Defeat for Donald Trump in Scottish golf course controversy

This video is called Golden plover or Heilo on Stemshest Farstad Norway. Golden plovers are among the birds threatened by Donald Trump’s golf course plans.

From British daily The Guardian:

Developer trumped by fisherman in row over golf complex

· Casting vote throws out sand dune development
· Man who stuck out hopes Trump has got message

* Karen McVeigh and Severin Carrell

* Friday November 30 2007

In one corner, a world-famous property developer with serious dollars to spend and some of the most prestigious real estate in places such as New York, Chicago and Dubai. In the other, a rag tag of staunch Aberdonian conservationists and a salmon fisherman who has become a local celebrity by refusing to sell his unkempt nine hectares (23 acres) to make way for “the world’s greatest golf course”.

The billionaire is not used to losing, but he got a bloody nose yesterday. In a surprise decision, Donald Trump’s plan to build a £1bn golf resort on a rare and vulnerable stretch of sand dunes on the coast north of Aberdeen was thrown out by councillors.

After the project was voted through last week by the council’s Formartine local area committee, yesterday’s meeting of the council’s infrastructure committee was seen as a formality. …

Concerns over the proposed resort, which included two championship golf courses, a five-star hotel, a golf academy, nearly 1,000 holiday homes and 500 private houses, centred around the fact that part of it would be built on a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) containing sensitive sand dunes.

See also here.

Update 5 December 2007: here.

Update 13 December 2007: here.

Update 15 December 2007: here.

18 December 2007: here.

The odd couple: Trump’s controversial golf resort drives Salmond into the bunker. Scotland’s First Minister is in trouble after intervening in a row to back the tycoon’s multimillion-pound plans: here.

You’re fired! Councillor loses his job after voting against Donald Trump’s golf course: here.

Update March 2008: here. And here.

Update May 2008: here.

Update 13 June 2008: here.