The Scottish Government has told Donald Trump not to deviate from the original plans for his north-east golf resort.
Mr Trump was granted approval for the Trump International Golf Links Scotland at Menie, near Balmedie, in 2010 and it opened in 2012.
The proposals included two championship golf courses, a clubhouse, a five-star hotel, a 10,000sq ft conference centre, 950 holiday homes, 36 guest villas, 500 residential homes, a golfing academy and an accommodation block for staff.
Plans for a second golf course are still progressing, while a proposal of application notice for 850 homes and 1,900 leisure accommodation units was submitted to the council in 2015 – but has not progressed any further.
And now in a response to the proposed Aberdeenshire local development plan, the Scottish Government’s department for planning and environmental appeals has ruled Mr Trump should stick to his previously-approved masterplan.
The DPEA report states: “The outline consent issued on December 16, 2008 was granted for exceptional reasons based on the predicted social and economic benefits of the proposed development.
“This allocation does not therefore offer or imply any support for alternative development proposals that would deviate away from the consented scheme including the conditions and Section 75 agreement that form part of the outline consent.”
It also calls for “environmental safeguards”, such as a primary school, community facilities, road and transport improvements and affordable housing at the site.
Councillor Martin Ford – who used his casting vote as chairman of the infrastructure committee to reject the project, which was eventually approved by the Scottish Government – said: “When Mr Trump was demanding planning permission for his resort proposal in 2007 and 2008, he repeatedly emphasised he had to have the whole scheme. It was all or nothing. The reporter is effectively binding Mr Trump to the position he took when seeking his outline consent.”
A spokeswoman for the Trump Organisation said: “We remain committed to maximising economic benefits in the current economic and market conditions, locally and nationally.
“The report reaffirms our outline planning permission for 500 houses within the local development plan which has been endorsed by the reporters. Any future proposals that we may bring forward will go through due process.”
