Greens Vow to Trump Council Over Backing for GBP 1bn Resort
By Frank Urquhart
CONSERVATION campaigners yesterday vowed to continue to fight Donald Trump’s plans to build a GBP 1 billion golf resort on a spectacular unspoiled stretch of the Scottish coast after planners backed the proposal.
Environmental organisations, including Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and RSPB Scotland, have united in objecting to the ambitious resort development on the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire. They claim the scheme will seriously damage a nationally important nature conservation site and vital sand-dune habitats.
They say the resort proposals will effectively destroy a third of the vital natural heritage features of the Foveran Links site of special scientific interest.
But senior planners in Aberdeenshire Council are backing the scheme, claiming that the “social and economic” benefits should override the environmental impacts of the project.
Simon Milne, chief executive of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, said:
“The highly sensitive and dynamic dune ecosystem is recognised as one of the top five dune habitats in Britain. The recommendation makes a mockery of having designated areas.”
Richard Firmin, chairman of the Ythan Project Volunteers, a group formed to safeguard the nearby Ythan estuary, said: “It fills me with disgust. With Trump promising to plough millions into the local economy, there has been no attempt to quantify the economic value of what is being destroyed.”
The recommendation to back the scheme, which departs from the local and structure plans, is being made by Raymond Reid, the council’s head of development management and building standards, in a report to go before next Tuesday’s meeting of the Formartine area committee.
The Trump Organisation is planning to build two championship courses. The resort also includes a five-star hotel, 500 residential homes and almost 1,000 timeshare apartments.
(c) 2007 Scotsman, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.