Walking at Balmedie

Hardly a surprise, was it?!

balmedie — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:29:44 +0000

So John Swinney has allowed Donald Trump his Golf Complex. Terrible day for democracy – the whole thing stinks of cronyism and sleaze. Not a lot needs to be said that hasn’t been said before, so, as usual, send your complaints to -

john.swinney.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Bigstinkingsmellymouldypoop.

One more push. . .

balmedie — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:11:07 +0000

Soon John Swinney will be making his decision about the Menie Estate. Please send letters and emails to oppose Donald Trump’s proposed mega golf course as soon as possible. Here is an email from Martin Ford -

Dear Ms Fleming,

This is a very belated response to your e-mail to me last November or December following the decision of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee to refuse Donald Trump’s planning application for housing, golf courses etc on the Menie Estate near Balmedie.

I received many hundreds of e-mails at that time (600+ on 30 November alone), and with everything else that was going on it was simply impossible to reply to the vast majority. So, my apologies if I did not reply to your e-mail back in December, but a sincere thank you for your support. All the councillors who voted to refuse the application really appreciated people who agreed with the decision taking the time to get in touch.

The important point now is that a final decision on the application is not far away. It really matters that the minister who will decided on the application, Mr John Swinney, hears from those who do not believe the application should be granted in full.

The recent public inquiry into the application confirmed that the one third of the Foveran Links Site of Special Scientific Interest that it is intended to convert into half of one of the proposed golf courses will be massively damaged – to the extent that, if Mr Trump gets his way, SNH are likely to consider removing the SSSI designation. The basis of the scientific interest at Menie, that this is a highly dynamic, mobile dune system, will be completely compromised by stabilising the sand surface so that the golf course can be constructed. Against this certainty of huge environmental damage, the claimed economic benefits are very uncertain. Mr Trump himself accepted that the proposal was high risk. But, most importantly, it was shown at the inquiry that the dunes do not need to be destroyed for a golf development to go ahead. It is only Mr Trump’s refusal to compromise that is forcing people to choose between the dunes or a golf course – there is actually plenty of room on the Menie estate for both.

It was also accepted by all sides at the inquiry that the proposed housing, for sale on the open market, is completely against the policies in the agreed development plan. No other developer would have any chance of getting planning permission to put 500 houses on a group of fields remote from any existing settlement or facilities.

I have attached to this e-mail a copy of a leaflet jointly produced by the RSPB and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. This gives more information about why it is important that planning permission is not granted for the Menie application in its current form – or at least only some elements of the application are approved (most crucially, excluding the SSSI).

Please consider writing to Mr Swinney and other MSPs to say why it is important that the SSSI is protected from development, and why the planning system should be applied fairly and equally to ALL applicants.

Thank you again for your support last year.

Martin Ford

P.S. Please also consider asking anyone else you know who is opposed to the application in its current form to write to Mr Swinney as well.

John Swinney MSP
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Parliament Office E-mail: John.Swinney.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Badger Cull

balmedie — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:01:52 +0000

The Environment Select Committee has advised a limited cull of badgers in select areas to try to combat the spread of Bovine TB.

This is ludicrous in more ways than one. Firstly, there is still no complete evidence to suggest that badgers are actually the cause of the spread of infection amongst cattle. Secondly, there is no way that a cull could contain or prevent the spread of disease for anything longer than the short-term. Thirdly, a badger cull would be expensive.

Furthermore, the intensive nature of our farming practices today make for a hotbed of disease and infection. The only way to really tackle these issues is to farm in a way that supports a biodiverse environment which in and of itself prevents many of the problems we are encountering today.

If you are also concerned by the report today, I urge you to email your MPs. We must call for a farming system that is sustainable and local if we want to see the end to reports of infectious diseases which only cause unnecessary suffering, for both man and beast.

Heathrow Expansion

balmedie — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:23:07 +0000

The plans for an expansion of Heathrow Airport are irresponsible, short-sighted and absolutely disgraceful. We must act now to prevent this from going ahead. The plans are heavily financed and backed by the airline industry, oil industry and other big businesses which are unfairly pressurising the government and other individuals. Their objectives are selfish and entirely self-promoting.

Email your MPs to register your opposition. Visit the Stop Heathrow Expansion website, sign the online petition and get involved in campaigns and protests.

And do it now!

Want to trump Trump?

balmedie — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 21:21:35 +0000

Anyone happening to stumble across this and who read the previous post may want to take some decisive action. Well, as I mentioned, Donald Trump’s application has been pulled-in by the Scottish Government and it is up to the Finance and Sustainable Growth (ha!) Minister, John Swinney, to decide what to do next.

Anyone wishing to write will have to explain articulately why they do not believe the plans to be a good idea because ranting and raving about the environment will not win any favours or open ears. The key is to tackle the assumptions of economic success. Here are some suggestions, though I am by no means an expert lobbyist! The fact that Donald Trump has a variable track-record with his business successes should be mentioned. Also, that the huge 1500 property development will cause fluctuations in the property market, strains on local resources (NHS etc) and will threaten local businesses should also be presumed in equal measure to the overly positive image that is being projected by Trump’s team and the SNP. Indeed, such undertakings require careful thought. Too many golf courses in one area causes huge problems – the luxury golf resort of Fairmont near St Andrews appears to be in some financial difficulty at the moment, for example.

Trump’s attitude should also be questioned – if he cares so much about building his resort in Aberdeenshire, why isn’t he appealing the decision and why is he threatening to take the plans elsewhere (of course we know why!)? Furthermore, he has a haphazard approach to his golf resorts. He recently said of a plan in New Jersey to build two golf courses and 2000 residences, “I’d rather do one great championship course than two mediocre or lesser ones.” (New Jersey.com) What does this say about his Aberdeenshire plans? This guy doesn’t care about Aberdeenshire! He just knows how to make a pretty penny – build lots of properties quickly and sell them off equally fast so as not to muddy your hands. Leave the locals to deal with any financial difficulties. The swine.

Some facts and figures:

Balmedie Beach is the second most-visited tourist attraction in Aberdeenshire (source: Visit Scotland) – attesting to the popularity of Scotland’s untouched “great outdoors”
Aberdeenshire has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the UK at 0.9% – lower than those of the golf “hotspots” Fife and Perth and Kinross.
Balmedie Beach is ranked in the Top 5 UK sand dune systems – Trump’s plans to “stabilise” the dunes will permanently affect the coastline detrimentally.
Sand dunes are vital as sea defences – the 1953 North Sea Flood saw thousands killed when the sea level rose above 5 metres. Rising sea levels due to climate change will only worsen such tragic occurrences and we need to work with nature, rather than against her, or we will have our noses bloodied.
Part of the Menie Estate is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and harbours an important ecosystem.
Despite what they say GOLF COURSES ARE NOT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY! Their upkeep requires vast amounts of pesticide and chemical fertiliser use and the areas of pristine green fairways may as well be deserts.

It is important to ask questions such as:

How will the project affect local businesses?
How many jobs in the current tourist industry will be affected?
How many jobs will there be?
What proportion of the jobs will go to local people?
How long-term will the jobs be?
Will the long term opportunities created by these new jobs improve the long term prospects for local people?

Also, you should question the handling and legitimacy of the case by the Scottish government. For example, Donald Trump had every right to appeal – if he had done so, correct procedure could have been followed; Councillor Martin Ford’s sacking sends out a terrible message to future Chairmen and he was simply doing what any Chairman would have done in his position; the meetings and wining and dining of members of the SNP with Trump stinks of sleaze.

Lastly, the whole case should be analysed by a Public Inquiry and a proper Environmental Impact Assessment should be made before approving any plans. You should also call for positive action – that Scotland would be better served in the future by a programme of Sustainable Development and that Trump’s resort is no solution to the inevitable downfall of Aberdeen’s Oil Industry. We are already at peak oil and the issue in the future will not be about how many jobs and tourist attractions we have in an area, but whether we will be able to feed and support ourselves sustainably. As the situation now stands, we are ill-equipped to deal with any threats to the oil industry.

So, please email your local MSPs and John Swinney.

John.Swinney.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Or write to:
Public Information Service
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP
Scotland

If you are not from Scotland mention how important Scotland’s natural heritage is for attracting tourists.

But please also spread the word. This is a simple issue that has gone hysterical – the effect on the economy will either be neutral or disastrous. What is really at stake is a unique area that cannot be replaced once tonnes of concrete are poured all over it. But also Scottish pride! We don’t want Trump to make fools of us while he laughs his way to the bank, do we?!

I’ve been Trumped!

balmedie — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:58:05 +0000

I started this blog as a place to post some poetry. I decided against that for numerous reasons. . . Anyway. I named it “Walking at Balmedie” because I have so many wonderful memories of visits there. I didn’t think that these memories could be threatened, but they are.

Donald Trump has bought the Menie estate just north of the Balmedie sand dune system where he plans to build two (yes TWO) championship golf courses and 1500 (yes 1500!) buildings. 9 of his holes are scheduled to be built on a Site of Special Scientific Interest and he plans to fix or stablise the sand dunes, which will obviously affect the coast line for miles.

Recently his plans were rejected by the Aberdeenshire Infrastructure Committee. This in itself was not particularly surprising because the vote was tied and it was up to the Chairman to cast the decisive vote. In such cases, the protocol is to maintain the status quo so as to allow for further discussion (the candidate can always appeal, after all!). Unfortunately, the councillor in question has been vilified and bullied and has now been sacked from his position as Chairman and, in an unprecedented and highly suspicious move, the plans have been pulled-in by the Scottish government.

Donald Trump has every right to appeal, but he obviously knows how to rally my moronic compatriots and instead has played infantile tactics by threatening to take his plans elsewhere. He has hyped the economic gains to be made and as a result people are going berserk. It’s really quite embarrassing because none of these supporters have any clue what this man is like. All you need to do is read a very scant biography and you will already find out about his worryingly variable degrees of success in business. He has a nasty habit of selling-up when the going gets tough, leaving his investors and the businesses in very difficult circumstances. The fact that he is refusing to appeal because he is so insistent on building his 1500 holiday homes and apartments is because he knows what kind of a profit he can make if he were to build and sell-up. The actual benefit to the local economy will be pretty insignificant because this type of project ensures money only for the developers. In fact, the effect on the economy could be detrimental due to threats to local small businesses and the building of so many properties may rock the property market.

All in all, if Trump is given the go-ahead by the Scottish government, we can kiss yet another invaluable and unique landscape good bye. It breaks my heart.

(The pic above was taken by Jonzie – thanks.)