Trump: no CPOs at Menie

Developer Donald Trump says there will be no attempt to use compulsory purchase orders to acquire the four properties whose owners have refused to sell as part of his plans to build a golf resort on the coast of Scotland.

The four homes were included in the original plans for the resort, and permission was granted for them to be added by local authorities, but the owners have consistently refused to do a deal with Trump.

Trump told the Aberdeen Press and Journal: “We have consistently said that we have no interest in compulsory purchase and have never applied for it. It remains part of the Scottish planning process but we have not, and will not, request that Aberdeenshire Council use their CPO powers to purchase houses.”

None of the properties is required for the championship golf course, construction of which is well underway, to be completed: rather, they formed part of the land on which the rest of the resort, which includes a hotel, 950 holiday homes and 500 houses, would be built. The Trump organisation indicated that no further offers would be made to the owners of the properties, with the resort instead being built around them. It has been suggested that trees will be planted to screen the properties from the view of resort guests.