LATEST:Trump Public Enquiry
On 29th November 2007 Aberdeenshire Council initially agreed with SWT’s objection and refused the application by Trump International Golf Links Scotland Limited (TIGLS) for development of the golf resort on the Menie Estate. The refusal was a clear acknowledgment of the unacceptable level of environmental impact associated with the proposal. However, celebrations were to be short lived.
A week later Scottish Ministers took the unprecedented decision to call in the Trump application in order to further scrutinise the proposal. The reason for the 'call in' was that the proposed development raised questions of national importance. On 28th February 2008 the Scottish Government announced their decision to hold a Public Local Inquiry which ran from 10th June to 4th July 2008.
During the inquiry, SWT joined forces with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland and the Botanical Society of the British Isles to make a robust scientific case for the protection of the Foveran Links Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Jonny Hughes, formerly SWT’s Head of Policy (now Director of Conservation) and Martin Auld, RSPB Regional Director, gave oral evidence at the inquiry on 24th June.
They presented a compelling case that urged the Reporters to recommend refusal of the golf resort on environmental grounds, or if they were minded to grant outline planning permission, it should at the very least be on condition that the golf resort was located outwith the SSSI.
In an attempt to reach a potential win win scenario, SWT and RSPB Scotland commissioned a respected golf course architect, Mike Wood, to design two alternative championship standard golf on the Menie Estate but away from Foveran Links SSSI. The re-design showed it is easily possible to build two world class courses on the Menie Estate without destroying the SSSI.
However, the Trump team rejected the idea of an alternative golf course location on the grounds that a course which avoided the SSSI would not achieve Mr Trump's ‘ambitions’. How ironic that the unique and unspoilt character of the SSSI appears to have led to its downfall.
After considering the evidence, the Reporters concluded that the economic benefits of the proposed golf resort outweighed the damaging environmental effects and they recommended that Scottish Ministers approve outline planning permission subject to a number of important planning conditions.
On 3th November 2008, Cabinet Secretary John Swinney granted outline planning permission for the proposed golf resort.
