Aberdeen’s Lord Provost George Adam has blocked a motion to discuss the city’s Marischal Square development at a full council meeting next month.

The city council’s SNP group had tabled an emergency motion for urgent cross-party talks councillors to take place regarding the £107 million scheme.

The motion called for talks on how the current plan can be redesigned or reduced amid continued concerns over its impact on nearby landmarks Provost Skene’s House and Marischal College.

However Lord Provost George Adam ruled that the motion is “incompetent” as the appropriate director had not been contacted seven clear days before the deadline for submission of the motion for a response and, furthermore, that the appropriate director had not been contacted at all.

The Lord Provost said: “The reason for the requirement for the referral of a motion to the appropriate director for consultation prior to its submission is to allow full council to be appraised of all the legal, financial, regulatory and planning aspects of motions.

“This is particularly crucial where motions could have a significant impact on the city.”

More than 8500 people have signed a petitions calling for the project to be scrapped.

Developers Muse claim Marischal Square will help regenerate Aberdeen’s city centre and said the reaction from the business community has been “extremely encouraging”.

Last week, Muse released a new image which showed the planned view from Broad Street of Provost Skene House.

Earlier in the week campaigners against the project had released their own new images.

Aberdeen’s Liberal Democrat councillors today announced they were backing the call for a special meeting of Aberdeen City Council to be held to discus the development.

Councillor Ian Yuill, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Aberdeen City Council, said “The Liberal Democrats have consistently opposed the planned development by Muse. We do not believe it is the right development for this key site in our city centre.

“Its clear more and more Aberdeen residents want to see either a halt or at least major changes to the Muse scheme. We are giving our full support to the call for a special council meeting to discuss doing just that.”