The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary of State, Michael Gove, has refused Marks and Spencer's plans to demolish and rebuild its store at 458 Oxford Street in London in a scheme that is the poster child for the debate over sustainable versus refurbishment.
M&S's plans to demolish its flagship 1929 Art Deco store on Oxford Street and replace it with a much larger 10-storey retail and office block have been the focus of a campaign led by SAVE and the Architects’ Journal highlighting the environmental and net-zero costs of the proposals.
Developers across the capital and the rest of the UK have followed the case as a key test of changing parameters for demolition and new build as opposed to refurbishing existing buildings in a world where real estate's role in creating a net-zero carbon economy is seen as increasingly critical.
The chain, which wanted to add a retail and office-led extension, has responded angrily with chief executive Stuart Machin saying in a statement: "We have been clear from the outset that there is no other viable scheme. So after almost a century at Marble Arch, M&S is now left with no choice but to review its future position on Oxford Street on the whim of one man. It is utterly pathetic.”
In a Twitter post Machin added: "Today’s Marble Arch decision by the Secretary of State is a short-sighted act of self-sabotage. Oxford Street, which is in desperate need of regeneration, has become the victim of politics and a willful disregard of the facts.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities called in the plans in June last year for review by an independent planning inspector at public inquiry, with Gove then having the final say. The scheme was approved by Westminster council in November 2021.
In Gove's decision, he considers the emerging national policies of most relevance on planning include a new policy prioritising retrofit and refurbishment of existing buildings where appropriate.
The minister agrees with the Planning Inspector that there would be a significantly detrimental impact on the setting of the adjacent Selfridges department store. He also applies "substantial weight" to the loss of the non-listed Orchard House building which would be demolished.
Gove, however, disagrees with the inspector's view that M&S quitting the site would have a hugely detrimental impact on Oxford Street or the potential for redevelopment.
The Secretary of State agrees that a substantial amount of carbon would go into construction which would impede the UK’s transition to a zero-carbon economy, He has also found that there has not been a thorough exploration of alternatives to demolition and has taken into account that the carbon impacts would be to an extent mitigated by the carbon offset payments secured via the section 106 Agreement. But he only applies "moderate" significance to this in making his decision.
He has also taken into account the sustainability credentials of the new building, Overall he concludes that the proposal would in part fail to support the transition to a low carbon future, and would overall fail to encourage the reuse of existing resources, including the conversion of existing buildings.
The Marks & Spencer Marble Arch site is at the junction of Oxford Street and Orchard Street, close to Selfridges, and the company has operated there since 1930.
Its Pilbrow & Partners designed scheme proposed lower ground and ground plus nine storeys, including plant equipment, and basement levels that include accommodation for leisure facilities. It would have added four storeys to the existing heights.
The massing was set back at upper levels, to respect the setting of the adjoining Grade II*-listed Selfridges and views from neighbouring conservation areas.
The application said the provision of a central core means the upper floors could be used as headquarters with a single tenant occupying a whole floor or floors, or subdivided and occupied by multiple tenants.
The plans follow similar moves to add offices at the nearby flagships of John Lewis, House of Fraser, Debenhams and Fenwick as retailers face up to having simply too much retail space in their historic homes.
London Assembly Member, Sian Berry of the Green Party, said common sense has prevailed. "The carbon emissions from demolishing and rebuilding this landmark shop would be huge and so harmful in a growing climate emergency. The Mayor should have led on this from the start, and it is a relief that the Government has at least stepped in to stop wasteful and unnecessary redevelopment.”