Liverpool Street and Broad Street Stations

HC Deb 27 March 1979 vol 965 cc113-5W

Mr. Ronald Brown

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has concluded his consideration of the applications by British Railways for planning permission and listed building consent for redevelopment of Liverpool Street and Broad Street stations: and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Shore

Yes. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport and I have now jointly granted outline planning permission to British Rail for redevelopment of Liverpool Street and Broad Street stations, to include an improved transport interchange between British Rail services and the many London Transport bus and Underground routes which serve the station, together with new offices and shops. In granting this permission we recognise that the stations are in urgent need of modernisation and reorganisation and have accepted the main recommendations of the inspector who took the inquiry into these proposals by British Rail, which was concluded in February 1977. I have also accepted the inspector's view that, in order to achieve these improvements, certain grade II listed buildings will need to be demolished. But the main part of Liverpool Street station's western train shed, the proposed demolition of which gave rise to a large proportion of the objections made at the inquiry and which many regard as a masterpiece of Victorian architecture and engineering, will be preserved. I have therefore granted the necessary consents in accordance, for the most part, with the inspector's recommendations.

To help meet the cost of the much needed transport improvements, British Rail's scheme includes about 1 million sq. ft. of offices and 30,000 square feet of shops. We consider that the new offices, conveniently situated at a major public transport interchange, should help ease the strain on local transport services. Other public benefits will also be derived, such as community facilities and open space.

The Railway Board's scheme involves the proposed closure of Broad Street station, but this would be subject to the separate statutory procedures for the closure of rail passenger services and stations laid down in the Transport Acts 1962 and 1968. This procedure provides a full opportunity for users of Broad Street station, and their representatives, to voice any objections they may have to the proposed closure to the Transport Users Consultative Committee for London, which is empowered, if necessary, to hold a public hearing into any objections and which would report to my right hon. Friend on any possible hardship which the proposed closure could cause to users of the station, and any proposals to mitigate such hardships.

The planning permission now granted enables British Rail to go ahead and draw up a detailed scheme for the approval of the local planning authority—the Greater London Council—but conditions have been imposed requiring that work must start within 10 years and be phased according to a programme to be drawn up between British Rail and the local planning authority.

The listed building consent covers the demolition of most of the Liverpool Street station offices and a small section of the southern aisle of its western train shed over the existing taxi-cab road. These demolitions will enable British Rail to provide a much needed unified concourse. As I have already mentioned, the main part of the western train shed will be preserved. The Great Eastern hotel and the Abercorn rooms which are both unlisted are to be retained and improved.

My right hon. Friend and I hope that British Rail will now produce an imaginative scheme of high quality for this important London site, and we welcome its undertaking to submit its detailed drawings, when completed, to the Royal Fine Art Commission. We are pleased that British Rail and the local authorities have reached agreement on many aspects of the scheme, and hope that this accord will continue throughout the detailed planning stage and eventual implementation. We hope that when work is started any disruption and inconvenience caused to the travelling public, particularly commuters, will be kept to the minimum compatible with efficient working.

Copies of our joint decision letter granting outline planning permission, my separate decision letter on the application for listed building consent and the inspector's report have been deposited in the Library. I am also sending copies of these documents to those hon. Members who have expressed a particular interest in this matter.