Donald Trump // Current

Presidential Doodles - Blog - Copy Cut Paste

Real drawing doodles of Obama and Palin. Quite surprising. Also, site pokes fun at some other politicians/celebrities would-be... more

plasterandpaste
added this

0 responses

10 minutes ago

Donald Trump's Scottish golf course gets OK over the environment

The billionaire property developer Donald Trump has won permission to build "the world's greatest golf course", complete with high-rise timeshare flats and eight-storey hotel, on a rare and ecologically sensitive stretch of dunes overlooking the North Sea.

The New York-based businessman said he was "greatly honoured" after Scottish ministers in Edinburgh confirmed that his dream of creating one of golf's most northerly resorts had been approved, despite vociferous opposition from environmentalists and many local residents.

His most famous opponent, Michael Forbes, the fisherman and quarry worker who earned abuse from Trump last year after refusing repeatedly to sell his home, which is on the land, still intends to stay put. "They reckon the construction will last 10 years, but I'll never ever sell to that loudmouth bully," Forbes said last night.

The £1bn coastal resort north of Aberdeen, which covers 2,000 acres (809 hectares), is to have two 18-hole championship courses, four blocks of 950 timeshare flats, 500 "exclusive" homes, 36 villas, a golf academy, and housing for 400 staff. There will also be a coast road, named Trump Boulevard.

Yesterday's outline planning approval legally binds Trump to agree to environmental checks and controls giving Aberdeenshire council and the Scottish government's environment agency, Scottish Natural Heritage, oversight to ensure the remaining wildlife is protected.

Trump will be also required to build a 225-pupil primary school, shops, 98 low-cost houses and 50 starter homes (on land provided free by the council) in return for the 500-home estate, chalets and timeshares that will fund the development.

The decision was welcomed by the local constituency MSP, the first minister and leader of the Scottish National party, Alex Salmond, and numerous business and tourism groups which regard it as a boost to the regional economy.

Salmond, whose party faces a crucial byelection on Thursday in Glenrothes, Fife, said he had not influenced the decision. "In tough economic times, substantial investment of this kind is at a premium - 6,000 jobs, including 1,400 which will be local and permanent, is a powerful argument. It is entirely right and proper that the resources of the country are harnessed to boost one of our great industries, and tourism is a great Scottish industry."

Conservationists were furious when ministers agreed to override legal protection for part of the Foveran links, a legally protected system of naturally shifting sand dunes. It is designated a site of special scientific interest under EU legislation - but it is also central to Trump's vision. The plan is for the "back nine" holes of the main 18-hole course to be built over about a 10th of the dunes, despite the protests from Trump's own ecologists and Scottish Natural Heritage that this is unnecessarily destructive. Trump has refused to move that section of the course, and overruled his own environmental experts, telling the planning inquiry in June that he didn't do "half-assed" - it had to be all or nothing, he told the inspectors. The inspectors ruled that the damage to the dunes was outweighed by the resort's substantial value to the economy.

This judgment was challenged by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. "It appears that the desires of one high-profile overseas developer, who refused to compromise one inch, have been allowed to override the legal protection of this important site," said Aedan Smith, RSPB Scotland's head of planning.
_____________________________-
Clearly illustrating that rich arrogant bastards can buy their way regarding anything. I hope the person holding out stays there through the entire building process.This is totally unneccesary. Imagine how much water will be wasted watering this monstrosity? And for what? Donald Trump is a disgrace.The billionaire property developer Donald Trump has won permission to build "the world's greatest golf course",... more