After a long drawn out process the Scottish
Government has controversially granted infamous American tycoon turned
television celebrity Donald Trump permission to build a luxury golf resort in
rural Aberdeenshire. It will feature two golf courses and hundreds of private
homes and is set to be the most expensive golf resort in the world. The plans
have faced widespread opposition and the means used to finally secure their
approval has only exposed the reality of our allegedly democratic system and
the slavish attitude of the SNP government towards big business.
The proposal for the development was rejected
by the Planning Committee of Aberdeenshire Council late last year. Trump’s plan
came under pressure from local groups and environmental organisations, worried
at the impact that the development would have on the local area. In light of
this refusal, the Scottish Government exploited loopholes in the law and took
the unprecedented step of “calling in” the decision. This is to say that rather
than accepting the decision made by the people elected to take it, the Scottish
Government chose to side with Trump; launching a farcical public enquiry into
the matter. The result was as predictable as it was sickening, with Finance
Secretary John Swinney announcing the government’s support for the proposal and
Alex Salmond presenting the nationalists as bringing jobs to Scotland at a time
of economic crisis.
The plans have faced opposition from fringe
groups of marginalised radicals including the National Trust for Scotland, the
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Sustainable
Aberdeenshire Group. They have pointed to the damage the construction of the
resort and use of the land as a golf course, with Aedan Smith, head of planning
and development at RSPB Scotland stating that: "The development will cause the
destruction of a dune system, with its precious wildlife, on a site which is
protected by law and should continue to be available for future generations to
enjoy. “
The natural beauty of the north of Scotland
is enjoyed each year by people from all over the world. Trump’s victory will
see a valuable part of them potentially damaged to make way for a glorified
theme park that will only entertain those with enough money (and the absurd
inclination) to pay vast sums of money to go on an expensive golfing holiday.
Sites such as these are supposed to be under the protection of the very people
who have handed it over to Trump. The sand dunes of Aberdeenshire should be
seen as a valuable resource for the local community and not as an opportunity
for the further enrichment of a greedy billionaire.
The SNP has attempted to justify supporting
the development on the grounds that it will bring jobs and prosperity to
Aberdeenshire. The same argument has frequently been used to justify the
nuclear weapons base at Faslane, and in neither case does it hold water.
This development will provide employment
but not on an environmentally sustainable or socially useful basis. Does Scotland
really need yet another attraction for wealthy tourists or homes for the rich? Profits
from the project will of course go to the deserving coffers of the Trump Empire
to be invested on whatever self serving project Donald decides to invest in
next.
The construction of the resort is a
complete waste of resources that could be used for the improvement of the lives
of the people of Aberdeenshire. The workers who build the resort and those who
will be employed to run it could be used to construct social housing and to
develop renewable energy sources, for which there is a great potential in the
area. Trump has already slammed plans for a wind farm as spoiling the view of
his site; obviously the affect that the abhorrent sight a few wind turbines
might have on rich tourists come golfers should be the motivating factor in
such developments.
On top of all his other crimes Trump
derived the format for The Apprentice. It’s time that his scheme was fired
along with the spineless political leaders that have supported it.
