Donald Trump Complains 'Ugly' Wind Turbines Will Ruin His Scottish Golf Course

Donald Trump

First Posted: 27/09/11 22:46 BST Updated: 27/09/11 22:55 BST   PA

PRESS ASSOCIATION -- Billionaire businessman Donald Trump has written to Scotland's First Minister for a second time, objecting to plans to build an offshore wind farm near his luxury golf resort.

In the letter to Alex Salmond, the US tycoon described the wind turbines - to be located just over one mile from his golf course - as "big" and "ugly".

A planning application for an 11-turbine wind farm off Aberdeen Bay was submitted to Marine Scotland last month.

The European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre is a £150 million joint venture by utility company Vattenfall, engineering firm Technip and Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group. The Trump Organisation filed its objection to the planning application earlier this month.

He wrote to the First Minister at the beginning of September, saying the turbines were "disastrous and environmentally irresponsible", and left an "ugly cloud hanging over the future of the great Scottish coastline".

Mr Trump's £750 million development on the Menie estate on the coast is nearing completion after work began a year ago.

In the second letter to Mr Salmond, he said the turbines would have a negative impact on Scottish tourism.

He wrote: "People do not want to travel from all over the world to go to Scotland in order to stare out at big, ugly structures. Trust me, they will go somewhere else.

"Recently a person living in Scotland wrote a letter to me saying that the erection of the enormous windmills on the North Sea 'will have a huge negative impact on tourism in Scotland'. I did not include this quote in my original letter to you but felt it was an important and true observation."

In a postscript, Mr Trump added: "I have just learned that all 11 windmills at the Vattenfall site will look different, which will make this already ugly project look much worse that originally projected."

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PRESS ASSOCIATION -- Billionaire businessman Donald Trump has written to Scotland's First Minister for a second time, objecting to plans to build an offshore wind farm near his luxury golf resort. ...
PRESS ASSOCIATION -- Billionaire businessman Donald Trump has written to Scotland's First Minister for a second time, objecting to plans to build an offshore wind farm near his luxury golf resort. ...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Paul Medina
Not purchased by the corporations, Still free
06:29 PM on 10/18/2011
This man needs to keep this mouth shut. If we continue to pollute at the current rates there wont be any tourism in Scotland because Scotland will be underwater. Environment > profits.
12:49 PM on 09/29/2011
Why is this development being proposed so close to shore ?. I dont see turbines as ugly in themselves but as large industrial structures, surely they should be put far away from sensitive coastlines. ? Two miles offshore is much too close. We dont have to sacrifice the beauty of our coastline to have renewable energy. Just insist that developers take less profit and put them further offshore. I wouldnt worry too much about Trump's opinion ..what do local people think about the unnecesary destruction of their coastal landscape ?
lastpost
see biography
01:55 PM on 09/28/2011
"the US tycoon described the wind turbines - to be located just over one mile from his golf course - as "big" and "ugly".
Pot (bellied) -kettle?

"disastrous and environmentally irresponsible", and left an "ugly cloud hanging over the future of the great Scottish coastline".
Sounds like an extract from one of the submissions challenging the original planning application for the golf course.

"Mr Trump added: "I have just learned that all 11 windmills"
will generate much needed renewable energy. If I can devise an alternative means (recycling unwanted trumps perhaps), to obtain an equal or greater amount of power. Would you reconsider the creation of this wind farm?
01:07 PM on 09/28/2011
Well boo-effin'-hoo, Donny boy. I think Scotland's need for remnewable energy somewhat trumps your need for an exclusive golf course.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
SDH283
GOP wants you to stay clueless; why co-operate?
11:36 AM on 09/28/2011
Trump is SUCH a hypocrite -- he is constantly whining about the USA being dependant on OPEC -- wrongfully blaming OPEC and Obama for high oil prices -- but then he whines about something that is alternative energy..

This man is nothing but an attention seeker.
11:09 AM on 09/28/2011
Never been a better reason for wind turbines - lots of them.
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mycall8
Spiritual not religious, One Planet, One Humanity
11:02 AM on 09/28/2011
Speaking of big and ugly you're both.. even the filthy rich need to make hard sacrifices, guess he'd rather have a nuke plant next door draining poison into the ocean and air...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Matthew Harrold
Huzzah!
10:00 AM on 09/28/2011
Yeah, something tells me that local and national sympathy for the plight of Trump is going to be severely lacking. The good news is that he'll have a much harder time trying to influence local planning then he would in the U.S. Even better news is Scotland should soon have some more clean energy at their disposal. Best news is that it'll peeve off Trump in the process.

What''s not to like about this?
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European1919
I am the Pigmâ’¶n
08:07 AM on 09/28/2011
He can go and eff himself.
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07:26 AM on 09/28/2011
He's going to get nowhere with that. Scotland's determination to meet its 2020 target of 100% renewable energy is a wee bit more important to them than yet another golf course.
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waldopepper
I'd tell you all about me if you were my friend.
07:18 AM on 09/28/2011
Hard cheese.
07:16 AM on 09/28/2011
The big, ugly wind farm will be a nice match for the huge eyesore of his private golf course. Nothing ruins good countryside better than landscaping it for golf, it's horrid.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
niceshoes60
05:19 AM on 09/28/2011
Maybe I'm weird, but I've always thought wind turbines look cool. - While traveling in Wyoming we encountered wind turbines in a rather desolate (yet beautiful) area, on a far-off hillside, and it was as if a painting had come alive...just saying...
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07:22 AM on 09/28/2011
I like them too.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
SDH283
GOP wants you to stay clueless; why co-operate?
11:44 AM on 09/28/2011
I agree -- there is an eerie beauty about miles and miles of of delicate looking towers in a rough landscape -- so I guessI am weird too!
03:17 AM on 09/28/2011
You aint seen ugly, til you've been to Atlantic City.
01:44 AM on 09/28/2011
Hmmmm..let me see.....environmentally friendly, lower cost electricity for 1000s of Scottish homes or a pretty view on a golf course for rich people. Hmmmmm...which would I choose?? Duuuuh.
Stay home in America, Donald. You've screwed up enough of America. Leave Scotland alone!!