Architects call for public inquiry over plans to bulldoze ‘important’ M&S flagship Oxford St store
A coalition of historians and architects have urged Michael Gove to hold a public inquiry into plans to bulldoze the Art Deco M&S flagship store on Oxford St.
The supermarket hopes to demolish the iconic building, constructed in 1929, in order to create a new 10-storey building, with office space and a gym.
Architects – including London Eye designer Julia Barfield and Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud – have called for a public inquiry into the proposals, citing environmental concerns.
Organised by SAVE Britain’s Heritage and the Architects’ Journal, signatories of the letter said the proposals would “unnecessarily pump nearly 40,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.”
“In contrast to the slow release of carbon from existing buildings, these emissions would be released immediately because of the vast quantity of raw materials required such as steel and concrete,” the letter stated.
Developers were also accused of attempting to destroy “an elegant and important interwar building.”
Writing in a blog post on the Marks and Spencer website, the grocer’s property, store development and technology director, Sacha Berendji, said redevelopment was the “only viable way forward” for the site.
Without rebuilding the store, “the sustainability of our presence in West Oxford Street in its broadest sense is unnecessarily in jeopardy,” he said.
Consisting of three separate buildings, the current site contained “poor-quality structures and asbestos challenges”, which made development “impossible” without rebuilding, he said.
“The existing store is a confusing warren of dense structures and misaligned floors, which is not the environment in which the modern customer wants to shop,” the post added.
A “backstage” area where M&S staff worked was also of “poor standard” and “impossible to modernise.”
Historic England had deemed none of the existing buildings are of listable quality and the buildings were not included in nearby Conservative Areas, the grocer pointed out.
The newer building would more than offset any emissions from the redevelopment, Berendji stated.
He added: “Much like buying an electric car – although there is an initial impact in its manufacture – the long term benefits far outweigh those of a petrol vehicle.”
Communities and housing minister Michael Gove asked Westminster council to press pause on a demolition application last month, to allow ministers to scrutinise the plans.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has previously given the council approval for the plans, however critics have said the proposal will see a historic building lost.