Bad hair day

So Trump gets the go ahead for the development in Aberdeen that has been rushed through the planning process.

Just how many gated housing communities for the excessively wealthy world-class golf resorts can Scotland sustain? The answer seems to be an unlimited number, with plans for another similarly grand scheme to the East of Inverness.

Of course, the hotel and holiday homes will go up first to generate cash flow, and then I suspect that the impact of the global recession will delay construction of the remainder. The golf course will happen, of course, but golfers tell me that the prospects of it ever hosting a major tournament in my lifetime are minuscule with many more long-established courses likely to be well ahead in the running for the Open.

Still, if only every planning application got the level of involvement that this one got. And if only every planning application was dealt with as promptly. And if only we stopped trying to be a low-pay service-based economy, and started making things again.

Dreams, dreams, dreams.

It seems to the public that success in dealing promptly with planning applications correlates with access to the First Minister, and proximity to his constituency, and although I am sure that this is just a coincidence, there is a need to remove this suspicion by ensuring that everyone believes that they are being treated equally.