Aberdeeenshire Council’s Formartine Area Committee met today, Tuesday 26 March, and decided not to grant retrospective planning permission to Trump International Golf Links for works at the Menie Estate which had gone against the approved plan.
A Council spokesperson advised that:-
“the application was deferred to allow a site visit and a public hearing. (there was no vote – the action was agreed by committee). The date and time of both will be arranged in due course.”
The Planning Officer had recommended granting retrospective permission, which would have seen a giant mound of earth block the Munro home’s access to light approved. The bund had already caused problems for the family when first constructed; dirt and sand from it blew into their property including their home, and damaged cars.
Campaigners also celebrated today as the Government gave the go-ahead to the offshore windfarms Trump so desperately vowed to fight. Area resident David Milne commented:-
“It came as no surprise, but it was still pleasing to hear that the Scottish Government had decided to retain control over their own energy policy and not hand it over to a non resident, self interested developer.
“It was, however, more surprising and even more pleasing that Aberdeenshire Council decided not to issue retrospective permission for unlawfully constructed bunds surrounding the Munros home at Menie and instead delay their decision until a site visit has taken place; they have after all only had since the spring of last year to consider this.
“Whilst the 17800 signatories to the call for a public inquiry into their behaviour may have had some effect, we can but hope that common sense has finally reared its head with the council, I shall wait and see if this logical and honest decision is the start of a trend or an aberration.”
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At last a bit of good news, I just hope it’s the beginning of the end for this vile uncaring man.
Hahah! Get it up ye, Trump, you daft fool!
Great news! Maybe the powers that be are starting to see sense, especially with a public enquiry looming… 😉
I am so happy with both decisions today, I wish all the residents continued success with their fight against Trump. I will support them in every way I can every step of the way! <3
Another piece of amazing backward thinking by the Aberdeenshire council. Here we have a Billionaire willing to invest in our local area to the tune of god knows how many millions and we are again treated with disdain by the elected council officials. The pointless wind farm project will provide next to no local jobs, the turbines will be built over seas if we (Scotland) are lucky the towers may be built in Nigg (Around 150 miles north of ABZ) however no local industry will benefit. Once up and running there is minimal maintenance on them so again will not provide many if any local jobs. The building of a second course a hotel and houses on the Menie estate will employ local trades man and women directly for many years to come during the building process. The hotel will provide jobs for many more locals once open for bookings. The course and hotel will pump much needed funds in to the local economy on a daily basis and far more during the summer months. There would also be a very real chance of European golf tournaments being held in Aberdeen and perhaps even the best of the lot The Open. The wind farm could be easily moved 15-20 miles up the coast and be tied in to an existing power station at Peterhead……. Trump may not cast himself in the best light every time he open his mouth however it’s him opening his wallet this city and shire needs. His building of Bunds around the houses is out of order and should be taken down however shooting ourselves in the foot by passing a plan for windmills is beyond comprehension.
Major international investors (many of whom I’m sure he calls friends) will look at Scotland and Aberdeen in particular and think why bother. What’s the point of trying to set up anything there when this is how they think, lets go to Ireland or France or Spain or wherever just don’t bother with Scotland!! Well done Aberdeenshire council you’ve covered your faces in egg once again…..
We need major investment (not at any cost) in this region and by doing this we have shown we are not worth the hassle of investing in.
Move the wind farm up the coast and benefit from both projects, win win situation!!
Hi Drue
Do you work for the P&J? You might well do because your argument is as unsophisticated as one of theirs.
So you support illegal land developments? As long as the developer is rich, that’s OK then?
On the turbines, do you really think that wind power is going nowhere? Its all a big scam? Believe you me, the days of simple fossil fuel are coming to an end and we are going to need a mix of fossil fuel, renewables, energy conservation, and if we can sort the waste disposal, nuclear. The technologies still need to be sorted and if Aberdeen cannot get in on the act by using its offshore wind to research one of the more promising technologies, the NE will never become a player.
Get over yourself, you are going to see a lot more wind power.
Bob,
No I don’t work for the P&J.
No I never said i support any illegal developments and to my knowledge there aren’t any going on here…….
Tell me what the benefit of building the wind farm in Aberdeen Bay as opposed to Cruden bay? My argument isn’t against wind power and development of wind power if you had taken off your blinkers you’d have seen that. The argument is why there and in doing so stop further investment in Aberdeen/shire. The subsidies that has been pumped into wind in the past is coming to an end so is an expensive for of energy and do a trial in Aberdeen Bay is a very expensive gamble seeing as there is hundreds of millions worth of investment sitting there waiting.
There is a power station at Peterhead that could be utilised without having to build another sud station on the coast in the area and in moving them up the coast we get the best of both worlds…. Your and the others who spout their Anti Trump hatred can’t see the wood for the trees. You only want to see him fail and in doing so you would see millions lost to the local economy ever year. It’s a high price to pay to feel smug!
My feelings on Donal Trump is he makes himself look like an idiot each and every time he opens his mouth about the issue and Scotland however yes I’ll take a rich man’s investment in our area even if he is an Idiot cause I can’t see a line of them forming….. Just another feather in the shoot ourselves in the foot cap by the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils and the UTG debacle. No doubt you were opposed to that also…..??
Have a wee read of this, Drue:
http://billmoyers.com/2013/03/27/trump-and-the-turbines/
‘we are being treated with disdain by the council’. Certainly are. How they could even think of rubberstamping a contentious illegal development with retrospective planning permission without informing the opponents is total disdain for every one of us. That illegal development is designed solely to punish Trump’s opponents.
‘Billionaire willing to invest in our local area to the tune of god knows how many millions’. Is he a billionaire? His net worth could be as low as 150-250 million dollars. How many millions is he investing in our local area? Do you know? Apart from God the council, or the Scottish Government should. Whatever it is won’t be what Trump is claiming. He just opens his mouth and his latest factless fantasy spews out.
To make this development pay, and to bring ecomonic benefit to Aberdeenshire, it has to attract seriously wealthy golfers in huge numbers. And when those people come to Scotland they want heritage and tradition, not the kind of resort they can find anywhere else outside Scotland.
Well done Aberdeenshire – at last, and well done Aberdeen Voice/Suzanne Kelly for all the work and effort that has gone into this campaign! Thanks. 🙂
Good news – let’s hope the tide is turning
Aberdeenshire and the government “shot themselves in the foot” a while ago, when they granted planning permission, on a SSSI, to Donald Trump. He is seen as a joke in his own country, full of bluster and exaggeration and with a history of uncompleted projects and profitable (to him) bankruptcies, evident from the most cursory research into his business record. The real embarrassment is that so many people were gullible enough to believe his wild claims for jobs and profits, blinded, no doubt, by his apparent and ostentatious wealth. Any decision about a test centre for wind energy is a government decision and cannot and should not be influenced by the uninformed and self-serving pronouncements of someone who is not the success he pretends to be. In this context, he is, indeed, the evidence!
The Shire council made an error when they wrote to me about an aspect of this decision: as soon as they come back to me, I will have an article correcting their error. More on this as soon as possible