Councillors on the Planning Committee of the City of London have voted in favour of granting planning permission for the redevelopment of Liverpool Street station.

The plans, which have proved controversial, include an office block as well as a larger concourse, step-free access to all main line and Underground platforms, eight new lifts and six more escalators, taking the total to 10. Liverpool Street was last rebuilt by British Rail in the later 1980s, when the complicated steam-era layout was simplified and adjacent Broad Street station was replaced by the Broadgate development.

Objectors to the latest proposals include actor Griff Rhys Jones, who is president of The Victorian Society. He said: ‘Network Rail have claimed they cannot improve Liverpool Street station without building a 20-storey building directly on top of it. If that’s the case, it’s a very sad day for Britain.’

The number of passengers using Liverpool Street has risen from 35 million in 1997 to 98 million last year, according to the Office of Rail and Road, making the station the busiest on National Rail and almost 30 million ahead of London Waterloo, which used to top the table until the Covid pandemic.

Network Rail said numbers at Liverpool Street are expected to continue increasing and to have grown by another 35 per cent by 2041, and that its scheme will help long-term economic growth in the City of London. Figures show the scheme could boost the City of London economy by up to £4.6 billion per year because of greater numbers of visitors.

Network Rail Eastern region managing director Ellie Burrows said: ‘This decision represents a key step towards the transformation of Britain's busiest station and marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Liverpool Street.

‘Our plans focus on improving the everyday experience for passengers whilst respecting the station's unique heritage. With annual passenger numbers forecast to grow to 158 million, this approval ensures the station will be future proofed for decades to come.’

The proposals will now be passed to the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and communities secretary Steve Reed for a decision.

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