Planning row hotel chief: 'Small-minded politics costs Scotland jobs'

Published on Thursday 6 March 2008 22:11

THE businessman behind controversial proposals to expand the Aviemore Highland resort has launched a scathing attack on Scotland's "political backbiting" and sluggish planning system, which he claims discourage investors.

In a letter to The Scotsman, Donald Macdonald, the chief executive of Macdonald Hotels, said "real jobs and real opportunities are being threatened by the heavy hand of bureaucracy and small-minded politics".

Mr Macdonald also attacked "political gossip and point- scoring, neither of which helps those trying to promote business and job security".

And he warned: "Sadly, the future of Aviemore, like many other developments and opportunities in Scotland, continues to be dogged by the slow pace of approval and regulation. Business people like myself are losing heart and interest in trying when we know there are other places where we will be welcomed and supported in helping to drive economic success."

Mr Macdonald also called on the country to put its efforts into working together, rather than "wasting time and energy on petty arguing".

His comments come after Mike Rumbles, a Liberal Democrat MSP, stormed out of a Holyrood committee meeting when he was stopped from asking officials about political interference in the planning process.

He accused Roseanna Cunningham, the convener of the rural affairs committee, of bias when she stopped him questioning the officials of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa).

Last night, Mr Rumbles said he "couldn't agree more" with Mr Macdonald's complaint that the planning system was sluggish.

But he insisted that political questioning was essential "to make sure the planning system is robust and independent", and said problems occurred when people believed there were "special rules for the big boys".

The Aviemore planning application, which included improvements to the resort, a new supermarket and 140 houses, has been at the centre of a wrangle at Holyrood as Mr Macdonald gave 30,000 to the SNP last May.

The plan was originally opposed by Sepa on grounds of a flood risk. However, the organisation's objections were later withdrawn – and Labour and the Lib Dems allege political interference was at work.

Alex Salmond, the First Minister, has acknowledged that he called Jim Mackinnon, Scotland's chief planner, over the issue, while Mike Russell, the environment minister, contacted Campbell Gemmell, Sepa's chief executive, to raise concerns.

Mr Macdonald also met two other SNP ministers – Fergus Ewing and Jim Mather – at the SNP conference in Aviemore in October to discuss his application's progress.

Ministers have insisted that they acted within the rules and claim that if the project had collapsed it would have led to the loss of 300 jobs.

In his letter to The Scotsman, Mr Macdonald insisted claims of "ministerial interference and pressure on agencies throughout the recent debacle… does not stand up to scrutiny", and said his firm was losing more than 300,000 a month because of the delays.

The controversy erupted in the wake of the Trump saga, which has seen the SNP government face allegations of "sleaze" from Nicol Stephen, the Scottish Lib Dems' leader.

Donald Trump's plans for "the best golf course in the world" at Menie Estate, Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, were called in by the Scottish Government, after an Aberdeenshire Council committee rejected them.

It emerged there were meetings between Trump's aides, Mr Salmond – acting as the local MSP – and Mr Mackinnon.

Last week, it was announced that the plans would go to public consultation.

The application has thrown up heavy criticism of the planning process, with Mr Salmond's Council of Economic Advisers stating it has to be speeded up.

The Scottish Government is currently looking at the system.