Your morning journey to Liverpool Street station may soon look very different, but not everyone is happy about the changes.
After proposals for a makeover of the East London for the hub received over 2,100 objections on the City of London Corporation’s planning portal.
The public, local authorities, Historic England and Westminster City Council expressed concerns about the project, with some describing it as 'ugly and lacking in creativity'.
The new look for Liverpool Street will cost £1.5 billion, involving the demolition of part of the Victorian station and the construction of a 20-storey tower above the neighboring Grade-II* listed former Great Eastern Hotel.
However, property developer Sellar, MTR, and Network Rail, who will oversee the upgrade, claim that it 'will help London to maintain its status as a world-class city – at no cost to passengers or the taxpayer.'
Mock-ups illustrate a new upper concourse with futuristic curved white ceilings, as well as additional lifts and escalators to enhance the station’s accessibility.
One objector, Victoria Blackie, labeled the proposal as 'plain and unremarkable,' and added: 'Too many interesting buildings have already been demolished, you are destroying the character and heritage of our capital city and turning it into a dull, anonymous place that could be in any country or town.'
The most controversial aspect of the transformation is the tower.
Documents indicate that the glass structure will include offices, a hotel space, and luxury features such as a swimming pool.
It was criticized by Westminster Council for obstructing the view of St Paul’s Cathedral and by Hackney Council for causing 'significant damage' to the surrounding area.
As of March 25, only 29 responses supported the plan compared to 2,154 objections, including Luke Christodoulou who referred to it as an 'ugly and uninspired' design which wasn’t 'worthy of standing in the place of a historic building.'
He went on to say: 'This new plan seeks to replace all of that with white walls, modern curves, and the greatest insult: a boring glass block completely lacking in character sitting on top.'
Another commenter, Pascal Dubois-Pelerin, stated: 'The proposed entrance and office towers are completely out of place in all aspects: size, location, design, and style. The entire project ridicules the existing buildings, particularly the listed ones, in the area, and common sense in general.'
James Sellar, chief executive at Sellar – the company behind The Shard – replied: 'Considering the number of objections received, these should be weighed against the approximately 130 million passenger journeys that would benefit if these crucial upgrades to Liverpool Street station were approved.'
City planning officials are likely to decide on the next actions by the end of the year. If the committee gives the green light, construction could start as early as 2025 and finish by 2029.
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