Plans have been approved for the redevelopment of the site of the former Aberdeen City Council headquarters.

Developers Muse plan to build a hotel and office complex on the city centre site following the demolition of St Nicholas house.

The £107 million plan also includes building shops and restaurants.

Councillors on voted 23 to 18 in favour of the 175,000sqft Marischal Square development at a full council meeting on Wednesday after a report recommended they give the scheme the go-ahead.

Concerns have been raised over the impact on nearby landmarks. More than 1300 people have signed up to a campaign to have plans for the development scrapped.

Dustin Macdonald, chairman of Aberdeen’s City Centre Community Council, said: “This is disappointing for our city. People will not visit the city centre to see offices and the level of retail space is not sufficient to draw large numbers.

“We recognise that this will bring in money for the city but we feel a trick has been missed by failing to provide something special that the people of Aberdeen can be proud of for generations.”

The site was vacated by council staff in 2011 when they moved to the newly-refurbished Marischal College building in the city centre.