The area surrounding parliament is one of three UK sites that could be put on Unesco's 'endangered list'

London's irresistible desire to build upwards threatens to end the internationally recognised heritage status of one of the UK's most photographed locations.

Unesco's world heritage committee, the body that recognises sites of global cultural importance, will meet next week in Cambodia, and its advisory bodies will ask it to place the area surrounding parliament on its "endangered list". The move follows concerns that several famous views of Westminster will be threatened by the development of a series of skyscrapers. Inclusion on the list would be the first step in the removal of coveted international heritage status, something that would deal a significant blow to the UK's cultural pride.

In a move that highlights the dilemma facing government when considering the merits of approving big construction projects versus preserving the UK's heritage, the committee will also express reservations about plans to develop a historically important industrial harbour in Cornwall and the siting of a golf course next to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, both areas that suffer from a lack of investment. Unesco world heritage status is a highly prized listing. Only 962 sites around the world are deemed to have "outstanding universal value" and of these 28 are in the UK.

In London, Unesco has concerns about Elizabeth House, an £800m development in Waterloo that features two giant glass towers and is one of four landmark projects in the capital that the cultural watchdog wants halted.

Lambeth councillors believe the project will bring in jobs and help rejuvenate a tired site. But Unesco has been warned that the various projects, which, in addition to Waterloo, are on the South Bank and in Vauxhall and Elephant and Castle, will affect views of Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church, often referred to as the "parish church of the Commons".

The provisional agenda for the Cambodia meeting states: "Over the last years, the world heritage committee has repeatedly expressed concern about the actual or potential adverse impact of tall buildings on the setting of the property [the area around parliament]. Reactive monitoring missions to the property were carried out in 2006 and 2011 that focused on the need to strengthen the systems for protecting the immediate and wider setting of the property, which does not have a buffer zone."

English Heritage, an advisory body to Unesco, submitted evidence warning that the development would have a negative impact on "views from the Westminster World Heritage Site and the proposal would intrude heavily on views of Big Ben, one of London's most easily identifiable and much-loved landmarks and a Grade I listed building".

But the government appears unconcerned. Demands for the communities secretary, Eric Pickles, to call a halt to the scheme were rejected earlier this year.

A perceived failure to safeguard the UK's heritage sites would see questions asked about the protection afforded them by the government's new National Planning Policy Framework, which critics fear is skewed too heavily in favour of developers. Unesco's committee acknowledged that the development of Elizabeth House is "a crucial case for testing the effectiveness of the strengthened policy framework in relation to further planning applications".

But it expresses fears there are too few restrictions governing the development of skyscrapers in the capital, warning that "there do not seem to be defined settings or overall agreed constraints in place to ensure that new tall buildings do not impact on important views and other attributes of the property".

As a result, the committee's agenda notes, it will be advised to "consider placing the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2014, should the foreseen development projects be approved as currently planned".

The move threatens to damage the UK's cultural reputation. Westminster council's deputy leader, Robert Davis, has already warned that the loss of world heritage site status would be "very bad news" for the country.

Unesco's advisory bodies also have concerns about plans to allow the building of a supermarket at Hayle Harbour in Cornwall, an area recognised for the industrial importance of its historic copper and smelting industries. Cornwall county council says money generated from the development would be used to dredge the harbour, avoiding the need for an unsightly sea wall. But Unesco's advisory bodies have urged the committee to "consider placing the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger" if the project goes ahead as planned.

It is also concerned about the development of a golf complex next to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, a protected Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. "Given the scale and location of the proposed golf resort development project, it is recommended that it should not be permitted at its proposed scale and location in order to avoid adverse impact on the landscape setting and important views of the property," Unesco states.

Golf stars and several politicians support the project, saying it will put Northern Ireland on the world's sporting map and bring in jobs. But Heather Thompson, director for the National Trust in Northern Ireland, said Unesco's recommendations threw into question the government's commitment to protecting heritage sites.

"This independent report from Unesco on the Giant's Causeway World Heritage Site raises major concerns regarding the significant impact of the Runkerry Golf Resort on this special place," Thompson said. "It also highlights some concerns regarding the way such sites are protected."