Clear off! Trump resort row boils over

Published on Friday 12 March 2010 21:57

THE simmering tension between the Trump Organisation and the families whose homes are threatened by the tycoon's £1 billion golf resort boiled over in public yesterday.

At an exhibition organised by Donald Trump's team to help inform locals of their plans, a senior member of Trump's staff and a householder engaged in an unseemly public slanging match in front of press and television cameras.

During the row, Trump project director Neil Hobday told David Milne, a resident of the Menie Estate, to "just clear off – clear off!".

The Trump team took over the hall of a local hotel, close to the development site, to stage a special exhibition devoted to the masterplan for the controversial resort.

The event had been intended by the Trump group as a means of explaining its vision in more detail. But it only served to underline the rift between those who are for and against the plan.

Representatives of the four Menie families, who claim their homes are under threat of compulsory purchase as a result of the development, were among those invited to the event at the Udny Arms Hotel in Newburgh.

But, within minutes the exhibition descended into a row between Mr Hobday and Mr Milne, one of the Menie Estate residents who are refusing to sell their homes to pave the way for the massive resort.

Tempers flared after Mr Milne, who has lived with his wife, Moira, at Hermit Cottage, for the past 17 years, accused the Trump Organisation of airbrushing the site of his home from the main plan.

He claimed his home had been completely obliterated from the site plan and replaced by "144 parking spaces and 136 holiday flats".

In front of a stunned public, the irate project director launched into a furious tirade against Mr Milne and ending with the order: "This is not your show. This is here for the public to come and have look at what we're doing.

"Pick your own platform, pay for it somewhere else, invite the media and do it there."

Mr Milne, who has previously accused the tycoon of planning to "steal" his land in a modern-day version of the Highland Clearances, claimed the outburst was typical of the "arrogance" of the Trump Organisation.

He said:

"I was surprised at the lack of professionalism shown by a man who is the project director. We were individually invited here by letter and e-mail and then he basically tells us to get out."

But Sarah Malone, executive vice-president of Trump International Scotland, defended the comments.

She said

: "This was an opportunity to engage in a public consultation. This is not a forum to shout personal views and to intimidate other people. (Mr Milne] was making declarations and statements which were false."

Asked about Mr Hobday's reaction, she said: "I think passions and emotions are high when things that are being said are false. Mr Milne] is talking about matters that we don't believe he is well- informed on. If this happens again he will be asked to leave."

Mr Milne later left the hall without further incident. The exhibition is open again today.

For God's sake grow up – how set-to erupted

THE outburst begins as David Milne is standing at the far end of a large table, displaying various maps and drawings of the Menie project, and starts voicing his concerns about the "destruction" of the mobile sand dune system where the main championship golf course is being built, to golf course consultant Caspar Grauballe.

Neil Hobday, standing at the opposite end of the table: "David, this is not your show. This is here for the public to come and have look at what we're doing. Pick your own platform, pay for it somewhere else, invite the media and do it there. Just clear off – clear off! If you don't stop, you will have to leave."

Milne: "I was invited here by yourselves – I am not telling these people how to do their jobs."

Hobday: "You were invited here with the rest of the public to have a look at this – not to hold court and hijack the whole show."

Milne: "I am not hijacking the show."

Hobday: "This is an exhibition. This is a public exhibition – not the David Milne show. Standing here listening to you – what's the business model?"

Milne: "It's a 20-year-old business model of conspicuous consumption that has failed in numerous other locations worldwide."

Hobday: "Oh for God's sake, for God's sake, grow up, just grow up, David."

Hobday then starts to leave the room.

Milne: "Neil, good luck. You are going to need it."