As soon as my proposed development was announced in 2006,
environmentalists were immediately on guard. In fact, the envi-
ronmental statement on this estate takes up two five-inch-thick
books. Also, it would be an expensive development, costing one
billion pounds. Anything I do means instant scrutiny, but the scope
of my plans was such that no one thought I would get approval to
go ahead. In short, there were a lot of issues to be dealt with, from
badger and otter protection plans to the economic value to locals.
I knew it wouldn’t be easy. It became such a saga that the BBC
filmed several documentaries and HBO did a feature on the proj-
ect hosted by Bryant Gumbel. This was going to be a challenge,
but there was no way I was going to give in or give up. When
something matters, it matters.
People were expecting a duel, which I realized, so instead I
offered a partnership approach. We worked with the Scottish Na-
tional Heritage, and because we had the same concerns, it became
clear that I am environmentally sensitive. I was also inclined to be
sympathetic to the rich history of the area due to my own her-
itage, and I gave that aspect due respect. I also hired the leading
expert on geomorphology (the study of movement landforms,
such as sand dunes), and we did extensive research on the twenty-
five acres of sand dunes on this land. I was thorough and painstak-
ing, which I think was noticed.
The Scottish government held a public inquiry that lasted for
five weeks, and my development had very broad local and busi-
ness community support. The local politicians were for it, the en-
vironmentalists supported us, and a significant point is that the
Scottish ministers also agreed with us. It turns out that it is one of
the largest land-use applications approved in UK history. The
locals were ecstatic, and considering the worldwide economy, I
could understand that.
DONALD J. TRUMP