AIBERDEENSHIRE Cooncil hiv let the people doon ance again. Last wik, eicht oot o twalve cooncillors decidit tae gie the go aheid tae Donald Trump’s plans for his new golf course – the MacLeod course.

Noo, the last time Ah checkit, we wernae at aa lackin in golf courses here in Aiberdeenshire. In fact, Grampian is hame tae some o the auldest golf courses in the warld sic as Royal Aiberdeen, supposedly the saxth auldest golf course in the warld. Div we really need anither? Dae the fowk o Aiberdeenshire really want anither? Considerin the aichteen letters o objection tae the new MacLeod course that were pit forrit, mebbe nae.

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Taewarts the end o last wik, it was also decidit that 550 hames wad be built on the Menie Estate. The price o these hooses will stairt at £295,000 an gaung uptae ower £1 million. Sae, nae exactly the solution that we’re needin tae the current hoosin crisis then. An, wi the economic climate in Aiberdeen takin a doonturn in recent years, mony fowk in the area hiv been doonsizin tae smaaer, cheaper hooses. It wad mak mair sense, then, for there tae be mair affordable hoosin developit in the area, raither than hoosin that will be ootwith maist fowk’s budget.

The National: Trump's hoosin plans hasnae made him many palsTrump's hoosin plans hasnae made him many pals

Iver since makkin his fantoush proposals for the Menie Estate, mair than a decade aby, Trump hasnae exactly been makkin the best o pals wi the fowk o Aiberdeenshire. Whiles his first golf course was in the process o bein built, local campaigners stairtit the Tripping Up Trump movement in an attempt tae protect them fa he was tryin tae force oot o their hames. In the end, Trump got jist fit he wantit – fowk pit oot o their ain hames sae that he coud hae their land tae pit his golf course on. Though, there is still ae cheil fa still bides in his hame on the Menie Estate in protest, sivven ‘ear aifter the first course officially opent. Then, in the run up tae the 2016 US presidential election, the business man was strippit o his honourary Doctor o Business Administration (DBA) degree that the Robert Gordon University had awardit him wi in 2010. The university coudnae stomach bein associatit wi a man fa wantit tae ban Muslims fae enterin the United States an Aiberdeenshire Cooncil shoudnae be gien him their time o day either. Mair recently, 31,000 fowk made it clear that they were definitely nae Trump’s freens bi signin a petition gainstaunnin the plans tae build the second golf course on the Menie Estate. It was haundit ower tae Ellon cooncillor Isobel Davidson, ettelt tae be uised as a tool tae fecht for the side o the local people. Sadly, as we suin fund oot, the views o Isobel Davidson an 31,000 ithers dinnae mean a thing fan they are up agin the President o the United States. Aye, the cooncil really hiv got oor best interests at hert.

It has been said that the MacLeod course was appruived on the grunds that it wad bring social an economic benefits tae the area. But, as the Green cooncillor for East Garioch, Martin Ford, pyntit oot last wik, anely a peerie-wee amoont o the proponed devlopment has actually been seen through ower the past ten ‘ear. Consequently, the North East has anely seen a tottie fraction o the social an economic benefits that were promist a lang time ago. Trump was gey quick tae pit Aiberdeenshire fowk oot o their hames an aff o their land, but he hasnae actually fashed himsel wi cairyin oot maist o the so-caad amazing things he intendit tae dae wi the space. Last wik, it cam oot that the construction o the five star hotel that we were ocht tae be gettin winna be gaun aheid. It was promist that ae billion poun wad be spent on developin the estate an that investment, in turn, wad create 6000 new jobs in the area. Up tae noo, Trump has anely investit a hunner million poun.

Nae that it wad be desirable for ony mair o the proponed wark tae be cairit oot – especially nae for the sake o oor environment. Nae doubt, even mair construction work wad lead tae the further upheaval o wildlife in the area. Thanks tae Trump International Golf Links the sand dunes at Menie hiv aaready lost the special natural features that made them a specific site o scientific interest, accordin tae the Scottish National Heritage (SNH). The SNH has also vyced concerns that enouch wisnae bein duin bi the Trump Organisation tae protect the biodiversity o the site. Trump mebbe isnae ower fussed aboot oor kintraside, or the fact that there is currently a climate crisis. But we shoud be. We shoud be fumin that nae anely hiv the hames o local fowk been destroyed, but sae hiv the hames o oor wildlife. Local cooncillors shoud be daein their best tae leuk aifter oor bonnie kintraside bi nae lettin that man get his grubby hauns aa ower it. Aa he wants tae dae wi it is exploit it an line his pooches.

Aiberdeenshire Cooncil has allowed Trump tae cause aa the damage necessary for him tae get aathin that he wantit. Yet, his estate still hasnae providit the North East wi the economic growth that was promist. An noo, it is becamin even mair clear that it nivver will. The people o Aiberdeenshire dinnae want it, an oor environment jist cannae thole it. We shoud be able tae hae faith in oor local cooncil tae staun up tae a business man fa has nae consideration for oor land nor oor fowk. The decision o Aiberdeenshire Cooncil tae support a racist, xenophobic man fa is near enouch tae bein impeached in his ain kintra doesnae represent the will o the people o Aiberdeenshire. An, at the end o the day, is that nae fit local cooncillors are electit tae dae?