Major city schemes given backing

The development plans will now go to ministers for final approval

Councillors have approved plans for the controversial Caltongate development just off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.

They have also given the go-ahead to a high-rise Haymarket hotel and outline planning approval for a series of new villages along the waterfront at Leith.

Objectors to the £300m Caltongate scheme have claimed it could jeopardise the city's World Heritage site status.

The projects will now go forward to Scottish Government ministers for final approval.

The massive regeneration of Leith Docks features more than 15,000 new homes and is the biggest planning application ever to come before the council.

The changes aren't being welded together, the resources aren't there to do it, it's reactive, we are looking at each of the piecemeal bits and saying whether we like them or not Sir Terry Farrell Edinburgh's design champion

It is designed to create thousands of jobs, generate billions of pounds in investment and make Edinburgh's waterfront a "world-class" destination over the next 20 to 30 years.

However, it is understood developer Forth Ports will be forced to meet a huge number of requirements, including a larger-than-expected contribution to the city's tram network of nearly £29m.

Caltongate plans include a luxury hotel, an office complex and 200 homes.

The £200m development at Haymarket will see a new 17-storey leaf-shaped hotel built on a gap site next to Haymarket railway station, as well as offices, restaurants and shops.

'Big changes'

The landmark development includes the 5-star-hotel plus a three-star six-storey Travelodge on Morrison Street.

Edinburgh's design champion Sir Terry Farrell told BBC Scotland: "Edinburgh is changing, it is becoming a bigger city in every sense, it's being recognised as a force in urban cities in Europe and in Great Britain.

"It also has the tram and the waterfront, these are big changes.

"The changes aren't being welded together, the resources aren't there to do it, it's reactive, we are looking at each of the piecemeal bits and saying whether we like them or not.

"My view is this investment should partly come from central government, I don't think it is putting enough into what is Scotland's greatest city."