Second Donald Trump golf course at Menie approved by councillors

Before becoming US president, Donald Trump played golf at Menie

Plans for a second golf course at US President Donald Trump's resort in Aberdeenshire have been approved.

The 18-hole MacLeod course would be built to the south and west of the controversial original course, which opened at Menie in 2012.

Councillors on the Formartine area committee approved the plans for the second course by eight votes to four.

Permission for the resort - including houses, holiday homes and a hotel - was granted in 2008.

• 'Destroyed' Trump dunes to lose special status

• Trump's mother: From a Scottish island to New York's elite

On Thursday, the full Aberdeenshire Council will now discuss a separate application for a major housing development at the Menie Estate.

The new course is named after Mr Trump's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and brought up on the Hebridean island of Lewis but emigrated to New York.

In a report to councillors on the Formartine committee in Ellon on Tuesday morning, planning officials said the second course would bring economic and social benefits to the area.

Trump Organisation

They recommended granting planning permission, subject to a range of conditions.

There were 18 objections, mostly focusing on environmental impact and public access.

Speaking outside after the meeting, the Trump Organisation's Sarah Malone welcomed the approval.

Sarah Malone said the aim was for the course and new homes to be built at the same time

She said the aim was for the course and the separate application for 550 homes, which is due to be considered later this week, to be built concurrently.

Councillor Isobel Davidson - the committee chairwoman and who moved to reject the application - said after the approval: "I just think that the environmental impact of the application is overwhelming."

More than a decade ago, the original plans for the Menie golf resort were called in by the Scottish government after being rejected by an Aberdeenshire Council committee.

Mr Trump promised to spend £1bn and create 6,000 jobs developing the golf resort in Aberdeenshire.

The Trump Estate is the branding for the planned housing project

Branded The Trump Estate, the fresh £150m plans feature a range of two, three, four and five-bedroom cottages, priced from £295,000, to larger properties costing more than £1m.

In November last year it emerged that a council memo described the plans as a "weak substitute" for the original proposals put forward.

The Trump Organisation described the remarks in the memo as "naive at best".