Donald Trump inquiry latest

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14.30: DONALD Trump was accused today of getting “carried away” by plans to create the world’s greatest golf course at Balmedie.

A representative for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds told a public inquiry in Aberdeen that the claims had been “overstated”.

Refering to the tycoon’s evidence, David Tyldesley said: “His answers indicated to me that he may be in danger of being carried away by his dream, losing sight of the possibility that his scheme may not fulfil its ambitions.”

Mr Tyldesely also described the £1 billion plan - which includes two courses, 500 houses, a hotel, and 950 holiday homes – as the “epitome of unsustainable development”.

He said: “This leisure development, of enormous scale, on a greenfield location, detached from an urban area, relying heavily on high-end tourism and increases in international flights, and which is severely damaging to nationally important natural features, habitats and species, is the epitome of unsustainable development.”

Objectors are concerned about building on the shifting sand dunes – a Site of Special Scientific Interest – which Mr Trump has claimed is essential to creating “the world’s greatest course”.

Mr Tyldesely said: “The concept that our environment can always be managed, wherever we choose to manipulate it, lacks an understanding of such natural processes.

“A key role of the planning system is to ensure that society’s land requirements in terms of housing, economic activity, transport infrastructure and recreation are met in ways which do not erode environmental capital.”

He suggested that environmental consultants had wanted to see more of the landscape preserved but that their “hands were tied” by an “intransigent client”.

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11.30: COUNCIL planners were today accused of “bias” in supporting Donald Trump’s £1 billion Balmedie golf resort plan.

A public inquiry in Aberdeen was told that their recommendation to back the scheme lacked “credibility”.

Mr Trump wants to build 500 houses to help finance the resort, which would include two courses, a hotel and 950 holiday homes.

But John Agnew, representing Sustainable Aberdeenshire, said it was “difficult to accept” the need for housing.

He said: “This is of no assistance of credibility of the position of council officers at this inquiry, quite simply because they assumed their position in support of the 500 houses in the absence of any financial evidence to support their position.

“In my submission this amounted to bias arising from a fear that the development may not proceed without consent for the housing.”

He added: “It is difficult to accept that the housing is required to make the golf course, or course, or resort development profitable.”