Plans for a 22-storey apartment block in Eccles town centre have been pulled.
The skyscraper, which was planned for the former Vauxhall car dealership in Albert Street, has now been scrapped after the sale of the site fell through.
Architects who drew up the plans for 150 apartments said the building would be a 'focal point' in Eccles town centre which was 'in need of regeneration'.
Knutsford-based WhiteBox Architecture hoped to create a 'gateway building' with the potential for views towards the Pennines and Manchester city centre.
But Cheshire Estates, the developer behind the project, has now withdrawn the planning application, blaming the pandemic in part for unexpected delays.
CEO Laurence Daw said site 'constraints' such as 'dangerous levels of wind' and the longer than anticipated planning process were to blame.
He said: "In the absence of planning permission the site is overly expensive and would only be a viable purchase for our clients if planning permission was granted with wind mitigation measures in place.
"We agreed with the planning officer that in order to achieve a residential consent it had to be a landmark scheme of significant architectural value.
"This of course is what our team has achieved with the support of many residents and consultees.
"We made the responsible decision to withdraw the application to protect our clients and to ensure a positive relationship is maintained with the local authority as we continue to deliver homes in Greater Manchester."
The planning application was submitted to Salford council in October 2019.
Landowner Motus UK is the parent company of the Pentagon Motor Group which closed its Vauxhall franchise at the Albert Street site in February 2020.
Group's head of property James Scholter said the company now hopes to find a new buyer – but the future use of the site may not necessarily be residential.
He said: "The original purchaser has unfortunately fallen through and we will now be seeking potential purchasers for a variety of uses subject to planning."
Elsewhere in Eccles, a three-storey apartment building has been approved.
The application was for 24 flats at the Woodlands Garage site in Barton Lane.
Previous plans for eight houses on the site were approved in April 2018.
The latest proposal for the site is to build an three-storey block with five two-bedroom and 19 one-bedroom apartments which would all be affordable.
The flats would be available for 'social rent' which means the level of rent will be determined by the local authority or housing associations, not the market.
The planning application was submitted by Mangrove Estates and ForViva.
