Developer May Yet Play Trump Card

A year on from earlier 'threats' to move his £1 billion dream to build 'the world’s finest golf course' to Northern Ireland, it emerged yesterday that millionaire developer Donald Trump may yet dump his project in Scotland and take it to the province after all.

He is said to be ready to shelve the development in Scotland because he is frustrated at the slow pace of the country's planning process.

Adding fuel to the fire is news that, last week, the billionaire's son was in Northern Ireland viewing a number of alternative sites for the resort.

Eric Trump, 24, Executive Vice President of the Trump Organisation, met Ian Paisley Jnr in Belfast seeking advice on how quickly plans for a similar development could be processed.

Although Trump received outline planning permission for a resort at Menie Estate, near Balmedie, from the Scottish government earlier this month, Aberdeenshire Council still requires more than 80 conditions to be met before full work can start on the project.

If it goes ahead, the resort could create 1,400 local jobs and pump £60m annually into the local economy - something that Northern Ireland would welcome as the credit crunch bites, and jobs - especially in the construction industry - are lost.

Northern Ireland politicians have been keen to attract Trump with the promise that the country is 'open for business'.

A year back, the American billionaire, whose initial plans for the golf resort in Aberdeenshire had just been rejected, signed an option to purchase a piece of land in Co Antrim, but never exercised it.

Unless he is using the new threat just to speed up the development in Scotland, that option might still be revived, bringing hundreds of jobs to Northern Ireland instead.

See: Antrim Hopes Dashed As Trump Wins Scottish Approval