Golfers will be teeing off on Menie course in 18 months, says Trump jun
Work starts on £1bn resort – but 1,500 homes planned will not be built until market improves
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Donald Trump jun believes golfers will be teeing-off at his father’s £1billion Aberdeenshire resort within 18 months but he has warned that the 1,500 homes planned for the site will not be built until the recession is over.
The tycoon’s son told campaigners fighting plans to build the world’s greatest golf course north of Aberdeen to “give up” yesterday as work finally started at the site.
As contractors moved on to the Menie Estate, it emerged the Trump Organisation is close to striking deals with two of the landowners who have properties in the area covered by the masterplan for the project.
On Tuesday, councillors paved the way for preparatory work to be done to stabilise the 1.7million sqft of shifting sand dunes around what will become the championship golf course.
Despite the threat of legal action by the Tripping Up Trump group to stop the work, Mr Trump jun and project director George Sorial led contractors on to the site yesterday morning.
Mr Trump jun said: “Today is incredibly significant, it is the culmination of four years of very hard and very important work and something that is very near and dear to our hearts.
“It’s great to be no longer at the point where we are talking about planning and development but are actually doing construction work.
“I hope to see the first people playing golf here within 18 months to two years. Some of the construction is going to be weather-dependent, so it will depend on what mother nature throws at us over the next few seasons.”
He added: “Once we start talking about real estate development rather than golf course development, a lot of that is going to be market-dependent.
“We have approval for 1,500 homes but if the market is not there, it would be irresponsible for us to go forward and just build it. So a lot of that is dependent on the market and when it comes back. That said, we wouldn’t be sinking in the funds that we are if we didn’t believe that the market would come back.”
Before the course can be built, specialists will be brought in to lay marram grass to stabilise the sand dunes, which are a site of special scientific interest.
That work should start in three weeks once planning formalities are sorted out, although those campaigning against the plans say they will do all they can to block the work.
Mr Trump jun said: “I think the protesters are wasting their time and should give up, but it seems as though they have a lot of free time. They are going to try and make a name for themselves.”
The project, involving two golf courses, a 450-bedroom hotel, 950 holiday homes and 500 houses, was approved in principle by the Scottish Government last November.
Mr Trump has since added five plots of land he does not own to the plans, but a handful of residents are refusing to sell their homes to him, despite the organisation’s recent cash offers to them.
Aberdeenshire Council has not ruled out the possibility of using compulsory purchase orders (CPO) to acquire the properties.
However, the Press and Journal understands that Mr Trump is close to agreeing deals with two landowners.
One, pensioner Vic Henderson, 80, of Coastguard Cottages, has lived beside the Menie Estate for more than 50 years but last night he said he would be willing to make way for the scheme.
Mr Sorial said the overall masterplan for the whole project, including housing, should be submitted to Aberdeenshire Council by January. If it is backed by councillors, work on the hotel could start next year.
Readers' Comments
"Refusing" is an odd way to put it ("Trumpspeak"?). They have declined Trump's offer, as they have every right to do so.
Bill Harrison
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I believe that this project will turn out to be the biggest white elephant in history and no developer who knows anything about this area would consider anything like what has been proposed otherwise it would have been done a long time ago. It is significant that no house buliding will take place until the market picks up. This may well be a very long time into the future as the housing market in Scotland generally has fallen off a cliff. There have been other projects of a similar type which have spectacularly failed due to the recession. I live in an area surrounded by dozens of golf courses and many private clubs are feeling the pinch. Clubs which a few years ago had long waiting lists now have no waiting list and grant immediate memmbership. In a recession people have more important things to spend their money on than golf club fees and day visitor green fees. Also I can't see that a 5 star 450 bed hotel is a viable proposition otherwise surely one would have been built a long time ago. There are plenty of good 4 star hotels in Aberdeen and area and overall Aberdeen hotels achieved an occupancy rate of 72.3% in August which I believe the Trump hotel will have to match or surpass over the year as a whole if it is to be profitable. It may well do this in the summer months but in an Aberdeenshire winter? I think not. Ccrporate entities have severely cut their expenditure due to the recession and they are not going to spend their money on 5 star hotels. I would be supportive of this development if it was going to bring large numbers of wealthy tourists into the area but with the best will in the world I just can't see this happening. Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1458899#ixzz0VL5SkmTs
Reginald Beames
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For a start in my opinion there is no difference in refusing to sell or declining to sell. Any way on to the golf course i really think this course will bring in many wealthy tourist to the area and many of these if you speak to some of the golfers will play not one course but many courses and this in my opinion will be good for the golf courses within the local area. Golfer pay top money to play world class courses, i have no idea why but they do. As for the housing market in Aberdeen falling off, i find that strange as the market says house prices in Aberdeen have held up well and more houses are being sold the previous results.Aberdeen is in need of hotels as i do work within the industry and through the week many of these hotels claim to be full to capacity. I have had to take people as far as Stonehaven and even Dundee to accommodate them in the past. Hotels are being built within the Aberdeen city centre and many other hotels are expanding. Aberdeen has faired better in the housing market than most of the UK
Neil Fraser
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Of course, CoastGuard Cottages are NOT included within the outline planning permission. This impacts only Leyton Cottage, Menie Fishing Station, Hermit Point, Leyton Farm and Mill of Menie/Paradise. Disinformation? Or simply lies?
Debra Storr
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D Storr would that be your opinion as a councillor or a individual. Are you going to give your constituents a vote, i would not have voted for you had you been an Independent or a member of the Green party. I did not agree with there manifesto. Please give the people you say you stand for a vote. That is the only honourable thing to do. Unless, of course, you have no principles?
Neil Fraser
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The inclusion of Vic Henderson Coastguard Cottages in this article was clearly to apply somewhat of a gloss with regard to Trump International Golf Links Scotland. Which the Press and Journal as a supporter of TIGLS uses as part of its biased, third rate journalism.
Sean Ashley
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