Donald Trump objects to Aberdeen windfarm

Billionaire businessman Donald Trump has personally written to Scotland's First Minister objecting to plans to build an offshore windfarm near his luxury golf resort.

In the letter to Alex Salmond, the US tycoon described the wind turbines - to be located 2km from his golf course - as "disastrous and environmentally irresponsible".

A planning application for an 11-turbine windfarm off Aberdeen Bay was submitted to Marine Scotland last month.

The European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre is a £150m joint venture by utility company Vattenfall, engineering firm Technip and Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group.

The Trump Organisation filed its objection to the planning application on Wednesday.

Work on the championship golf course at Mr Trump's £750m development on the Menie estate is nearing completion after work began a year ago.

In the letter to Mr Salmond, he said: "Unfortunately, instead of celebrating the start of something valuable and beautiful for Scotland, this ugly cloud is hanging over the future of the great Scottish coastline."

Mr Trump, who issued a statement criticising the development when the planning application was lodged last month, said he had been "repeatedly promised" that windfarms would not be "destroying and distorting Aberdeen's magnificent coastline".

He said: "Despite repeated assurances from Vattenfall and others that the turbines would not be visible from my site, the current application indicates otherwise."

He went on: "In short, this windfarm should not be built, or alternatively, be relocated. If not, you should ask yourself if any other international developer would ever risk investing in Scotland after my experience and all the promises that were made to me."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Mr Trump's letter refers to the position five years ago, when he was submitting his Menie planning application in 2006 - before the current administration took office - and therefore we have no knowledge of what was said then.

"What this administration can say is that the Menie application was determined properly, according to Scotland's planning law and procedures, and it will be exactly the same for this development proposal. Ministers will assess every planning application on its merits taking into account the views of consultees, interested parties and the public."

Green MSP Patrick Harvie said: "Donald Trump's hypocrisy has reached new heights. For the man who has vandalised an irreplaceable dune system and tried to evict local families to complain about a clean energy development - this confirms he has an ego the size of the planet, and a complete ignorance of what the word 'environment' means.

"The long-term future for the north-east lies in sustainable projects like offshore wind, not some vanity project for rich tourists to jet into and contribute nothing to the local economy. Finally, you almost have to admire the way he makes threatening noises at the end of the letter about the promises that were made to him. Perhaps the First Minister could tell us what those amounted to?"

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