David Milne broke down as he begged Aberdeenshire Council to block the use of compulsory purchase powers to remove him from his house on the Menie Estate.

However, councillors rejected the call in favour of a motion of no action, deciding to wait for a full detailed report.

About 90 protesters gathered outside the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre yesterday. Placards of the American tycoon depicted as the devil and signs reading “No to CPOs” were held aloft as Mr Milne handed a petition with 15,000 signatures to one of the council’s law officers.

The feeling inside was one of anger as councillors refused to give any relief to the anxious residents: David and Moira Milne, Michael and Sheila Forbes, Susan and John Munro, Mark and Gillian Hewson, and farmer George Moir.

During the meeting, Mr Milne pleaded for an end to the “intolerable psychological torture” brought on by the threat of compulsory purchase of his home.

He said: “I am here to ask you to support the motion that this council will not use its powers of compulsory purchase in support of a commercial leisure development, to throw Aberdeenshire residents out of their homes and off their land.”

Mr Milne, who bought his home at Hermit Point 17 years ago, stressed that his property was not for sale and that councillors should not give the Trump Organisation more time to negotiate.

He added: “I don’t know how many of you have even tried to imagine what it is like not knowing if your home will be your own for much longer, not knowing if the next birthday or Christmas will be the last in your own house.

“I ask you now to stand up for your own personal conscience, stand up for ethics, stand up for morals and stand up for Aberdeenshire.”

Following the landslide vote, 57 to six, shouts of “spineless” and “cowards” rang out from the packed public benches.

Afterwards, Mr Milne said: “I am extremely disappointed, tending towards furious, at the cowardice and apparent collusion of this council.

“They have disgraced themselves by refusing to take action on an element of conscience, morals and ethics.”

Michael Forbes, another resident facing eviction, said he was not surprised by the outcome. He added: “They are complete cowards. There’s still a dirty cloud hanging over our heads, but we’re not finished. The more he [Trump] bullies, the worse I get.”

Martin Ford, the councillor who put forward the defeated motion, said: “This is a failure of leadership by the council and it’s very disappointing.

“The position the council has taken is that it probably, almost certainly, won’t use compulsory purchase, but it won’t say so. They should have had the cloud lifted from them today. Once again the council has let the residents of Aberdeenshire down.”

Leader of Aberdeenshire Council Anne Robertson said there had been “significant misunderstanding” relating to the purpose of the meeting.

“This meeting of Aberdeenshire Council has not been asked to consider compulsory purchase orders,” she said. “We do not have a detailed report before us and we are not in the position to make a decision today.

“It would not be appropriate to make that decision without all of the facts.”

Councillor Joanna Strathdee expressed “heartfelt sympathy” for the residents, but said agreeing to the motion could affect future compulsory purchase orders that might be needed to cover high-profile projects such as the Aberdeen peripheral route or the dualling of the A90.

She added: “It could also impinge on the council’s ability to acquire a site for a primary school, for example.”

But Mr Ford described references to roads projects and other potential future schemes as a “fudge” and said supporting the motion would give residents “peace of mind”.