John Betjeman’s campaign to save Liverpool Street station is being revived in the face of a £1.5bn plan to redevelop the site.
A consortium including Shard developer Sellar and Network Rail has submitted plans to build 15 and 10-storey office blocks flanking the station and retail space, and a hotel that appears to be above it.
Conservationists say the development will ruin the station’s character.
Joe O’Donnell, director of the Victorian Society, said: “I am approaching organisations across the heritage sector to reform the Liverpool Street station campaign led by Sir John Betjeman, which successfully defeated British Rail’s proposals to demolish all the buildings at Liverpool Street station.”
James Sellar, chief executive of Sellar, insisted that protecting the station’s heritage was a key priority.
Betjeman, the late poet laureate, had a passion for railway architecture and led a successful crusade in the 1970s against plans to demolish the station.
