Just a reminder

Maidenstone · Just a reminder

Please don't forget the "Last of the Summer Dunes" picnic at Balmedie Country Park on Sunday 30th August! We want to support the families at risk of losing their homes in the Trumpland Clearances, especially now Aberdeenshire Council have said that their planners support Trump's planning application for land and houses he does not own. Compulsory purchase is a real threat to these residents.

It promises to be a fun afternoon - AND we have ordered good weather this time!

Smooth Hound

what sort of time do people start arriving there

Maidenstone

It's scheduled to start at 12.00 and that was when most people started to turn up last time.

Please would you and any other Neeps say hello to me (the aul' English wifey with a whale tail necklace!) as I haven't met a lot of you and would like to at last!!

Bring any musical instruments that won't be affected by sand/rain/haar etc., even if you just bring a biscuit tin to bang - we will have our usual sing-song of anti-Trump songs, very funny to those of us who sang them last time!

Maidenstone

Thanks for coming to the picnic today SH! It was good to meet you.

It was a great picnic - many more people than last time, not just due to the good weather, but the fact that the threat of compulsory purchase has turned many people from supporting this development to strongly opposing it. Some of the residents under this threat were at the picnic and it was good to meet up with them, also two of the councillors. The petition was launched at the picnic and can be accessed on the Tripping Up Trump website.

At last people are beginning to see what this proposed development actually is - a business opportunity for a wealthy American property developer, and really of very little benefit to the economy of the north-east of Scotland. He is attempting to get his own way through threats and bullying and we have been warned by people all over the world not to let him in!

wildgarlic

Hi,

I've just signed a petition against Aberdeenshire Council helping Donald Trump build a golf course by forcing local people from their homes:

http://38degrees.org.uk/donaldtrump

Aberdeenshire Council is voting on October 1st, so we need all the support we can before then. Please could you take a minute to sign today?

Thanks

Maidenstone

Thanks WG! Yes, it is so important that people stand up to be counted. There has been a huge backlash against this proposed compulsory purchase - even from people who wholeheartedly supported the idea of the resort development from the beginning. These are real people at great risk of losing the homes and lifestyle they love - and what will replace these homes? ..... grass, at the side of a golf course. So please sign the petition and send the link to as many people as possible. We've had nearly 500 signatures in the last couple of days, and the ball has only just started rolling and is destined to gain momentum. It is important that we have a large petition ready before the council vote on whether to use compulsory purchase in this case, at Woodhill House, Aberdeen on 1st October. Also please come to the peaceful protest outside Woodhill House on 1st Oct. There will be police presence, but that will be just to make sure we are all safe with regard to traffic, etc. Should the vote go the wrong way, i.e. FOR compulsory purchase, we would then plan to have a campaign to persuade people to vote out any councillors who want CP used at the next local elections. The vote on 1st October could open the door to any property developer applying for a CPO on ANY property here in Aberdeenshire, and none of us would be safe.

Julie

Is compulsory purchase the kind of thing one of these affected people could take to the European court as a human rights case?

Maidenstone

Probably, but apparently human rights' cases are very hard to deal with. Michael Forbes (Local Hero!) says he will go to the European courts and that this will take years to sort out. Hopefully Trump will not be that patient and will disappear long before that!

Julie

Maybe it would be more effective to tie him up in years of drawn out legislation.
I don't have much faith in the effectiveness of petitions and protests since the mass march through London against joining the USA in a war with Iraq made zero impact.
If that many people can't move a governing body to reconsider, what hope is there for a smaller cause?
I will sign it, but in my experience, councils will ride roughshod over you no matter how fair your case is.

Maidenstone

The council might, but if the councillors who vote to use compulsory purchase powers are threatened with not being re-elected the petition could always end up achieving what we want.

peppercat

I've signed the petition too, wish I could have been at the picnic but away on hols at the time.
I've pointed out to Aberdeenshire council that using compulsory purchase like this will make them look like the wealthy estate owners who caused the Highland Clearances - I hope they take note.

Smooth Hound

spot on,

as thats what they are , its not hard to look like one

interesting to see where this goes now

DiddleDeDum

To be fair to the Councillors from what I can gather and a wee bit of inside knowledge, I don't think they're that happy about this either but have been advised to keep quiet till they have the facts.

I can't see how they would go for compulsory purchase really - mine certainly don't behave like Lords of the Manor

Smooth Hound

if councillors cant speak freely through fear or shall we say worry, then thats a serious issue in itself, theres not much point in being a councillor really. point taken though, i mean look what happened to that lib dem guy.