Trump inquiry: Tycoon wanted planners to 'surrender'

THE councillor whose casting vote thwarted Donald Trump's £1 billion golf resort plans today accused the billionaire of "demanding the surrender of the planning system".

Giving evidence at a public inquiry into the plans, Aberdeenshire councillor Martin Ford said Mr Trump had "behaved in a very unusual way towards the council" when lodging his application.

During a heated exchange, Mr Trump's legal team branded Mr Ford's comments "outrageous" and sought assurances that he would play no further part in deciding the application.

Mr Trump wants to build two championship golf courses, a five-star hotel, and hundreds of houses at the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire.

The application was rejected last year by Aberdeenshire Council's infrastructure services committee, of which Mr Ford was chairman and cast the deciding vote.

It was then called in by the Scottish Government, given the scale of the proposals.

Much of the opposition to the plans has centred on the fact that part of a golf course would be built on sensitive sand dunes – a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Today Mr Ford – who was later sacked as chairman of the committee – explained its decision to refuse the application.

He said the principle of a golf resort was welcomed by the committee.

But he insisted that "the reason advanced for going against environmental and housing policies – economic benefit – was not seen as being sufficient to justify the extremely damaging consequences of granting the application".

Mr Ford said he stood by his decision, as it would "show the council was serious about wanting changes" from the applicant.

But he added that "the applicant made it clear that compromises would not be entertained".

He said: "The applicant behaved in a very unusual way towards the council, and effectively demanded the surrender of the planning system."

Colin Boyd QC, representing the Trump Organisation, said: "They were entitled to have a decision from you, they got it, and though they did not like it they accepted it.

"That is very far from your suggestion that they demanded the surrender of the planning system.

"That is an outrageous statement from someone who was chair of the infrastructure services committee to make."

Mr Boyd sought assurances from Mr Ford that, in the event of Mr Trump's application being considered again in the future, "you will have no part of it".

Mr Ford replied: "I have no idea how it will be dealt with in the future, but I have never allowed issues of the personalities involved to cloud my judgment."

Mr Boyd earlier put it to Mr Ford that there was little point in him or his three councillor colleagues giving evidence at the inquiry.

Mr Boyd said: "Let me suggest the reason you are here is to justify what was a manifestly unpopular decision not just with your council colleagues but with the public at large."

Mr Ford said of his decision: "What it meant for me personally and my popularity or lack of it was not a consideration."