A £50m blueprint to transform part of Edinburgh's Old Town has been lodged with planners.

New shops, cafes and bars would be opened on Holyrood Road as part of the plan drawn up by Edinburgh University.

Offices, apartments, student flats and academic buildings are also being earmarked for the area close to the Scottish Parliament.

Ageing university buildings would be demolished to make way for the redevelopment which would include more than 300 new homes.

Award-winning architect John Hope has prepared the university's blueprint and it was won the support of city planning officials, who are recommending that councillors give the project their backing.

The Royal Fine Arts Commission "strongly endorsed" Mr Hope's approach, which it said "embraces the spirit of the Old Town and conforms with current attitudes towards good practice in urban design".

However, the plan has had a mixed response from heritage groups because of its possible impact on nearby listed buildings.

Historic Scotland said it had "strong concerns" over the size of many of the proposed buildings, and their effect on listed buildings in the area, particularly Chessel's Court, a series of tenements dating to the 17th century.

The agency's submission to the council adds: "We would hope that the later detailed design and materials chosen would respect the setting of listed buildings and the character and appearance of the Old Town and the South Side Conservation Area."

Edinburgh World Heritage Trust said: "We take the point that scale of development in this area has altered with the construction of the new Scottish Parliament. However, any new development for these sites must acknowledge the historic scale and character of the area. When more detailed proposals come forward, key and strategic views should be considered carefully."

Mr Hope, who drew up the masterplan for the development of the neighbouring north Holyrood area, which now includes Our Dynamic Earth and the Tun, said the buildings earmarked for demolition were modern and the replacements had been specially designed to reduce the impact on A-listed Chessel's Court.

Key elements of the scheme include demolishing the Chessel's Land, St Mary's Land and Weir's Land buildings on the university's school of education campus on the north side of Holyrood Road, to be replaced by flats; building around 60 student flats on a gap site on the south side of Holyrood Road.

A sports centre and a new boulevard of cafes, restaurants, shops and offices on Holyrood Road are planned and a new gallery or cultural building, near the junction of St Mary's Street and Holyrood Road, would be built on a gap site to the west of the buildings.

The plans are expected to win the approval of councillors at a planning meeting tomorrow.