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| Trump plans call-in 'practical' | Trump plans call-in 'practical' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The ministerial decision to call in Donald Trump's golf resort plan was the only way forward, the government's chief planner has said. | The ministerial decision to call in Donald Trump's golf resort plan was the only way forward, the government's chief planner has said. |
| Jim Mackinnon also told MSPs that the costs of an appeal could have run to hundreds of thousands of pounds. | Jim Mackinnon also told MSPs that the costs of an appeal could have run to hundreds of thousands of pounds. |
| Holyrood's local government committee is investigating the handling of the £1bn plans, which were turned down by Aberdeenshire Council. | Holyrood's local government committee is investigating the handling of the £1bn plans, which were turned down by Aberdeenshire Council. |
| First Minister Alex Salmond again defended his role in the affair. | First Minister Alex Salmond again defended his role in the affair. |
| He also told the committee that the application, narrowly rejected by the council's Infrastructure Services Committee, had been in a "perilous" situation. | He also told the committee that the application, narrowly rejected by the council's Infrastructure Services Committee, had been in a "perilous" situation. |
| I applied my long experience and professional judgement to the handling of the case Jim MackinnonChief planning officer | I applied my long experience and professional judgement to the handling of the case Jim MackinnonChief planning officer |
| "We might have had a position of a major development being turned down unintentionally by a council after the local committee was in favour, the infrastructure committee was against and, quite clearly, members of the council wanted to revisit the issue," the first minister said. | "We might have had a position of a major development being turned down unintentionally by a council after the local committee was in favour, the infrastructure committee was against and, quite clearly, members of the council wanted to revisit the issue," the first minister said. |
| Mr Mackinnon said that after Mr Trump's plans for the Menie Estate were thrown out, calling in the application was "the only practical way forward". | Mr Mackinnon said that after Mr Trump's plans for the Menie Estate were thrown out, calling in the application was "the only practical way forward". |
| "It struck me it would be a very strange appeal by the Trump organisation, with the council formally refusing planning permission but supporting the development at the appeal," he said. | "It struck me it would be a very strange appeal by the Trump organisation, with the council formally refusing planning permission but supporting the development at the appeal," he said. |
| An appeal, he also argued, might have seen the costs awarded to the Trump Organisation, adding: "The tax payer in Aberdeenshire would have picked up a very hefty bill." | An appeal, he also argued, might have seen the costs awarded to the Trump Organisation, adding: "The tax payer in Aberdeenshire would have picked up a very hefty bill." |
| Mr Mackinnon also strongly rejected a claim from Aberdeenshire Council chief executive Alan Campbell that a call he received from the chief planner, hours before the call-in in December 2007, was "irregular". | Mr Mackinnon also strongly rejected a claim from Aberdeenshire Council chief executive Alan Campbell that a call he received from the chief planner, hours before the call-in in December 2007, was "irregular". |
| Mr Campbell went back over the phone calls he received | |
| Mr Campbell told the committee that two of Mr Trump's representatives were with Mr Mackinnon and that he asked them to leave before the discussion continued. | Mr Campbell told the committee that two of Mr Trump's representatives were with Mr Mackinnon and that he asked them to leave before the discussion continued. |
| "I would regard it as irregular to have the conversation with them there because I wanted to explore things official to official," Mr Campbell told MSPs. | "I would regard it as irregular to have the conversation with them there because I wanted to explore things official to official," Mr Campbell told MSPs. |
| Mr Mackinnon, who insisted his actions were not irregular "in the slightest", also told the committee about a call that he had received from Mr Campbell, adding: "I've a very, very strong recollection that representatives of the Trump organisation were in his room when he phoned me." | Mr Mackinnon, who insisted his actions were not irregular "in the slightest", also told the committee about a call that he had received from Mr Campbell, adding: "I've a very, very strong recollection that representatives of the Trump organisation were in his room when he phoned me." |
| The chief planner went on to insist he was "under no pressure" from any minister to act in a specific way, adding: "I applied my long experience and professional judgement to the handling of the case." | The chief planner went on to insist he was "under no pressure" from any minister to act in a specific way, adding: "I applied my long experience and professional judgement to the handling of the case." |
| Mr Salmond is excluded from the decision-making process because the plans are in his Gordon seat. | Mr Salmond is excluded from the decision-making process because the plans are in his Gordon seat. |
| He said he had met with all sides on the issue in his role as a constituency MSP. | He said he had met with all sides on the issue in his role as a constituency MSP. |
| Finance Secretary John Swinney - who will now decide whether Mr Trump's plans get the go-ahead - told the committee there was never any question of the contact between the first minister and the chief planner breaching ministerial guidelines. | Finance Secretary John Swinney - who will now decide whether Mr Trump's plans get the go-ahead - told the committee there was never any question of the contact between the first minister and the chief planner breaching ministerial guidelines. |