Tiger Developments’ plans for a hotel scheme in Haymarket in Edinburgh have been called in by the Scottish Government.
The developer was given the go-ahead for two hotels, 335,000 sq ft of offices and a mix of leisure uses on the site of the former Morrison Street Goods Yard by councillors in June this year.
However, the Scottish Government had to be asked to approve the plans because the council previously owned the site.
Ministers have said this week it has been called in to examine concerns that the scale of the building will damage the city’s skyline.
Hotel giant Intercontinental is signed to operate a 192-bed hotel at the scheme, while Travelodge was to operate a 245-bed hotel.
The announcement came as Unesco concluded its inspection of the heritage credentials of the Scottish city.
The UN’s cultural body’s investigation was prompted by concerns over Mountgrange’s £300m Caltongate plans and Henderson Global Investors’ redevelopment of the St James shopping centre.
Unesco is considering withdrawing the city’s World Heritage title, which it awarded in 1995, after the council passed the controversial Caltongate planning application which could be found to have a detrimental impact on the city’s old town.
Delegates are to meet at Seville’s 2009 Unesco summit in the summer to discuss the findings.
