Last week at Aberdeenshire council, a mild-mannered councillor who travels around by bicycle, Martin Ford, cast the deciding vote which turned down US billionaire Donald Trump's planning application to create a £1 billion golf complex.
Unfortunately the plan for two championship golf courses, a five-star hotel, a golf academy, almost 1,000 holiday homes and 500 private houses also included trampling all over a Site of Special Scientific Interest. See a photo gallery of the area.
Trump's proposals have divided the community. Some argue for the development as an economic boon to the area. On the other side are those who want to protect the beautiful, ecologically important landscape and question the business argument for the proposal.
They have set up a petition on the government's e-petition website which already has 2,871 3,482 signatures and is open until 01 March 2008. The petition wording reads:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to back SNH and stop Donald Trump from building a golf course in Aberdeenshire that will damage a SSSI and one of the top 5 dune sites in the UK."
Also featured in various news items on the issue has been the local man, Martin Forbes, who refuses to sell his property to the developers to make way for the complex.
In an unprecendented move the rejected application has now been 'called in' by Scottish Ministers. A statement from the Scottish Government said:
"Ministers recognise that the application raises issues of importance that require consideration at a national level. Calling the application in allows ministers the opportunity to give full scrutiny to all aspects of this proposal before reaching a final decision."
In response, Councillor Martin Ford said: "There is no doubt in my mind that the council has been bullied over the last few days and that has caused us immense difficulties. The result is that the application has taken a most unusual route and ended up with the Scottish ministers.It is inescapable that this has happened in response to the behaviour of the applicant. It calls into question the integrity of the planning system."
Meanwhile the RSPB have also got involved. Stuart Housden, director of RSPB Scotland, said:
"Ministers should not be hurried or bullied by the strong-arm tactics of Donald Trump. The Infrastructure Services Committee of Aberdeenshire Council took a carefully considered and principled decision when they voted to reject his planning application..." Read the rest of the statement here.
The whole controversy has been likened to the film 'Local Hero' starring Burt Lancaster as an American oil tycoon who wants to buy an entire Scottish village on which to build a refinery. Although some villagers are keen to get their hands on the 'Silver Dollar' and can't believe their luck a local hermit and beach scavenger lives in a shack on the crucial beach which he also owns.
See the similarities? It is sometimes said that "art follows life"! But what did happen at the end of the film?
Whatever happens let's just hope that democracy and justice are well served.
Read some associated news stories:
The Scottish fisherman who didn't want to play golf
Scottish councillors reject Trump's £1bn golf course
Trump decision being 'undermined'
Photo gallery of the area
Sustainable Aberdeenshire
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