Donald Trump Loses Appeal Against Wind Farm On His Scottish Golf Course
Donald Trump has lost an appeal against the construction of a wind farm close to his golf course and resort in Scotland. Trump claims the ugly structures will ruin his scenic view when teeing off.
While Trump’s popularity continues to climb despite the many controversies surrounding his bid to become U.S. president next year, at least one of his campaigns has failed.
Judges on the Supreme Court in Westminster unanimously rejected his recent appeal against planning permission granted by Scottish ministers to build offshore wind turbines near his Trump International Golf Links resort.
Donald Trump has lost his Supreme Court battle to block wind farms in view of his luxury Scottish golf resort https://t.co/DJd9r4Mu0r
— The Independent (@Independent) December 16, 2015
According to the Telegraph, despite the fact that he lost in court in the early stages of his claim, Donald Trump, billionaire property developer, appealed against the construction of a wind farm within sight of his Menie golf resort in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Trump said the construction would ruin both his and his players’ views when playing a round of golf.
Trump reportedly purchased the Menie estate back in 2006 and transformed it into a controversial golf resort, nestled on the protected coastal dunes north of Aberdeen, Scotland. He is planning on further development on the property, including hotels.
It turns out the anti-immigrant contender for the U.S. presidency was born to a Scottish mother, hence his interest in developing a golf resort in Scotland.
Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm Limited reportedly applied for consent to build an electricity generating station and offshore wind turbines back in 2011. Two years later, the Scottish government granted permission for 11 turbines.
The turbines are to be located around two miles offshore from the golf course, and Trump stated they would be a “monstrous blight” on the coastal landscape, on top of which he didn’t believe that the planning for the wind farm was lawful.
While Trump, 69, didn’t actually attend any of the court hearings in person, his lawyers appealed against the decision to build the wind farm on two grounds. One, that the Scottish ministers did not have the power to agree to the construction under a 1989 act and secondly because there was a problem with the design application for the wind farm.
UK court rejects Donald Trump’s bid to stop #wind farm near his luxury Scottish golf resort https://t.co/ivS0CUOJ0k pic.twitter.com/Phznqxy8H9
— Energydesk (@Energydesk) December 16, 2015
Citing environmental issues and the quest for renewable energy, the judges said, “It is clear that the consent contains a mechanism enabling the Scottish ministers to use both the construction method statement and the design statement to regulate the design of the wind farm in the interests of environmental protection, and to require compliance with those statements.”
According to Gary McGovern, energy and planning partner for the law firm Pinsent Masons, Donald Trump will hope he has more success in the U.S. presidential elections than he had in the courts of Scotland.
As reported by the Guardian, McGovern said that the court’s decision was long overdue, but that it is still a “welcome shot in the arm for offshore wind and the wider UK renewables industry.”
He went on to say that with Donald Trump pursuing a weak argument, which has been previously described in court as “fallacious,” the case has caused a lingering doubt over longstanding legal principles and that this was detrimental to the whole energy industry.
“Developers will therefore breathe a sigh of relief and it is hoped that this and other projects affected can now gather pace, without the threat of costly legal challenges and delays on similarly dubious grounds hanging over them.”
Recently, the Inquisitr reported on Donald Trump’s reaction to criticism from a Saudi Prince, when Prince Alwaleed tweeted to say Trump should drop out of the race for the U.S. presidency as he had no hope of winning and that he was a disgrace, not only to the GOP but to all Americans.
Trump responded by calling the Prince “dopey” and that the member of Saudi royalty only wants to control U.S. politicians using daddy’s money and saying he won’t be able to do it when he (Trump) is elected.
It seems Donald Trump didn’t have as much luck in his response to Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm Limited and will have to bear up under the strain of seeing wind turbines on his horizon when playing golf in Scotland.
[Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images News]
