Plans for a wind farm which Donald Trump claims will ruin the Aberdeen coastline are to be discussed by Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services committee – Mr Trump claims the 11-turbine development would ruin his luxury golf resort.
Work on the golf course has been completed by the US tycoon but all other development at Balmedie has been halted until plans for the 11-turbine wind farm at Aberdeen Bay are resolved and considered by Scottish ministers.
Mr Trump says the “ugly” turbines, which would reach a height of approximately 200m, would “ruin” the beauty of the Aberdeenshire coastline and would be easily visible from his golf course complex – ruining the experience for tourists who will pay significant sums of money to play there.
A planners report states: “It must be emphasised that due to the size of the turbines proposed, they will be visible for some distance from coastal locations throughout the eastern coast of Aberdeenshire.
“As there are no offshore turbines in this area at present, the installation of these will create a significant visual effect on these coastal areas of Aberdeenshire, north of Aberdeen.”
Marine Scotland has received over 400 letters of support for the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC), to be built little more than a mile from Menie Estate, but only 14 letters of objection have thus far been received.
The Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services committee is considering the impact of the EOWDC on the local area.
Members of the local Formartine and Buchan area committees offered general approval for the planning application at meetings in December, however concerns were raised at that meeting over the impact on the Trump golf course as well as on the shipping lane route to and from Aberdeen harbour.
They Aberdeen councillors will give their views on the EOWDC planning application and pass on their views about the plans back to Marine Scotland who has the final say.