Trump's Scottish golf resort still going ahead

Donald Trump has said that his planned golf development near Aberdeen is still going ahead although Trump Entertainment Resorts, his casino company, has recently filed for bankruptcy. However, it will be at least 2013 before any housing in the Menie Estate resort is completed.

The Trump Organisation said that the coastal development near Aberdeen would be unaffected by the filing, reports The Financial Times. Trump's project director in Scotland, Neil Hobday, said that the Trump Organisation had "nothing to do" with the casino operation and was "in extremely good shape".

Trump was granted outline planning permission for the resort at the Menie Estate , which will create 950 holiday cottages in Scotland , last November. Alongside the holiday properties, the US tycoon plans to build two championship golf courses, a golf academy, 500 private family homes and 36 golf villas .

Hobday said that they hoped to finalise a detailed planning application for the resort this year and to have the final go ahead next spring. "If we are lucky enough to start digging dirt by this time next year, I would hope we would be playing golf by about the summer of 2012," he said. The cost of the scheme has been significantly reduced by the pound's weakness against the dollar, Hobday added.

There has been speculation that the global economic downturn could threaten the future of Trump's Scottish resort. "We all hope that in four years time the economic environment will have significantly improved," Hobday said.

The Trump Organisation has so far purchased the estate and will pay to develop the golf courses. However, according to Hobday, Trump will seek to bring in outside finance to help fund the construction of buildings.

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