Banking giant Santander has said £75m plans to demolish and redevelop its Merseyside base are on hold.
The bank announced on Wednesday evening that the decision to "temporarily pause" the project is to "consider the impact of Covid-19 on our future ways of working".
Since March, the majority of its Bootle staff have worked from home, and during the lockdown, the firm has "sought the views of colleagues across the bank on working arrangements".
It is now reviewing the feedback as "we consider how best we support our customers in the 'new normal'".
A statement from Santander about the Bridle Road site said: “We are temporarily pausing the site project we had planned in Bootle while we consider the impact of Covid-19 on our future ways of working.
"We have briefed our colleagues and CWU and will be working closely with them as our thinking progresses.”
In October last year, Santander's plans to redevelop the Bootle base were approved by the council.
Under the proposals, the large multi-story building will be demolished and replaced by a huge campus.
At the time, it was said that the development will create 'a new high quality and highly sustainable office, together with a new public park and new pavilions, which are available for public use'.
A report on the development said it would become a "significant benefit to the local community" - and demonstrates Santander’s commitment to Sefton to remain as a key local employer.
In October 2018, staff gathered at the site - known locally as 'the Giro' - to celebrate the 50th anniversary of original occupier GiroBank’s 1968 opening.
And Santander used the event to announce its huge new plans - which came as a welcome surprise for the local area.
The new site will be the bank’s UK operations hub and call centre and will house all of the existing 2,000 staff.
Work on the project was expected to be completed in 2022 - there will also be space to increase the workforce by 500.
