NR: development key for Liverpool Street to thrive
NETWORK Rail insists there is “no alternative” to controversial plans for a £1.5 billion redevelopment of London Liverpool Street station.
Conservation groups have raised concerns over the commercial aspects of the development, which include a 16-storey tower block above the 1874-built former Great Eastern Railway terminus.
Historic England said the scheme would “trample” the listed station, rather than showcasing its heritage, while the Victorian Society has invoked the spirit of poet John Betjeman’s successful campaign to prevent its demolition in the 1970s.
But NR Group Property Director Robin Dobson said there was “no plan B” to deliver up to £450 million worth of capacity and accessibility improvements at Britain’s fourth busiest station.
Led by Sellar (the developer of London Bridge Quarter, the Shard and Paddington Square) and Elizabeth line operator MTR, the oversite development would comprise a ten-storey office block topped by a six-storey hotel - the relocated Andaz that currently occupies the former Great Eastern Hotel. Under the plans, the Victorian building would be retained, with its historic rooms (including masonic temples and ballroom) converted into public space.
In return, the developers would fund almost half a billion pounds worth of passenger-facing improvements to alleviate overcrowding and transform the station into a new transport, retail and leisure hub (akin to London King’s Cross and St Pancras International).
Accessibility and transit times would also be vastly improved, including to all London Underground platforms, by providing six new lifts and six more escalators. There is currently just one Disability Discrimination Act-compliant lift across the entire site.
The Hamilton Hall (Wetherspoons) pub would also be restored, and a new pedestrian route and public square (Exchange Square) created.
The Kindertransport memorial would be relocated to form the centrepiece of an expanded Hope Square, and the bus station on the western side of the station would increase in size.
Speaking at a three-day exhibition to outline the plans, on November 21-23, the developers claimed that most of the objections to the designs (supplied by Herzog & de Meuron, the architects of the Tate Modern and
the Beijing Olympic Stadium) were based on “misconceptions and falsehoods”.
They argue that the only parts of the station to be demolished will be those built in the late 1980s, when the concourse was last redeveloped by British Rail. Meanwhile, artist’s impressions show that the tower block would not be as tall as neighbouring developments.
“Not a penny has been spent on Liverpool Street in more than 30 years,” said Barry Ostle, executive director of development and planning at Sellar.
“We are not touching the original Victorian trainshed, and all the important public buildings are being restored. These plans will deliver a substantial increase in east-west and north-south permeability and a lot more step-free access.
“If you look at surrounding developments, you’ll see that we’re not chasing height here either. We’ve been as respectful as we possibly could.”
MTR UK CEO Steve Murphy added: “This is an opportunity to reinvest in the station, but it has to have a commercial element to balance the books. That money is unlikely to come from the public purse, and it can’t always be a case of going to government.
“When our illustrious forefathers built this great station, they didn’t get any government help. They did it through private investment and commercial loans.
“This place should be more than just a station - and the best example of that is probably St Pancras International. This could be the new St Pancras.”
Murphy added that while the operator has been a pioneer in using the return on investment from commercial property to fund rail improvements in its native Hong Kong (see feature, RAIL 964), the scale and character of the plans for Liverpool Street are “a million miles away from that, other than the shared concept of the railway finding its own solutions”.
NR’s Robin Dobson said: “In recent years, the station has accommodated 135 million passengers a year, and is no longer fit for purpose. But there isn’t a Plan B. If this doesn’t work and can’t offer something to all parties, then what is the alternative?
“We are very much adopting the ‘one station’ approach, with a clear focus on customer facilities that will deliver a significant improvement for passengers, visitors, office workers, and the wider community. We’re delivering it through a publicprivate partnership which will provide long-lasting benefits for everyone.”
A planning application is due to be submitted early next year, following a formal round of public consultation. Should that be approved, then developers say enabling works and piling could commence in early 2024 ahead of the beginning of main construction in 2025.
Work is expected to take up to four years, although it would be non-disruptive to rail services as construction is confined to areas above the concourse and not the main trainshed.
Historic England CEO Duncan Wilson maintained that the scheme is “fundamentally misconceived” and has pledged to make “a very strong objection” once it has been taken forward to a planning application.