Plans to redevelop Liverpool Street Station have once again been pushed back, following further updates to the application by Network Rail. The proposal, which aims to partially demolish parts of the busy London station and construct a tower above the adjoining Grade II* listed former hotel, will now face a longer wait for approval from the City of London Corporation. The decision, initially expected by the end of the year, has been delayed to allow consideration of the new information.
The Liverpool Street Station rebuild plan has been controversial from the outset. Conservation groups previously condemned it as “a huge and unnecessary waste of resources” and “likely to be redundant on completion.” Despite this, Network Rail has maintained that it is “committed” to the project and confirmed that “additional details would be available to view on the planning register.”
The original application, first lodged in May 2023, attracted over 2,000 objections from the public as well as formal opposition from Westminster Council and Historic England. Revised plans were resubmitted in April, reflecting efforts to address concerns. These included cutting down the height of the office tower, repositioning it to avoid interference with the Great Eastern Hotel, and improving access and layout around the entrances.
Opposition, however, has remained strong. More than 2,100 formal objections have now been filed, though over 1,000 letters of support have also been received. The Victorian Society criticised the Liverpool Street Station rebuild proposal as “environmentally backward” and urged the City of London’s planning committee to reject it outright.
Historic England, while remaining cautious, has acknowledged improvements in the latest design. It described the revised plans as a “significant improvement” even though it still anticipates “a high level of harm” to the site’s historic fabric. The tower, now proposed at 19 storeys, has been realigned to reduce its visual and structural impact on the neighbouring Andaz Hotel. The designs also include landscaping and new seating near the Kindertransport Statue, as well as reconfigured entrances to manage passenger flow.
A Network Rail spokesperson confirmed that the most recent updates to the Liverpool Street Station rebuild plans include further analysis of transport and traffic issues, following discussions with Transport for London and the City of London’s highways team.
The fate of the project now lies in the hands of the City of London Corporation, which will assess whether Network Rail’s revised submission balances the demands of progress with the preservation of one of the capital’s most iconic transport landmarks.
