American Billionaire Donald Trump has moved closer to creating one of the world’s largest golfing estates in Scotland. The star of The Apprentice USA has been planning a 400-acre site golfing multiplex in Aberdeenshire but he has faced tough negotiations over a half-acre plot of land in the middle of the planned development. At a private meeting yesterday members of the council voted by seven votes to three in favour of awarding Trump ‘special purchaser’ status on that part of the land that he had not yet acquired. The decision ensures that the £1 billion resort is likely to go ahead.

Even in a recession Coventry City Council is struggling to find social workers: so much so that the council is set to launch a campaign in America to find its next generation of staff. Interviews are to be held in Chicago in the hope of recruiting 10 to 15 people to move to Coventry. Councillor John Blundell said: "Recruitment and retention of permanent social workers in the UK is a major problem.”

It’s a scheme so crazy that even Jamie Oliver might have rejected it. Lewisham council is discussing plans for a 400 ft ‘No Fry Zone’ around all of its 65 primary schools in the borough in a bid to battle child obesity. If passed the rule would mean that no new fast food outlets would be allowed to open within 400 metres of school gates. This would mean that kids wanting a burger or fried chicken would have to walk at least a fifth of a mile to get their hands on one — burning off at least a few of the calories they put on!

Kent County Council is leading the charge against the public anger at ‘fat cats’ by reducing the pay of its chief executive. Peter Gilroy, the chief executive of Kent County Council, is to step down from his £207,000 a year position and his successor will earn £185,000 — a reduction of over 10%. Paul Carter, the Tory council leader, said he thought the new sum was “about right” for the country’s biggest council.