An Irish council has approved plans by Donald Trump‘s family to build a ballroom at their golf course in the west of Ireland, with local media reporting the decision is subject to conditions including the protection of a tiny snail species.
The Trump International Golf Club in Doonbeg, located on the west coast, submitted its application in December for a ballroom capable of hosting 320 guests.
Donald Trump’s son, Eric, previously told the Sunday Independent that it would be “the nicest ballroom in the country.”
However environmentalists objected to the proposal, saying more needed to be done to improve the status of a rare snail present at the site.
Clare County Council planners in a decision published on its website said it granted planning permission for the ballroom subject to 14 conditions.
A spokesperson said the conditions would be published later on Tuesday.
The Clare Echo newspaper reported that one of the conditions requested that the golf club submit a management plan for the protected snail, including conservation management actions to restore its favourable status on the lands.
According to the plans, the new ballroom will be 1,240 square meters, a small fraction of the 8,360 square meters of the ballroom planned for the White House.
Opened in 2002 and set within 400 acres of land, the 18-hole championship course at Trump International Golf Club spans 1.5 miles of sand dunes along Doughmore Bay.
It underwent a significant redesign in 2016 and features 16 holes with ocean views.
The hotel is a 5-star luxury resort with two restaurants and a spa – which is also being renovated.
It has been reported by local media that for the new ballroom, the hotel’s existing marquee and catering space would need to be demolished.
The resort is one of three Trump-owned golfing hotels in the UK and Ireland – with the other two being in Scotland. They are Trump Turnberry Scotland and Trump International Golf Links Scotland.
Trump owns around 17 golf courses globally – almost all of which were bought by the president during his business career.