Crossrail: Tottenham Court Road station area to get revamp

The plans would overhaul the area above Tottenham Court Road, where Crossrail and the Tube meet

Four blocks of shops, flats and offices would be built at the eastern end of Oxford Street in central London as part of plans for the new Crossrail network.

The developers have submitted planning applications to revamp the area around Tottenham Court Road station.

A 350-seat theatre would replace the Astoria, which was demolished in 2009 to make way for the £16bn east-west rail line which is set to open in 2018.

The blocks would go up between Charing Cross Road and Great Chapel Street.

The first would be on the corner of Oxford Street and Charing Cross Road, opposite Centre Point tower and above the expanded Tottenham Court Road station, where Crossrail will connect with the Tube.

It will consist of a nine-storey office block and three floors of shops.

Airport connection

Another building would be located further south on Charing Cross Road and would house an additional nine floors of offices plus the new theatre.

The two remaining developments would include a total of 92 flats and three floors of shops, which would be accessed from Oxford Street and Dean Street.

The applications will now be considered by Westminster Council, whose planning sub-committee has already approved a planning brief for the theatre.

Further submissions are to be put forward for developments in Holborn, Farringdon, Canning Town and Woolwich.

Crossrail's route will run from Maidenhead in Berkshire to Brentwood in Essex and Abbey Wood in south-east London.

It will also have a spur connecting the line with Heathrow Airport.

Among its stops in central London will be Paddington, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf stations.

The four blocks of shops, flats and offices would run between Oxford Circus station, to the left of the map, and Tottenham Court Road, to the right