It is arguably the most controversial building in Manchester city centre - and it's not even built yet.

Last month, Salboy, the developer arm of billionaire bookie Fred Done , finally gained planning permission to build a 17-storey glass tower block in the Northern Quarter .

Opponents of the scheme were left livid by the decision, voted through by eight votes to five .

The tower, to be built on a site on Back Turner Street and Soap Street opposite Shudehill bus station, had been knocked back three times before, mainly due to the height and aesthetic of its design.

And at the recent Manchester Council planning committee, councillors for the Piccadilly ward and local residents once again spoke out passionately against the latest incarnation which is even taller than previous versions.

Salboy said the extra height was necessary to make it financially viable, because the new design involves retaining 'as much as possible' of the 1920s warehouse at 1 & 3 Back Turner Street and the fire escape on Thomas Street.

The total cost of building the scheme will be £20.3m with an expected profit of just 2.89 per cent, according to planning documents.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Simon Ismail, director at Salboy, claimed at the meeting other developers would have walked away from the project due to the low yields.

Planning officials supported the application, saying the scheme will prevent a piece of the Northern Quarter's heritage from further falling into disrepair.

But apart from the height, there were fierce objections on a wide range of issues including:

The glass design which was described as 'economically, environmentally and socially disastrous';

Claims it will diminish the 'integrity of the Conservation Area'; claims it will cause overshadowing;

Claims the glass will cause dangerous glare for tram and car drivers;

The potential to 'increase existing issues from Airbnbs, causal sub-lets'.

Nevertheless, planning permission was granted.

Opponents are refusing to give up and the row looks set to take an explosive twist, pitting Manchester's Labour councillors against one another.

To go ahead with the plans, Salboy will have to purchase a small parcel of land on the site owned by the city council.

Piccadilly ward councillors Sam Wheeler, Adele Douglas and Jon-Connor Lyons have now launched a 'Don't Sell Out Shudehill' campaign demanding their own leadership refuses to sell up and block the development.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

All three spoke at the planning committee and said they had received more objections to the Salboy development than any other they have dealt with combined.

So far, they have already collected 311 signatures for their petition which they hope will force Salboy to revisit their plans.

Councillor Wheeler told the Manchester Evening News : "I am sick of watching my ward strip-mined.

"We spend countless hours of council time on neighbourhood plans, zoning conservation areas, consultations, 'Our Manchester' strategies and the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework .

"What's the point if the council won't even enforce those policies on land we own?

"Manchester City Council has to make a decision."

"Does it flog off some of the last, democratically-controlled land in the city centre for a billionaire's vanity project, or does it listen to local people and their representatives, and use its power to make developers act with some responsibility?

"The people we represent need us to be strong."

(Image: Piccadilly Labour)

It is understood the councillors are hoping to put pressure on the council's leadership, in particular Councillor Nigel Murphy who will have to sign off the sale.

Councillor Jon-Connor Lyons, who sits on the planning committee, said he was "shocked" at the revised scale of the tower.

"It is there to maximise profit and give nothing back," he told the M.E.N.

"No Mancunian can afford to buy them.

"Investors will want to use them for short term letting. Manchester's hotel scene is at 92 per cent capacity, you just can't get a room.

"Essentially [the apartments] will just become hotels that aren't hotels."

Coun Lyons also argued that approving the 18-storey building will sets 'a dangerous precedent for our future'.

"We will struggle to be able to say no to future investors," he added.

"Fred Done could expand after this in the Northern Quarter. This could give him the ability to build higher.

"I would encourage members of the public to sign our petition and get in touch with their local councillor wherever they may be and have them come out openly to show they are against this scheme. "

Salboy declined to comment when contacted by the Manchester Evening News.