Paisley Lobbies Trump On Golf Development

Northern Ireland's First Minister has been holding talks with Billionaire tycoon Donald Trump aimed at securing the now controversial Trump Links development for the Province, as an alternative to the now troubled Aberdeenshire location.

Ian Paisley has revealed that he held a 25-minute meeting last night in New York with Mr Trump and told him that Northern would welcome the £1 billion golf resort to County Antrim.

"I felt that if he was of that way of thinking that we should encourage him to do the very thing that I have been asking people to do publicly during this visit to New York," he said.

He continued, "We had a good exchange together and I told him he would be encouraged if he came because we are looking for people to invest and also for anything which is going to help tourism because tourism is going to be a vital part of this new arrangement."

Mr Trump is considering relocating plans for a golf resort on a 1,400 acre site on the Menie Estate near Balmedie in Scotland to Northern Ireland after an Aberdeenshire Council committee last week rejected the project.

It is understood the billionaire, who hosts the American television version of The Apprentice, is looking at purchasing a site in County Antrim.

Mr Trump will decide in the next 30 days whether or not to buy a site in County Antrim.

However, Scottish ministers have now stepped in to make a final ruling on whether Donald Trump's £1bn golf resort goes ahead there, after the local authority rejected the plans.

The property tycoon's Aberdeenshire proposals were turned down last week by a council committee.

Ministers in Scotland said the development issue required consideration at a national level.

(BMcC)