Trump International Golf Club Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers

Trump Golf Club Ltd v Scotland
Trump International Golf Links
Court	UK Supreme Court
Full case name	Trump International Golf Club Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers (Scotland)
Decided	16 December 2015
Citation(s)	[2015] UKSC 74
Case history
Prior action(s)	[2015] CSIH 46
Court membership
Judge(s) sitting	Lord Neuberger, Lord Mance, Lord Reed, Lord Carnwath and Lord Hodge

Trump International Golf Club Scotland Ltd v Scotland [2015] UKSC 74 is a 2015 judgment of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom on the authority of the Scottish government to allow windfarm applications, under the Electricity Act 1989. It is relevant for UK enterprise law and the regulation of UK wind power.

An offshore wind farm near the Energy Futures Centre was initially proposed by the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) in 2003. The original plan was for 20 two-megawatt turbines in an eight kilometres long row about 1 kilometre offshore.

American billionaire and future president Donald Trump purchased a large part of the Menie estate near the village of Balmedie in 2006. He proposed to build a golf course called "Trump International Golf Links", with a hotel, holiday homes and a residential village. He expressed his concerns about the wind farm in April 2006 stating that "I want to see the ocean, I do not want to see windmills."

In 2006 RSPB Scotland expressed concern about the effect the wind farm and Donald Trump's golf course would have on the wildlife on the Aberdeenshire coast.Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond helped Trump through local land disputes to enable the golf resort.

In 2011, Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm Ltd applied to construct and operate the Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm (European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre) with 11 turbines, about 3.5 km from the resort. The proposed windfarm would be visible from the resort and several other golf courses, like Newburgh On Ythan, Murcar Links, Royal Aberdeen and others, some of which also have nearby turbines.