Historic Buildings & Places has submitted detailed comments to Network Rail regarding the latest Liverpool Street Station redevelopment scheme.
While we welcome efforts to upgrade and future-proof this iconic Grade II-listed station, the current proposals fall short of providing the necessary clarity and justification for the significant interventions proposed.
Key concerns include:
- Lack of clarity: The revised scheme needs to go back to basics and outline the operational, customer, or commercial needs of the station. Clear identification of the public benefits is needed to justify any harm to the historic fabric.
- Costs: There needs to be a clear understanding of the cost of upgrading the main station and Underground station to meet passenger needs. A viability assessment is needed to prove that the tower is the minimum necessary to fund station improvements.
- Future-proofing: Building over the station risks constraining future upgrades to both the mainline and Underground services.
- Heritage impact: A comprehensive new heritage statement is required to assess the changes to the listed station, the conservation area, and the streetscape.
- Design concerns: Any future design should maintain and reflect the station’s openness and light, and celebrate the engineering brilliance of Victorian train sheds.
Liverpool Street Station is loved for its cohesive design, simplicity, and light-filled concourse. Any redevelopment must prioritise these qualities while addressing future capacity and operational needs without unnecessary overdevelopment.
We call for a fundamental reassessment of the scheme to ensure it balances heritage conservation with sustainable and functional modernisation.
We are part of the reformed Liverpool Street Station Campaign (LISSCA), led by Griff Rhys Jones, which has carefully reviewed the latest proposals and opposes the plans as they stand. If you haven’t already, please sign the petition and share it with friends, family, colleagues, and professional networks to help protect this historic landmark.
