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GreenWeek
ClickGreen’s review of all the week’s news, views, research and analysis with a focus on low carbon and sustainability
Volume 23: Nov 15, 2013
D-Day for Trump
Judge to deliver ruling on billionaire’s legal bid to block offshore wind farm
By Stuart Qualtrough
is
A judgeby set to decide on
a bid
property tycoon
Donald Trump to halt
the development of an offshore
wind farm near his luxury golf
resort in Scotland following a
court hearing this week.
Lawyers for the billionaire
developer are attempting to
overturn Scottish Government
approval for a £230m wind energy
project, claiming that it would
spoil the view from his nearby
four-star links resort.
A four-day hearing at the Court
of Sessions in Edinburgh this week
heard the Scottish Government
was “entirely reasonable” in
deciding not to hold a public
inquiry into the decision to build
the 11-turbine European Offshore
Wind Deployment Centre
(EOWDC) near Donald Trump’s
Aberdeenshire golf resort.
The US billionaire launched his
legal challenge in Scotland’s
supreme civil court after the
government approved the wind
farm in March this year.
James Mure QC, acting for the
government, admitted that the
visual impact was “by no means
minimal”, but said the decision
had been lawful.
The wind farm is not on
Mr Trump’s land and does not
affect his rights in relation to
planning permission, Mr Mure
told Lord Doherty.
Public spat over wind farm plans nears its end following four-day court hearing
He said: “It was entirely
reasonable for the Scottish
ministers to take the view that
a public inquiry would not assist
the ministers on the question
of balancing and weighing up
the policy interests which, at
the end of the day, are at stake
in Aberdeenshire.
“When it comes down to
planning judgment, when
there are policy interests, the
respondents have to have the
?nal say and an inquiry into
matters which the petitioners
suggest would not have provided
any bene?t.”
Mr Mure said the Trump
development was given
“preferential treatment” late on in
the process to encourage them to
share anything they thought
relevant and had provided an
“entirely clear” message about
their objections.
The petition lodged by Trump
This is a matter
of importance not
simply to the Trump
Organisation but to
the nation
Gordon Steele QC,
acting for Donald Trump
International Golf Links and
the Trump Organisation earlier
this year asks the court to
declare as unlawful the Scottish
Government’s decision to approve
the wind farm on March 26.
The project has been the subject
of a protracted public row between
the outspoken billionaire and First
Minister Alex Salmond. Mr Trump
has accused the First Minister of
being “untrustworthy and twofaced” and showing a “total lack of
integrity” over the issue.
In reply Mr Salmond said the
tycoon had “no right” to dictate on
planning applications in Scotland.
The golf resort application was
initially rejected by a local authority
committee, causing turmoil among
councillors, and was called in by the
Scottish Government. The First
Minister became local MSP for the
area in 2007.
Mr Trump has said he will pull
the plug on plans to ?nish his
luxury resort with a large hotel,
holiday homes and a residential
village if the project goes ahead.
Gordon Steele QC, acting for Mr
Trump, said the resort would
create between 4,000 and 5,000
jobs and cost at least £1bn over
seven years to construct.
“This is something unique. It is
unique in Scotland and it is unique
in the UK,” he said.
“It requires the greatest possible
attention and scrutiny in deciding
continued on page 5