Councillors set to allow work to start on Trump's golf resort

Published on Wednesday 21 October 2009 18:59

COUNCILLORS are expected next week to allow work finally to begin on transforming one of the most fragile stretches of Scotland's coastline into Donald Trump's dream golf resort.

The tycoon first announced his ambitious plan three years ago to create the "world's greatest golf course" on the Menie estate, near Balmedie.

On Tuesday, the first detailed proposals for the development of the huge site will come before Aberdeenshire Council's Formartine area committee.

Both RSPB Scotland and the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) have lodged objections to the proposals to begin stabilisation work on what environmentalists have hailed as the "jewel in the crown" of Scotland's shifting sand dune systems.

Tony King, the SWT's head of policy, said:

"Aberdeenshire Council must refuse planning permission until all the conditions of planning consent are met, to minimise the damage to biodiversity caused by development on the site of special scientific interest."

But Sonya Galloway, the area planning officer, is recommending that full planning permission be granted for the grass-planting and preparatory earthworks on an area of the inner dunes covering 105 hectares.

Ms Galloway states: "The objective of this proposal is to stabilise a large area of mobile, bare sand, through the establishment of marram grass, to facilitate the construction and operation of the championship golf course.

"It is within this area that the holes at the northern end of the championship golf course are proposed in due course."