A hotel chain that was forced to remove a staff smoking shelter could win the chance to build a new one, according to the Edinburgh Evening News.
Councillors are expected to approve a new shelter tomorrow, following an application from the Hilton Edinburgh Grosvenor Hotel, despite the complaints of local residents.
The website states that the group of residents, which included former judge and solicitor general for Scotland Lord McCluskey, had previously complained that noisy smokers were causing a disturbance in the area.
However, it is now expected that planning will be granted for a new structure which the city's head of planning and strategy, Alan Henderson, claims will be less of an eyesore than the previous shelter.
"This application proposes a shelter that is more in keeping with traditional garden structures," he said.
Earlier this month the Rank Group, operators of Mecca Bingo, claimed that the smoking ban had caused a 19 per cent drop in revenue since September.
