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| Trump golf course has ruined dunes habitat, say conservationists | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The spectacular dunes habitat in Aberdeenshire used by Donald Trump for his £1bn golf resort is likely to lose its legal protection because his golf course has ruined the site, conservationists say. | The spectacular dunes habitat in Aberdeenshire used by Donald Trump for his £1bn golf resort is likely to lose its legal protection because his golf course has ruined the site, conservationists say. |
| Expert ecologists, including one who backed the US president’s original plans for the course of 10 years ago, believe the sand dunes will be stripped of their status as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) by the government’s conservation agency, Scottish Natural Heritage. | |
| The agency has confirmed that it is reviewing whether the lengthy stretch of dunes north of Aberdeen, known as Foveran Links, which is partly covered by Trump’s course, still qualifies for special conservation status. | |
| Jim Hansom, a specialist in coastal ecology at Glasgow University, told a BBC Scotland documentary marking the first anniversary of Trump’s election as US president that the extensive works to create the 18-hole course meant the habitat was no longer worth preserving. | |
| “It’s been ruined from a virgin undeveloped wilderness site into something that’s relatively manicured,” Hansom said. He said he would be “absolutely surprised” if the site kept its protected status since it had lost the key features that led to it being given that protection. | |
| Tom Dargie, an ecologist who publicly endorsed Trump’s promises to protect the moving dunes system 10 years ago, said he believed Hansom was correct in believing that the protected status would go. “From a look at satellite images, Dr Hansom is probably correct and denotification is likely.” | |
| These disclosures have added to mounting concerns that Trump has failed to honour the promises he made in 2008, which led to a planning enquiry over-riding the local development plan and ignoring the dune’s status as an SSSI to give the golf course the go-ahead. Normally, both the local plan and its conservation status would have prevented any significant development on the site. | These disclosures have added to mounting concerns that Trump has failed to honour the promises he made in 2008, which led to a planning enquiry over-riding the local development plan and ignoring the dune’s status as an SSSI to give the golf course the go-ahead. Normally, both the local plan and its conservation status would have prevented any significant development on the site. |
| SNH said a final decision on whether to delist the site would be taken next month. “As expected, there are areas where there has been some permanent habitat loss, for example, where tracks, tees, fairways and greens, have been constructed,” a spokeswoman said. | SNH said a final decision on whether to delist the site would be taken next month. “As expected, there are areas where there has been some permanent habitat loss, for example, where tracks, tees, fairways and greens, have been constructed,” a spokeswoman said. |
| Trump won approval to build on the legally protected dunes because he had pledged to create up 6,000 jobs by building a five-star hotel with 450 rooms, shops, a sports complex, timeshare flats, two golf courses and housing estates at an estimated cost of £1bn. | |
| To date, Trump has so far built one 18-hole course which is only open for seven months a year, a practice range and a small clubhouse with a restaurant and shop, and converted the estate’s manor house into a boutique hotel with 16 rooms. It employs the full-time equivalent of 95 people. | |
| The Trump Organization has applied to build a second 18-hole course, which is mired in planning disputes, and has approval in principal to apply to build a housing estate if strict conditions are met for the building of a school and extra roads. | The Trump Organization has applied to build a second 18-hole course, which is mired in planning disputes, and has approval in principal to apply to build a housing estate if strict conditions are met for the building of a school and extra roads. |
| The official accounts for Trump International Golf Course Scotland, the company that owns the site, show it owes Trump nearly £41m and has never yet made a profit. It lost nearly £1.2m last year. | |
| * Donald Trump – Scotland’s President is broadcast on BBC One Scotland at 9pm Thursday 9 November, and on BBC iPlayer | * Donald Trump – Scotland’s President is broadcast on BBC One Scotland at 9pm Thursday 9 November, and on BBC iPlayer |