Network Rail agrees King’s Cross heritage partnership

Network Rail has signed a heritage partnership agreement with Historic England and Camden Council to accelerate the maintenance of King’s Cross Station. The deal, the first of its kind for Network Rail, will allow the partners to manage the building in a more efficient way, without having to apply repeatedly for planning permission for some matters. As King’s Cross Station is a Grade I listed building, even small changes need to be agreed with the planning authority and Historic England before being granted Listed Building Consent by Camden Council. Tom Higginson, director of planning and land services for Network Rail, said: “We are always looking for ways we can run the station more efficiently and this agreement, is a perfect example of that. This agreement will save all of us time, which can now be spent in other areas, and means that passengers can benefit from improvements to the station more quickly. This will also help to reduce our costs, which is incredibly important to us as a taxpayer-funded organisation.” Emily Gee, regional director for London and the South East at Historic England, added: “This has been in the work for years, so it is a pretty major change. As long as we are all agreed on the best way to do minor work, we will be able to go ahead without the need for repeated consents.” Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreements were introduced in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013. There are currently only six statutory agreements in place nationally (either Heritage Partnerships or Listed Building Consent Orders, which allow an LPA to grant listed building consent for an extended period). These include Stow Maries Airfield in Essex, Battersea Power Station and the Alexandra Road Estate in London, the University of Sussex, some bridges in Dorset and structures looked after by the Canal and River Trust. Some listed building owners have been reluctant to forge similar deals because of the upfront costs required, said Gee. “It does require money upfront, which is why we don’t have a huge number of them. “The main challenge is that kind of financial commitment. There also needs to be a long-term owner, so this arrangement is good for public estates, universities and housing estates. “The owner needs to have that desire to commit time and resources early on, with a view to realising the benefits in the future.” The last major project at King’s Cross was the implementation of a new concourse, designed by architects John McAslan & Partners. The concourse, which features a steel web-like roof, was unveiled in March 2012, ahead of the London Olympics. To send feedback, e-mail anna.ward@egi.co.uk or tweet @annaroxelana or @estatesgazette Picture: Historic England