The original designs were criticised by Historic England as well as campaigners who launched a petition to save a historic pub from demolition.

The original St Michael’s scheme was paused earlier this year before the lead architects were replaced.

St Michael’s appointed Hodder + Partners as lead architects who have redesigned the scheme (pictured above) and launched a second public consultation following an earlier one in July.

The revised scheme is made up of 170 residential apartments, a five-star hotel and 147,000 sq ft of office space as well as leisure facilities.

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Other changes to the original design include:

• retaining the Sir Ralph Abercromby pub in recognition of its emotional importance to the community
• retaining the former Bootle Street Police Station frontage which contributes positively to its surroundings and enables street level uses, including a large courtyard
• a single tower, rather than the twin towers envisaged in the original proposal, now located on the western edge of the site away from the town hall
• the tower is now 134.5m high – 2m lower than the highest point of the previous scheme and is re-orientated through 90 degrees to be slimmer and less obtrusive when viewed from St Ann’s Square.

“This scheme has attracted national interest as well as passionate views in the Manchester community,” said Mr Neville on behalf of the St Michael’s Partnership.

“We promised to present the tower and rooftop designs to seek responses before we submit the final plan for consent, and so we’re delighted to reveal them now.

“We were encouraged by the generally positive response to July’s consultation and by calls from certain quarters to be bold in our ambition and create something remarkable on the city’s skyline.”

The 39-storey St Michael’s Tower will be seen across Manchester 

The new design was welcomed by Historic England who said it was a more positive urban design response.

“Major steps have been taken to address the concerns regarding the impact of tall development on heritage assets of the highest significance.”

The design for the 39-storey St Michael’s Tower will be lozenge-shaped and Stephen Hodder of Hodder + Partners added: “A tall building is, by its very nature, viewed in the round, it must never turn its back on the city. 

“We have always maintained that the tower should have a north/south orientation, with residential accommodation facing east and west, presenting an elegant 'blade-like' face to St Ann's Square. 

“This suggested a building whose shape was narrow at the ends, and wider at its waist.”

Final plans will be submitted to Manchester City Council for planning consent in September and St Michael’s hopes work will begin by spring/early summer 2018.