Donald Trump golf course "may be ready in 18 months"

Published on Wednesday 28 October 2009 11:46

GOLFERS could tee off at Donald Trump's controversial luxury resort in 18 months, the property tycoon's son said today.

Donald Trump Jnr was visiting the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire where work officially began on the coastal golf course.

Councillors gave the green light yesterday for the first stage of the building of the 1 billion two-course resort, which includes a hotel and almost 1,000 holiday homes.

Objectors say they are taking legal advice over Aberdeenshire Council's decision to approve the work.

But Mr Trump Jnr said the project is the "most scrutinised in the UK ever".

Speaking at the estate, he said: "Today is incredibly significant, it is the culmination of four years of very hard and very important work and something that is very near and dear to our hearts.

"It's great to no longer be at the point where we are talking about planning and development but are actually doing construction work."

The developer said he hoped golfers would be able to tee off on the course within 18 months to two years – the building schedule will depend on the weather.

The work begun today involved the laying of marram grass to "stabilise" the sand dunes.

Mr Trump Jnr said of environmental opposition to the resort: "It is very easy to say that something is not environmentally sound but it is something else to hire in teams to look at it.

"We have voluntarily brought in some of the best environmental consultants in the country, worked with governments and the environmental councils.

"We have brought in people to make sure we are doing everything right, to make sure we don't fall into any pitfalls and we have been very careful about that, so we are not at all concerned about detractors.

"But we have beaten the detractors time and time again and I think we will continue to do so."

An Aberdeenshire Council committee originally rejected the proposal for the golf course but the plan was called in by the Scottish Government, which approved the luxury resort.

Economic and investment agency Scottish Enterprise and tourism body VisitScotland are in favour of the resort but local opposition remains.

Some residents are refusing to sell their homes to make way for the resort and objectors fear that compulsory purchase orders (CPO) may be used.

Mr Trump Jnr said: "We do have a good relationship with those people despite the fact we are perhaps on different sides of the fence.

"We do continue to have that dialogue and some people will be more vocal about it than others.

"We do want to work things out very amicably, if at all possible.

"The CPO process has always been a last resort but it is something that remains on the table."