Liverpool Street Station Redevelopment Faces Controversy Ahead of Approval Vote

The redevelopment of Liverpool Street station is set to move closer to approval despite receiving thousands of objections, with planning officers citing the wider benefits of the scheme as outweighing heritage concerns.

Planning officers at the City of London Corporation acknowledged that the proposals would cause harm to several historic assets, including the station itself, but argued the impact was “clearly and convincingly justified” given the broader advantages.

“The proposal would significantly upgrade Liverpool Street Station and deliver density in a suitable and sustainable location,” the report stated.“It would advance the strategic and business objectives of the City, uniquely so in view of the transformational transport benefits flowing from the proposal.”

The City of London planning committee is scheduled to vote on the plans next Tuesday. The proposals have attracted over 2,300 objections alongside more than 1,100 letters of support, making it an unusually contested development.

Redevelopment Details

Liverpool Street is the country’s busiest station, with nearly 100 million entries and exits last year and passenger numbers expected to reach 158 million by 2041. Network Rail’s £1.2 billion redevelopment aims to:

• Expand the station concourse

• Provide step-free access across all rail and underground platforms

• Increase the number of elevators from four to ten

To help fund the project, a 19-storey office block will be built above the concourse, a move that has drawn particular criticism from heritage groups.

Heritage Concerns

Groups including the Georgian Group and SAVE Britain’s Heritage have raised objections, citing the loss of historic fabric and arguing that alternative options were not properly considered. St Paul’s Cathedral also objected, saying the development could harm views of the landmark.

Planning officers admitted the proposals would cause considerable harm to heritage assets, but concluded the overall benefits of improved accessibility, operational efficiency, and urban development outweighed the negatives.

“The range of impacts would result in numerous policy conflicts, but officers consider that there is overall compliance with the Development Plan when read as a whole,” the report stated.

Construction and Disruption

If approved, construction would begin in 2028 and continue until 2036. Platforms one and two, primarily serving the London Overground, may be closed for up to two years, though Network Rail says it plans to mitigate disruption through measures such as service thinning.

“The scheme has been carefully designed and phased to ensure that the station remains open and operational during the works,” a Network Rail spokesperson said.