Dundas & Wilson guides Donald Trump to planning success

New York magnate and Dundas & Wilson client Donald Trump has scored a major victory in a long-running project to build a £1bn world-class golf development in Aberdeenshire.

Earlier in the week, an Aberdeenshire planning committee voted 7-4 in favour of the project, which Dundas & Wilson property partner Allan Wernham has been advising on for two years.

Wernham said the firm won the initial instruction from The Trump Organization following a successful pitch. In 2006 Wernham advised Trump on the acquisition of the Menie Estate, which will house the development. Trump bought the land from fellow American businessman Tom Griffin, who was advised by Shepherd & Wedderburn, for £100,000.

The granting of planning permission is a major step toward bringing the development to fruition, said Wernham, adding that Dundas & Wilson’s construction and employment practices are preparing to give advice as the development progresses.

“We have been working on this for two years from the initial acquisition to structuring the development and helping get over the final hurdle of planning permission,” Wernham said. He added that the planning application still needs to come before Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure committee and Scottish Government ministers before development can start.

In all, the project will see the construction of two championship golf courses, a golf academy, a five-star hotel complex, 1,000 holiday houses and 500 residential homes.

To get to this stage Wernham has worked alongside property associate Deborah Niven, corporate partner David Davidson and planning partner Ann Faulds.