

“A billionaire’s vanity project has been put ahead of a Site of Special Scientific Interest. There will be widespread suspicion that nobody else would get this permission, because it breaches so many sound principles of good planning.”

“The decision to build a golf course on an SSSI amounts to wanton vandalism. It is gratuitous, because at the inquiry it was demonstrated that it was possible to accommodate the golf course on the estate without using the SSSI,” continued Ford.

The project also faces opposition from two powerful lobbying organizations, the RSPB and the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

“The crazy thing is that there could easily have been both golf and environmental protection at Menie,” said Jonny Hughes, head of policy at the Scottish Wildlife Trust. “Instead, government ministers have failed to deliver the sustainable part of their professed central purpose of ‘sustainable economic growth’. “This decision will mean needless destruction to a unique and nationally important site.”

“The RSPB commissioned a golf course architect to design a layout that incorporated the SSSI within the development. However, Mr Trump ignored this advice,” said Aedan Smith, head of planning and development at RSPB Scotland.

“It appears that the desires of one high-profile overseas developer, who refused to compromise one inch, have been allowed to override the legal protection of this important site, and we fear this sets a precedent which will undermine the whole protected sites network in Scotland.”
Alex Salmond, the First Minister, is in full support of the project, stating: “In tough economic times, substantial investment of this kind is at a premium…

It is entirely right and proper that the resources of the country are harnessed to boost one of our great industries – and tourism is a great Scottish industry.”