Donald Trump took his latest fight against plans for an offshore windfarm near his north-east golf resort to the Supreme Court yesterday.
The US tycoon is appealing against the Scottish Government’s decision to approve the 11-turbine scheme at Aberdeen Bay amid fears it will spoil the views from his golf resort at Menie, near Balmedie.
But last night the presidential candidate was accused of trying to “kill off” economically beneficial projects, and was urged instead to “do good” with his wealth.
WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said Mr Trump was “wrong to be trying to frustrate Scotland’s ambition to create clean power and green jobs”.
But Mr Trump’s right-hand man George Sorial quickly hit back, condemning his “ignorance and blatant disregard for the facts.”
As his lawyers argued the consent for the £230million European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) was unlawful, Mr Banks sought to highlight the benefits the scheme would bring.
He said: “Donald Trump should be using his vast wealth to do good instead of trying kill off initiatives that will create jobs, boost the economy and help cut carbon emissions.
“Once up and running, this test facility will be ideally placed to help test the technologies needed to harness Scotland’s huge offshore renewables potential, ensuring learning by industry, and playing an important role in helping to drive down costs.”
But Mr Sorial, executive vice-president of the Trump Organisation, insisted wind energy projects had failed “throughout the world” because the economics behind them “don’t work”.
He went on: “They don’t create jobs nor promote economic growth and are totally dependent on wasteful government handouts.
“Mr Banks and his misinformed cronies will one day be held accountable for perpetuating this shameful scam and destroying so much of Scotland’s beautiful countryside.”
Mr Trump – whose golf resort is about two miles from the proposed windfarm – believes it will spoil the views from Trump International Golf Links Scotland and has vowed to take his appeal all the way to Europe if necessary.
Yesterday’s hearing examined how the Electricity Act 1989 should be interpreted in terms of a party’s eligibility to apply for consent to construct a generating station.
It also looked at whether the planning consent for the EOWDC, granted by Scottish ministers in 2013, was so imprecise as to impair its legal validity.
Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm Ltd, the company behind the project, has said the partners – AREG and Vattenfall – hope for a “speedy resolution”.
The Trump Organisation has claimed it is “impossible” to have a fair hearing challenging windfarm applications in Scotland.