Trump can have £35 car park - for 'at least £10,000'

FROM THE PRESS AND JOURNAL
By RYAN CRIGHTON
A former car park which a north-east local authority bought for just £35 will be sold to Donald Trump for at least £10,000.
Aberdeenshire Council's Formartine area committee has backed plans to block seven rival bidders from buying the plot of land at the Menie Estate, near Aberdeen, which the American tycoon wants to add to his golf resort plans.
As revealed in the P&J yesterday, the council's property bosses said Mr Trump should be given "special purchaser" status for the half-acre site because of his plans to create "the world's greatest golf course" around it.
The matter was discussed in private at Ellon yesterday and councillors voted 7-3 for entering into negotiations solely with Mr Trump.
Once the deal is complete, the field will become part of the championship golf course he plans to build, alongside a 450-bedroom hotel, 950 holiday homes and 500 houses.
The site, which is beside Leyton Cottage, one of four local homes now included in Mr Trump's plans, cost the council £35 in 1976.
The report considered by councillors yesteday said the land was valued at £1,000, but the council had been told it should accept nothing less than £10,000 from Mr Trump. The council confirmed last night all other bids had now been rejected.
"Aberdeenshire Council is to enter into negotiations with Trump International Golf Links Scotland over the sale of a former car park owned by the council at Menie Estate, Balmedie," a spokesman said.
"It was decided that the Trump Orgnaisation be regarded as a 'special purchaser' due to the local economic benefits expected to be generated by the golf resort development that has been granted outline permission at Menie. Officers will now begin negotiations with the Trump Organisation concerning the sale of the land. As a result, none of the other bids will be progressed."
Trump International Golf Links executive vice-president Sarah Malone said a bidding war for the site was unnecessary. She said:
"We are grateful to Aberdeenshire Council for awarding us status of special purchaser, which clearly recognises the scale, impact an importance of this project for the North-east of Scotland.
"It was inevitable that others would express an interest in buying the council land as a result of the Trump devleopment, and this was an appropriate step taken by the council to prevent an unnecssary bidding war over a tiny piece of land that lies with the heart of the golf development."
Former Green Party MSP Shioa Baird and Tripping Up Trump members Sue Edwards and David Milne were among those interested in the land.