May8 Trumpopposition
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Donald Trump will have a battle on his hands to build what he calls “the world’s best golf course” in Scotland.
The American billionaire will face tough opposition from ramblers and birdwatchers, who are planning to submit their concerns to planning officials today.
Both the Ramblers Association Scotland and the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) will lodge objections with Aberdeenshire Council, claiming the Trump International Golf Links at Menie Links will “seriously damage ancient sand dunes”.
The Ramblers say the development – which includes two championship golf courses, a 500-bedroom hotel and hundreds of luxury homes – will destroy the rural character of the area and be in breach of local and national planning guidelines.
It also argues that by increasing the number of golf tourists flying into north-east Scotland from destinations across the world the development will add to global warming. The SWT says Trump’s plans to “stabilise” the sand dunes will destroy their value as a wildlife habitat.
The Ramblers Association says: “It is difficult to imagine how the golf course design can be accommodated without causing significant permanent damage and disturbance to the SSSI. The SSSI is of national importance, whereas the development of a new golf course is not.”
The Association says it also objects on landscape grounds. “The sheer scale of the development and the land use change will significantly affect the views and character of the area,” it says.
Paul Gallagher, a spokesman for the SWT, said the Trust’s principal objection was Trump’s plan to “stabilise” the dune network within the SSSI. “Dunes constantly move, which is what provides the habitat,” he said. “Stabilising them to prevent sand blowing onto the golf course will destroy them.”
With so many environmental objections expected, there is a strong possibility that the Trump resort will need ministerial approval, further delaying a project already a year behind the businessman’s desired schedule.
A spokeswoman for Trump said: “Mr Trump is extremely committed to the environment, which is demonstrated in the investment he has made in hiring the country’s leading independent consultants to prepare his environmental statement.”
