Outer House decision concerning Trump International’s challenge to the Scottish Government’s decision to grant permission for an offshore wind farm near its golf resort at Menie in Aberdeenshire. (My blog on some of the issues surrounding the golf resort can be seen here.)

Following the recent decision in Sustainable Shetland v The Scottish Ministers in which Lady Clark came to the conclusion that it was not competent to grant planning permission for a wind farm to persons who were not licence holders or exempt persons[1] under the Electricity Act 1989, Trump International lodged a minute of amendment seeking to add the argument made by Sustainable Shetland (referred to as the “competency question”) to their pleadings. They also sought to have the competency question dealt with before the other issues in the case and referred to the Inner House.

Lord Woolman allowed Trump international to amend their pleadings[2] to include the competency question but, having regard to the potential consequences and effect it might have on the overall delay, refused the motion to detach the competency question from the other issues in the case.

The full judgement is available from Scottish Courts here.

All of our property and conveyancing case summaries are contained in the LKS Property and Conveyancing Casebook here.