Sunday 15 November 2009

The Sunday Herald, Trump and the RTPI

the derelict area at Menie where the golf course will be built
You know, there's another ridiculous article in the Sunday Herald today about the latest fuss around the Greatest Golf Course in the World. I walked down to the wee shop before breakfast and by the time I got back with the paper I was so angry I had thrown away the sports section and the colour magazine.
the disgraceful properties inhibiting progress
Apparently the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI aka the Goons in London), which represents 22,000 town planners in the UK (including me unfortunately) is examining a complaint that "Dr Christine Gore, director of planning for Aberdeenshire Council, failed to act with integrity and independence while handling Mr Trump’s application for a £1 billion luxury golf resort".

Well if you believe the RTPI are having an enquiry then you will believe anything - they are busy extracting as much cash as possible from their membership and can't afford to alienate anyone with an enquiry. After all there is a plush London office to maintain and decent salaries with company cars to pay for.
look this nice touch of the tie matching the digger
But the point here is that every good planner colludes with developers to get things moving - it's the only way to make any progress. And the main reason they collude with developers is that they want a better job - usually with the developers. Yes, they want to get out of local government as quickly as possible! I can't understand why anyone thinks there is anything wrong with this or that it is unusual in any way. In other words this is another non-story dreamed up by the gutter press to besmirch the good name of Donald Trump and his lovely family. Today I'm ashamed of Scotland - again.

ps - these great images are from www.zimbio.com, Photos by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Europe.

11 comments:

Nemesis said...

Oh no Dave - see my comments on your previous blog post - I still can't see the pictures at the bottom! Sob!

Nemesis said...

PS Dave - what are those two doing? Is Donny Jnr playing with his golf balls in his left pocket? And what is that Nick Griffin lookalike doing with his hands?

Dave Thompson said...

Dear Nemesis, I've deleted the offending bit at the end. I hope to see the boy next weekend so maybe he can help to get rid of the problem.

I'm sure the young Donald had golf balls in his pocket. - Thanks for all your input - with every best wish, Dave

Tim R said...

Dave - I repeat, don't be downhearted. You're above all this stuff.

I'm worried that you're a bit below par. All this criticism of the RTPI. It's not like you to be so critical of the establishment - think of all the support they've given us planners over the years. God knows, if they hadn't been fighting for the planning profession over the last 30 years, we'd be dead as a dodo - it's not as if most of us do anything useful (present company excepted, of course).

Chin chin!

Tim

Dave Thompson said...

Dear Tim R - I don't remember getting any support from the RTPI. In fact they have taken my money and given me nothing. It makes me so angry that they are sitting around in plush offices in London, able to go to Pret A Manger for a sandwich while we here in Auchterness don't even have a Greggs. It's a disgrace and I'll bet the RICS don't treat their members like this. Thanks Dave T

Nemesis said...

Well Dave, I wonder how you feel now you are listed in Debra Storr's blog list:

http://www.debrastorr.org/

What would your hero think?

stargazer12 said...

You know, Dave, I think you can tell by looking at Donald Trump that his mother must have come from Point on the Isle of Lewis. That's where I come from, so I should know. Genetics will out....

stargazer12 said...

You know, Dave, I think you can tell by looking at Donald Trump that his mother must have come from Point on the Isle of Lewis. That's where I come from, so I should know. Genetics will out....

Dave Thompson said...

Dear Nemesis - this is rather a shock as she appears to be a one of them - if you know what I mean. Frankly I'm downcast and crushed - I'm just not getting through to the right people it seems.

Dave Thompson said...

Dear Stargazer 12 - welcome to Auchterness and thanks for your comment which is absolutely on the button. There is and never was any doubt that the Great Donald is a Great Scot! With every best wish - Dave T

Nemesis said...

I think, Dave, the only answer to the Storr link is to consider yourself a Trojan horse. Keep on as you are, and surely those 'others' who might now catch your reporting via that site will start to see how right you are and how wrong they have been?

Regards

Nem