Monthly Archives: June 2012

MSPs decline Trump invitation

An MSP and two Aberdeenshire councillors have declined a surprise invitation from Trump Vice president, George Sorial, to tour the Menie Estate development next week ahead of its official opening next month.

The Greens say that to date Mr Trump has invested £13m in the development, not the £750m figure that is often reported. And despite having outline consent subject to conditions in 2008, the Trump Organisation only recently applied for and got planning permission for a clubhouse, so it is only a temporary clubhouse which is being put up.

Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow, said:-

“I will try to find the time later this summer to visit the site with local residents and see the full scale of the Trump Organisation’s destruction of this important natural asset. Sadly on the dates in question I will be working in Parliament and visiting constituents in Glasgow.”

Scottish Green Party Councillor Martin Ford said:

“The Menie dune system was an amazing and beautiful natural habitat before it was targeted for development. I have seen the damage inflicted on the Site of Special Scientific Interest when visiting local residents. This was officially sanctioned vandalism of an important nature conservation area on a horrendous
scale. I don’t have to go to Menie to see a Portacabin.”

Independent Councillor Paul Johnston said:

“The last time I spoke to George Sorial he threatened me. He has now invited me to meet him at a lonely spot on the Aberdeenshire coast. I’m not going.”

Aberdeen City Council meets 13 June 2012

The next meeting of Aberdeen City Council will take place on 13 June 2012 at 10.30. You can read the whole agenda here.

Part of what is under discussion are the plans to turn Aberdeen into a City of Culture in 2017 which is estimated to cost just under £500,000 in salaries for the BID team alone.

One other part of the business being discussed by the recently elected council is to nominate members of various committees and boards. The nominations are as below:-

$Appointmentsappendix.doca.Ps

Summer Drink Driving Campaign Week 2

ACPOS SUMMER DRINK DRIVING CAMPAIGN – ‘THE HALF TIME SCORES ARE IN’ . . . DRINK DRIVERS ARE LOSING

Motorists who persist in driving after taking alcohol or drugs face being on the losing side this summer – losing their licence and perhaps their vehicle and livelihood too.

At the half-way stage in the ACPOS Summer Drink and Drug Driving Campaign, results show that people are still ignoring warnings and continuing to choose to drive whilst under the influence of drink or drugs.

Figures for the first week of the campaign (June 4 –11) show that across Scotland, 111 people have been reported for drink driving and in addition three people were detected driving whilst being unfit through alcohol with five unfit through drugs.

A total of 15 vehicles have been seized for consideration of forfeiture by the court.

In one incident in Aberdeen, a female driver crashed into two parked cars and was found to be more than four times over the legal limit. She was also charged with dangerous driving.

In another incident in West Lothian, a woman was found to be driving whilst nearly three times the legal limit. Her 15 year old son was a passenger in the car.

Chief Superintendent Derek Robertson of Lothian and Borders Police is the Road Casualty Reduction Lead for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland. He said: “The figures are marginally down on this time last year and that is refreshing to note. We welcome that trend and it is good to see that the number of people caught for driving whilst unfit through drugs has decreased by 60%. Hopefully the message is getting across.

“However it remains concerning that 111 drivers across Scotland have still opted to get behind the wheel when they are clearly incapable of driving safely. They pose a danger to other innocent road users and that is unacceptable.

“There are increased patrols on Scotland’s roads at present and the police are focused on catching drivers who take to the road whilst unfit through drink or drugs.

“Officers will continue with this initiative until June 18^th and I would encourage the public who suspect anyone of driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs to contact the Police or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”