Heritage concerns over £1.5 billion development above Liverpool Street station

The property developer, Sellar has outlined initial plans for a £1.5 billion development above Liverpool Street station that has provoked widespread concerns about the effect on the station’s heritage.

The initial plans were outlined last year, and have been fleshed out a bit more since then.

Proposed Liverpool Street station concourse (c) Herzog & de Meuron

Designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron, the development would be for a commercial development above the concourse comprising of 10 floors of workspace below a replacement 6-floor Andaz hotel. In total, the new building would be 16 storeys in height, but likely to be closer to 20 storeys equivalent as it would be sitting above the railway station.

Although the design for the new building has not been shown off yet, the company says that it will include a public roof garden, along with the creation of over 1.5 acres of public realm in and around the main station building and Hope Square as well as the pedestrianisation of Liverpool Street.

The station upgrades will include providing step-free access to the London Underground platforms, and six more escalators in the mainline station to improve the connection between the street and the concourse. A new entrance into the station will be created through the existing Andaz hotel, while the historic rooms will be restored as spaces to be rented out.

Liverpool Street Great Eastern (Andaz) Hotel (c) Herzog & de Meuron

However, even at this early stage, the plans have come under fire, with Historic England already saying that if they go ahead as currently expected, then the organisation will strongly object to them. They are particularly concerned about the heritage within the station as well as the visual impact the 16-story building above the station will have on long-range views of London.

Duncan Wilson, Historic England Chief Executive, said: “We believe that this scheme is fundamentally misconceived and misses the opportunity to unlock real public benefits while also enhancing the station’s heritage. At Historic England we are in favour of development where it secures a sustainable future for our best public and private buildings. This scheme surely does not. We will work collaboratively with Network Rail and developers Sellar in the hope that together we can achieve a better design outcome.”

There were also concerns expressed about the demolition of a Victorian building next to the station, although that building is actually a 1990s replica. While there’s a strong argument that demolishing an office block that’s barely 30 years old is wasteful, it is however of limited historic relevance, and certainly not Victorian.

The plans do not relate to the track-side elements of the station past the ticket barriers which will allow the station to remain open and functioning throughout all phases of the project.

A consultation will start with key groups over the coming weeks and initial proposals for the project, including station improvements, will be shared with the public on 21st to 23rd November 2022 at the Andaz hotel, ahead of an anticipated planning application submission in 2023.