Trump's £1bn Scottish golf plans thrown out

Donald Trump’s plans for a £1bn (€1.3bn) golf resort and complex in Scotland were today thrown out by councillors.

The US property tycoon’s planning application for Trump International Golf Links Scotland was rejected by members of Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure services committee.

Outline planning permission for the development was earlier approved by the authority’s area committee.

But members of the more powerful infrastructure committee voted against the proposal.

The casting vote on whether to reject or defer the decision was made by committee chairman Martin Ford after a 7-7 deadlock.

Mr Ford, who had warned members it would be a ``grotesque mistake'' to grant the application without any negotiation, voted to reject the application.

George Sorial, Mr Trump’s right-hand man who was in Aberdeen for the meeting, said: “Obviously we are very disappointed.

“It is our position that the council has failed to adequately represent the voice and opinion of the people of Aberdeen and the shire who are ultimately the losers here.”

Mr Sorial added that they were “not sure” if they would appeal against the decision.

“I think we have been very frank all along – we do have options elsewhere in the UK and we will sit down now and look at that,” he said.

“We haven’t made a formal decision yet.”

The committee’s decision to reject the application was made after a two-and-a-half-hour, often heated, debate.

The proposed resort included two championship golf courses, a five-star hotel, a golf academy, nearly 1,000 holiday homes and 500 private houses.

Concerns centred around the fact that part of the resort would be built on a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) containing sensitive sand dunes.

There were also worries that plans for 500 private houses did not form part of Aberdeenshire Council’s local plan.

Wildlife groups and some local residents were also among those opposed to the controversial resort.