A rare piece of Victorian architecture could mean the abandonment of the East London Line tube extension - a project widely seen as vital to the regeneration of one of the poorest areas of London.

The Department of Culture Media and Sport have been asked by English Heritage to give listed status to an ancient arch which stands in the proposed path of the extension.

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has said the East London Line extension could bring an extra half a million jobs to the Hackney area.

The department is expected to rule within the next couple of weeks.

Forum Response: London Underground

A London Underground spokesperson said: "If the Bishopsgate Goods Yard is listed or if the stub end of the Braithwaite Viaduct within the goods yard is scheduled as an ancient monument, the East London Line Extensions Project may well have to be abandoned.

"London Underground canvassed the views of English Heritage at the time of the public inquiry and were told that there was 'nothing of historic or architectural quality that warranted listing'.

"English Heritage's change of heart means that millions of pounds of taxpayers' money may have been wasted. More importantly a much needed commuter service and a huge opportunity to regenerate some of the poorest parts of East London will be lost

"In order to get permission to build this line a Transport and Works Act public inquiry was held, which fully considered everyone's concerns. The local authorities, particularly Hackney and Tower Hamlets were very supportive of this project because they knew the huge regeneration benefits it would bring to their boroughs.

"If Tessa Jowell - secretary of state for culture, media and sport - agrees to the listing it might well bring the project to an untimely end."

Forum Response: English Heritage

A spokesperson for English Heritage told ePolitix.com: "The Bishopsgate Goodsyard is a structure of considerable architectural and historic importance both to London and to the local area. It contains the Braithwaite Viaduct, 1839, which is one of the earliest examples of railway engineering in the world.

"If the Goodsyard were to be listed this would not prevent construction of the East London Line and the new Shoreditch Station. The structure was built to carry a railway line and station and there is no reason why it cannot do so again. English Heritage has great expertise in helping developers provide 21st century railway infrastructure within Victorian listed buildings.

"There is also an enormous regeneration potential here for local businesses, leisure uses and the community which should not be lost. The needless demolition of the Goodsyard would be a conservation tragedy on the scale of the Euston Arch."

Forum Response: Transport for London

A spokesperson for Transport for London told ePolitix.com: "Transport for London does not want the government to list either the Bishopsgate Goods Yard or the Braithwaite Viaduct. English Heritage have made objections we didn't envisage and now we are awaiting the government's decision."

Forum Response: London First

A spokesman for London First told ePolitix.com: "We were delighted when the announcement was made to begin work on the East London Line. London is in desperate need of major improvements to its existing public transport infrastructure - and a firm commitment is needed to ensure appropriate levels of investment in the short, medium and long term.

"The completion of the East London Line will bring economic and social benefits to businesses and residents alike along an extensive London corridor.

"It would be gravely inappropriate for this project to be scuppered for the sake of a railway arch. After all, the existing structure is a symbol of an age of when prodigious railway engineering feats were spurred by wholly economic arguments and a competitive appetite for progress.

"May good sense prevail and may construction progress as quickly as possible."