Plans by US tycoon Donald Trump to bankroll an anti-windfarm campaign have been branded ”deeply depressing”.
Top officials from Mr Trump’s organisation are set to visit St Andrews next week to meet members of the Communities Against Turbines Scotland (CATS) group.
Mr Trump, who is fighting plans for an offshore development near his luxury golf development in Aberdeen, has pledged to do ”whatever it takes” to stop Scotland being ”encircled by monstrous turbines”.
CATS chairman Susan Crossthwaite said she was looking forward to meeting representatives from the Trump organisation in St Andrews.
”We are continuing to negotiate with Donald Trump but he has pledged his support,” she said. ”We are an umbrella group and represent local groups and people who have campaigned against turbines across Scotland. It’s better to have one voice to speak on behalf of us and to give us some real standing.”
She continued: ”We are trying to wake Scotland up to the devastation this is causing.”
Mr Trump recently wrote to Alex Salmond, insisting the First Minister appeared to be ”hell-bent on destroying Scotland’s coastline” with wind turbines.
While campaigners have reacted with delight to Mr Trump’s intervention, WWF Scotland’s head of policy Dan Barlow is less than impressed.
”Given the urgent need to tackle climate change it is deeply depressing to hear in detail how Donald Trump intends using his vast wealth to try to kill off one of the clean, green solutions available to the people of Scotland,” he said.
”Along with energy efficiency and other forms of renewables, wind power is helping to reduce emissions, create jobs and export opportunities.” Mr Barlow added: ”Donald Trump’s efforts to undermine Scotland’s renewables ambitions are misguided.”
A planning application for an 11-turbine windfarm off Aberdeen Bay, near Mr Trump’s Menie resort, was submitted to Marine Scotland last summer. A decision is expected to be made this year.
He said turbines are ”ugly monstrosities” and ”horrendous machines” and has halted work on his development until the decision is made by the Scottish Government.
Photo by Danny Lawson/PA Archive