Donald Trump has been dealt another blow after councillors stood by their decision to support a controversial offshore wind farm near the tycoon's multi-million pound golf course.
Aberdeenshire councillors met on Thursday to discuss changes to the £230m plans, including an increase in height of the turbines and the diameter of the blades.
The local authority, who have been consulted by Marine Scotland on the development, were asked to consider the impact of the turbines on the character of the area as well as noise and visual implications.
Mr Trump has consistently argued that the development would wreck the view for golfers playing his new course which opened in July 2011 at a cost of £100m.
Trump, who flew in to Aberdeen on Thursday, has put on hold plans to build a luxury hotel, clubhouse and hundreds of homes on the Menie Estate until a final decision has been made on the offshore project.
Addressing the chamber, the SNP's councillor for Deeside, Graeme Clark, backed the plans.
He said: “This is possibly the change from Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire being an oil and gas centre to energy centre. I am totally for the principle for showing that the technology works and I think we should emphasise this.”
However, Banff councillor, John Cox, expressed concerns about the volume of marine traffic and visual impact to the costal area.
He added: "There are still more questions than answers; why this site?"
The council heard that Marine Scotland has so far received 462 letters of support for the project and 137 against.
Mr Trump recently vowed to continue his campaign against the plans to build 120m-high turbines despite the MoD, RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage withdrawing their objections.
The recommendations from the meeting will be put to Marine Scotland who will make the final decision on the eleven turbine development 2.4 km offshore within Aberdeen Bay.
