Controversial plans to transform Edinburgh’s old Royal High School into a luxury hotel have received over 2,000 objections.

Edinburgh Council has received 2,457 comments to the plans on their website, with the majority thought to be objections. Written complaints received by the council are still to be counted.

The objections come as Unesco inspectors finish a two day assessment in the capital on the impact the proposed plans would have on Edinburgh’s World Heritage status.

Experts from the UK committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, which advises Unesco, were invited to get involved in a review of the city’s World Heritage Site management plan by Edinburgh City Council.

Planning leader councillor Ian Perry told the Scotsman said: “We have invited Icomos to participate in a review of the management plan for the World Heritage Site which will support us as we continue to ensure that Edinburgh’s developments respect and complement the historic built environment.

“We take our management of the site very seriously and have agreed to an ongoing dialogue around how we continue to integrate new development with our heritage, in line with the city’s economic needs.”

Earlier this month, the council’s online planning portal crashed due to the volume of traffic on the site.