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| Inquiry into £1bn Trump golf plan | Inquiry into £1bn Trump golf plan |
| (21 minutes later) | |
| A public inquiry will be held into Donald Trump's application to build a £1bn golf resort in Aberdeenshire. | A public inquiry will be held into Donald Trump's application to build a £1bn golf resort in Aberdeenshire. |
| Finance Secretary John Swinney said the US billionaire's plans raised issues of importance which required consideration at a national level. | |
| Ministers called in the planning application for the development at Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, on 4 December. | |
| Mr Trump wants to build two courses, a hotel and housing on the Menie Estate, north of Aberdeen. | |
| 'Proper consideration' | |
| The plans were narrowly rejected by Aberdeenshire Council. | The plans were narrowly rejected by Aberdeenshire Council. |
| Mr Swinney said: "This application raises issues of importance that require consideration at a national level. | |
| "I have now been able to evaluate fully the options open to us to ensure that ministers can give proper consideration to this major and controversial application. | |
| "Given the nature of the application and the considerable public interest it is important that the process to examine the issues is as efficient, transparent and inclusive as possible." | |
| 'No delay' | |
| Mr Swinney explained: "For those reasons I have determined that there should be a public local inquiry, under the stewardship of a very experienced reporter. | |
| "There is already a large amount of information on the application in the public domain and I would expect the reporter to take full account of that and to focus the inquiry on the issues that are in dispute. | |
| "I have now asked the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) to convene an early meeting of the parties to inform the preparation of a definitive timetable for handling the case. | |
| "I am determined that there should be no unnecessary delay in considering this application and will make my decision within 28 days of receiving the DPEA report." |