Trump plans branded 'morally unacceptable'

Published on Tuesday 11 August 2009 22:40

AN MSP has accused the Trump Organisation of "morally unacceptable" behaviour in the growing row over the possible use of compulsory purchase orders to force families from their homes for a £1 billion golf resort.

American tycoon Donald Trump has already come under fire from local protestors for planning a modern day "Highland Clearance" of land around the Menie Estate development site, following the refusal of five locals to sell their properties.

The Trump Organisation has conceded it may become necessary to seek the support of Aberdeenshire Council's compulsory purchase powers to secure the additional 100 acres of land it claims is vital to the golf development.

Until now, opposition to the use of CPOs has come from protest groups and some Aberdeenshire councillors. But Mike Rumbles, the Liberal Democrat MSP for Kincardine and West Aberdeenshire, has now weighed in to the controversy.

On the possibility of families being forced from their homes, Mr Rumbles states in his column in a weekly newspaper: "While this is all procedurally correct, this behaviour by the Trump Organisation is morally unacceptable. Compulsory purchase powers were never designed to aid commercial companies in their pursuit of business advantage."

He continues: "If the Trump Organisation wishes to purchase its neighbours' land, then it should not under any circumstances be allowed to even threaten them with an application to the council for the use of compulsory purchase powers."

However, Donald Trump Jnr, part of the team charged with overseeing the Menie project, has insisted that an application for the use of CPOs at Menie will be used only as a last resort.

Meanwhile, documents lodged with Aberdeenshire Council have revealed, for the first time, the scale of the preparatory works required to start laying out the main championship course at Menie within the fragile dunes in the Foveran links site of special scientific interest.

A report submitted by the Trump Organisation states up to 65,000 square metres of mobile bare sand at the site will have to be planted with maram grass to stabilise the dunes, using manual and mechanical methods.

The report also states: "To meet the aspirations of a world-class championship golf course, there will be a significant level of landscape earthworks to create the desired contours."