Practice and developer Sellar consulting on new proposals for grade II-listed site which are said to contain ’much less demolition’
Sellar is working up plans to revive its scrapped proposals to redevelop Liverpool Street station with the scheme’s original lead architect Herzog & de Meuron.
It is understood the developer is redesigning the £1.5bn project without the blessing of landowner Network Rail, which only became aware of the plans last week.
Sellar and Network Rail were joint applicants on the controversial proposals for the grade II-listed site, submitted to the City of London in 2023, which would have included a 21-storey office tower cantilevered above the grade II*-listed Andaz hotel which adjoins the station.
Large parts of the station’s 1980s extension, built in a Victorian style sympathetic to the building’s original 19th century train shed, would also have been demolished to make way for the new development.
These Herzog & de Meuron-designed plans were dropped by Network Rail in November last year following a storm of protest from heritage campaigners and replaced by a new scheme designed by Acme which aimed to be more sensitive to the Victorian site’s heritage value.
Acme’s new scheme was submitted to City planners in April, revealing a scaled-back scheme valued at around £1bn, although the plans would still require the demolition of most of the station’s 1980s extension to make way for an office tower.
Sellar is understood to have consulted several heritage groups on revisions to its original application, including the Victorian Society, Save Britain’s Heritage and Historic England, towards the end of last month.
A spokesperson for Save Britain’s Heritage said: “What is interesting about Sellars’ latest proposal is that it involves much less demolition of the station. Network Rail and their current favoured architect, Acme, would do well to take note.”
> Also read: Campaigners rip into Acme’s new Liverpool Street station plans
> Also read: ‘We hope to be a good neighbour’: how the new Liverpool Street station team is rethinking London’s most controversial project
Sellar would need to submit a fresh application under its own name as sole applicant if it progresses its new plans. As the developer and Network Rail’s original joint application was never withdrawn, it would mean there would be three live applications for the same site.
However, Network Rail has said it is “fully committed” to its Acme-designed application, which is expected to be presented to the City’s planning committee towards the end of this year.
Network Rail Property chief executive Robin Dobson said: “Network Rail is fully committed to the Network Rail and Transport for London endorsed scheme that delivers a comprehensive operational solution to delivering a new Liverpool Street station which has been submitted and validated by the City of London.
“We have continued engagement with Historic England about the Network Rail submitted scheme and we both remain committed to working together on this scheme to minimise harm to heritage while also meeting the full operational needs of the station for future generations to come.”
Sellar declined to comment.
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