Aberdeenshire City Council in Scotland has reversed an earlier rejection of the plans by property magnate Donald Trump to construct a £1 bn (EUR 1.4 bn) golf resort in the area. The development is opposed by environmentalists and some residents who say it would have a negative impact on the environmentally sensitive area. The project consists of two championship golf courses, a 450-room luxury hotel, 950 short-term rental apartments and 500 homes on the 567-hectare Menie Estate owned by Trump.
Aberdeenshire City Council in Scotland has reversed an earlier rejection of the plans by property magnate Donald Trump to construct a £1 bn (EUR 1.4 bn) golf resort in the area. The development is opposed by environmentalists and some residents who say it would have a negative impact on the environmentally sensitive area. The project consists of two championship golf courses, a 450-room luxury hotel, 950 short-term rental apartments and 500 homes on the 567-hectare Menie Estate owned by Trump.
According to news reports, the about-face came as Trump wrote to council members to assure them of his environmentally friendly credentials. Last month, Trump obtained planning approval from a council committee, but this was subsequently overturned by the council's higher infrastructure committee. The council's reversal was symbolic as the national Scottish assembly has said it would have the final say on Trump' s application and that the full council did not have the authority to overturn the initial decision. The local business community also backs the development.
As the council backed Trump' s plan, it also voted to unseat Martin Ford as chairman on the committee that rejected the application.