City planning officials have described the scheme as “transformational” but have reported concerns about funding, as the income from the office block would only cover 92 per cent of the construction costs.
A total of 1,152 people have written to the City Corporation in support of the scheme, which would improve accessibility at the station.
The scheme would increase the total height of the station complex from 33.7m (110.5ft) to 97.67m (320ft).
The City’s 32-member planning committee is due to consider the application at a meeting on Tuesday that starts at 1.45pm.
Five objectors are expected to be allowed to address the committee: Alec Forshaw and Sir Simon Jenkins on behalf of SAVE Britain’s Heritage and The Liverpool Street Station Campaign (LISSCA), architect John McAslan, who has proposed an alternative smaller design, Phillip Ridley and Peter Norman of Hyatt Hotels, which owns the Andaz hotel at the front of the station.
SAVE Britain’s Heritage wants the committee to defer what it describes as “heavy-handed plans” for the part-demolition of the station and consider Mr McAslan’s “light-touch solution” instead.
The McAslan proposal for Liverpool Street station would avoid the need for a 19-storey tower block
JMP
SAVE, in a letter to the committee, says that “key financial details relating to the viability of the scheme are missing from the submitted assessments – which themselves show the scheme to be unviable”.
Last week, The Standard revealed that the application had been recommended for approval by City planning officials.
But it also emerged that Hyatt feared the scale of likely disruption – lasting eight years or more – was “simply unmanageable”.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, James Francque, global head of transactions at Hyatt, said: “Hyatt believes there is a clear opportunity to redevelop Liverpool Street station in a way that modernises the City’s busiest transport hub, protects the historic integrity of the hotel building, and delivers meaningful benefits for passengers, the City and the local economy.
“We fully support investment in the urgent redevelopment of the station and want to be part of shaping a scheme that achieves these shared goals.
“However, Network Rail has presented a scheme that is not financially viable, offers limited operational benefit, and carries a high risk of non-delivery, while subjecting passengers, the public, businesses, and City funds to many years of disruption and uncertainty.
“Network Rail’s documents show a substantial funding gap of around £220 million, before accounting for major additional costs, including compensation payments for large-scale disruptions of London’s public transport network.
“For these reasons, we are calling for a rejection – or at a minimum, the deferral – of the current application, to ensure any future scheme represents clear value for public investment and delivers a station upgrade that is fundable, future-proof and beneficial to all stakeholders, including taxpayers, the City, passengers, surrounding businesses, and Network Rail.”
Network Rail said it had “carefully considered all options for Liverpool Street station”.
It said: “The current proposals represent the most effective way to upgrade Britain’s busiest station and meet the urgent needs of the millions of passengers who use it every day.
“With passenger numbers forecast to reach 158 million by 2041, there is a clear and urgent need to act. Deliverability and public benefit are at the heart of our approach, and Network Rail is committed to delivering this scheme, having already invested significant time and resources to bring forward a robust, future-ready proposal within a critical window to address growing customer demand.
“Our plans will future-proof the station by easing congestion, expanding capacity and delivering a fully inclusive and accessible experience for all. The design delivers step-free access from street to platform across Network Rail and the Transport for London estate, significantly improving the everyday experience for passengers.”
