The Scottish Government has rejected a request to call in a controversial planning application for Aberdeen City Council’s former headquarters.
The decision clears the way for work to start on the £107million Marischal Square development, which was backed by councillors earlier this month.
The decision was welcomed by the local authority’s ruling Labour-led administration, but a leading campaigner who opposed the scheme said she was “gob-smacked”.
Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart made a formal request for the plans to be called in after elected members voted by 23-18 in favour of the hotel, office and retail development on October 8.
He claimed the process had been mishandled and suggested there may have been “political interference”.
Last night, Mr Stewart said he and his constituents felt it was a “scandal” that prominent A-listed buildings such as Marischal College and Provost Skene’s House would be “obscured” by the Muse Developments complex on Broad Street.
City finance convener and Labour councillor Willie Young, meanwhile, accused the SNP politician of attempting to “undermine the council’s ambitious plans for regenerating Aberdeen”.
He said: “Kevin Stewart has been humiliated by his own Scottish Government, who have said there are no grounds to merit call in of the Muse Development at a national level.
“Mr Stewart is becoming more and more eccentric as he tries to undermine, without success, the councils ambitious plans for regenerating Aberdeen.
“He should apologise to the citizens of Aberdeen for attempting to play politics with city centre regeneration, instead he should try and work with the Labour-led administration to further invigorate Aberdeen.”
Mr Stewart said he had written to Local Government Minister Derek Mackay urging a rethink.
He added: “Mr Young’s response is somewhat party political in nature, but we all know that in planning, politics should not come into the process.
“If standing up for your own constituents is eccentric, then I am quite happy to be labelled as such.”
In a letter to Mr Mackay, Mr Stewart said there was a strong case for looking again at the Muse plan given the impact it would have on prominent surrounding buildings.
He added: “Given their A-listing, they are by definition of national importance and as such the negative impact upon them of this proposal must surely be of national significance.
“I urge you to reconsider your decision not to call in this application.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “In relation to the Marischal Square planning application, based on the information before them, ministers have concluded that there are no grounds to merit call in of this particular planning application for decision at a national level.”
Lorna McHattie, a former Robert Gordon University lecturer who started a petition against the Muse Developments plans backed by more than 1,300 people, said she was disappointed with the outcome.
She added: “I am gob-smacked. This is a sad day for our city.”
Muse Developments regional director for Scotland, Steve Turner, said work on site was due to start in February next year, with completion due by 2017.