Overview
- The City of London’s planning officers recommend approval, judging transport and accessibility benefits to outweigh heritage harm, with a committee vote set for February 10.
- Network Rail’s £1.2bn plan uses a new office block over the concourse to help fund about £500m of station works.
- The upgrade package includes a larger concourse, step‑free access across all rail and Underground platforms, and an increase in lifts from four to ten.
- More than 2,300 objections have been lodged by heritage groups, St Paul’s Cathedral and local stakeholders, while roughly 1,100 comments support the scheme.
- Construction is slated for 2028–2036, with documents warning platforms 1 and 2 could close for up to two years, and any City approval would still require sign‑off by the Mayor of London and Communities Secretary.