From major plans for London Wall West to the controversial Liverpool Street Station redevelopment, the City of London is set for another slew of significant planning decisions and works in 2024.
The Square Mile will continue on its path to improving conditions for cyclists and pedestrians as it looks to begin on the St Paul’s gyratory transformation, while construction on what will be a key feature in London’s skyline may also start before the year is out. Here are some of the key City developments to keep an eye on in 2024.
Liverpool Street Station
There have been few proposals submitted with the City of London in 2023 that have drawn more public attention than the Liverpool Street Station redevelopment plans. Filed as a joint venture by MTA, Network Rail and developer Sellar, which has headed mega-projects such as The Shard, the plans include building a 20-storey tower above the Grade-II* listed station, with partial demolition of the concourse among the works. Liverpool Street will also be pedestrianised.
The fight against the proposals has been led by the Liverpool Street Station Campaign (LSSC). Initially set up to save the station’s total demolition in the 1970s, the coalition reformed in February to fight the new proposals. It argues the plans, if approved, would set a “terrible precedent”, which would mean “no listed building is safe from harm”.
Sellar, however, says the redevelopment is essential to ensure the station can manage rising passenger numbers and address accessibility issues, with £450 million of improvements included in its plans.
London Wall West
With the ongoing relocation of the Museum of London to its new Smithfield spot, the City of London is looking to redevelop the London Wall West site. Comprising the area around the museum’s current home and its similarly iconic neighbour Bastion House, the work, if approved, would involve the demolition of the existing buildings to make space for three new office blocks sized at five, 14 and 17 storeys high. New parks, restaurants and exhibition spaces will also be introduced.
Groups such as the Barbican Quarter, however, are calling on the City to halt its plans to knock down the existing buildings, which it describes on its website as “important heritage assets and part of the much-loved townscape of the Barbican”. The local authority’s website gives a determination deadline of March 14.
55 Bishopsgate
At 63 storeys tall, a massive 235 metres, 55 Bishopsgate is to join the likes of the Gherkin and Walkie Talkie as among the most dominant buildings in London’s skyline. Delivering more than 100,000 square metres of office space, and with a free public gallery offering 360 degree views on the top of the building, the proposal was given the green light by councillors in July this year.
The committee, however, did hear of concerns from St Paul’s Cathedral and Historic England, claiming the development would ‘materially detract’ from the historic Central London landmark. Works on the new tower could begin in 2024, with an expected completion date of 2029.
St Paul’s gyratory
Plans for a host of public realm improvements, including a new 3,000 square metre public space, near St Paul’s were given a boost earlier this year when councillors agreed to move ahead with the £15-£17m piece of work. The City of London is looking to transform the streets around the St Paul’s gyratory, stretching from the Museum of London roundabout to St Paul’s London Underground station, with the intention of making them greener and safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
During the meeting, worries about the plans impacting ambulance times and turning nearby Giltspur Street into a ‘bus car park’ were heard, though many of the 2,500 respondents who took part in the consultation had backed the proposals. If given final approval, the project will be delivered in two phases, the first of which, covering all the streets south of the roundabout, will begin in 2024.
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