November 17 2008

Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site status appears to have been saved despite concerns about the controversial Caltongate development

Dr Mechtild Rossler and Professor Manfred Wehdorn visited Edinburgh last week after the Royal Heritage Committee received reports developers had been given permission to demolish C-listed Sailor's Ark and Canongate Venture school without their consent.

The planned demolition is to make way for a £300m hotel, office, restaurant and housing scheme in the Old Town.

A final report is not expected until June next year but Dr Mechtild Rossler implied the proposed demolitions were not enough to endanger World Heritage Site status.

She said: "These are C-listed buildings and there are examples by the same architects and of the same period close by. I don't believe the world heritage committee likes the idea, but it's a very unusual situation."

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