Manchester’s seemingly never-ending succession of new skyscraper construction projects is set to continue, after revised plans for a new tower on the east side of the city centre finally gained planning permission.

Select Property Group got the green light for its new build-to-rent development on the corner of Great Ancoats Street and Port Street, after architect Simpson Haugh produced a new design one floor lower at 33 storeys.

It will be joined by two adjacent buildings of 11 and nine floors respectively, with a total of 481 new apartments being added to the flourishing city centre market. It will be run by Select’s subsidiary Affinity Living.

The one-storey ‘haircut’ needed to get the approval of city planners was the third attempt to gain planning permission for the project, with glazing specialists set to be busy fitting the numerous windows when the much-delayed tower finally gets built.

Commenting on the decision, Affinity Living chief executive Adam Price described the location as “a site which was long overdue for significant investment and promises to deliver the very best apartments the city has to offer, creating a vibrant community”.

Although Manchester’s tallest buildings are considerably higher than this development will be – Deansgate Square Tower A is 659 ft (201 m) and 66 storeys tall – it is not the first time that plans for one of Manchester’s proposed new skyscrapers have had to be significantly revised.

The most famous instance of this is the £200 million, 39-storey St Michael’s development, which has been backed by former Manchester United footballers Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs and finally gained planning permission in 2018.

Changes to the original plans included altering the external appearance of the building, retaining the Abercromby Pub instead of demolishing it and maintaining the frontage of the former Bootle Street Police Station, which will now become a hotel.

Objections to the scheme had also focused on the visual impact on an area featuring historic buildings such as Manchester Town Hall and the Central Library.