It’s destination transformation for Britain’s busiest station as plans to give London Liverpool Street a rather gargantuan glow-up have just been given the green light. All change, please!
Plans to revamp the Victorian station have been in the pipeline for quite some time now, with various different versions being proposed. The original proposal featured a 16-storey tower being plonked on top of the historic station, but backlash from conservationists led to the plans being amended.
The new-and-improved plans (that were officially approved by the City of London Corporation this week) will see the transport hub undergo a huge redevelopment for the first time since 1991. Since the last revamp, passenger numbers have tripled, and it’s been estimated that a whopping 158 million people could pass through Liverpool Street station in 2041.
The redevelopment of Liverpool Street station
The redevelopment plans have been created by the architectural aficionados over at ACME, who have been working alongside Network Rail. The plans will see the concourse capacity increased by 76% and the station become fully accessible, with step-free access available from street level to all platforms. Eight new lifts will be installed at the station, alongside six new escalators, there will be toilets available on all levels, and new entrances constructed.
An office block is still set to be constructed on top of the station, but this one will boast a publicly-accessible roof garden. Not everyone is completely thrilled with the approved plans, though. Conservationists at the Victorian Society hailed the day on which the plans were given the green light ‘a sad day for the City of London‘.
Griff Rhys Jones, President of the Victorian Society, said: “A disfiguring billion pound office block on top of a major heritage asset is not essential to the City’s development plans, it is doubtful whether it will easily provide the profit to “improve” the concourse, and can only realise a small amount of extra space for the passenger. Its focus is retail opportunities which the commuter doesn’t need.”
Ellie Burrows, Managing Director of Network Rail’s Eastern region, said: “This decision represents a key step towards the transformation of Britain’s busiest station and marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Liverpool Street.
“Our plans focus on improving the everyday experience for passengers whilst respecting the station’s unique heritage. With annual passenger numbers forecast to grow to 158 million, this approval ensures the station will be future proofed for decades to come.”
You can find out more about the Liverpool Street station redevelopment plans here.