Marks & Spencer threatens to exit Oxford Street flagship

Image: Marks & Spencer The evolution of London’s Oxford Street could see a future without the iconic Marks & Spencer flagship. The retailer has threatened to exit if redevelopment plans designed by Pilbrow & Partners are rejected. The plans, which would see the demolishing of M&S’s current Art Deco building near Marble Arch, were initially approved by Westminster City Council and London Mayor Sadiq Khan in June. It was later withdrawn by then Secretary of State, Michael Gove. Others opposing the retailer's project is Save Britain's Heritage, a group founded in 1975 by architects, historians and journalists, with the aim of safeguarding the country's historic buildings. According to the collective, M&S rejected the idea of a refurbishment of the current building, thereby not in line with the preservation of Oxford street's heritage. The group said it would divert from the need to invest in the historic street in order to improve the West End's position, as a globally competitive commercial destination. Environmental impact Construction of the new complex would also have a huge impact on the environment, releasing 40,000 tons of CO2 into the air, in an area that is as much commercial as it is residential. M&S said any carbon footprint made by the demolition would eventually be offset by the new, more sustainable building. M&S argues there is "no heritage reason" why the three buildings on the site should not be demolished, as they are not listed, and do not sit within Westminster's conservation areas. "Any heritage harm will be significantly outweighed by the benefits," M&S representative Russell Harris KC said in the opening statement of the inquiry. Many Oxford Street flagships, from Debenhams to BHS to Topshop, have been shuttered in the past few years, with some officials citing the street’s current architecture as ‘failing’. A revamp of the building and store is vital to Oxford Street's future, Mr Harris said as "it has a smell, a tangible, unmistakable expression of decline". He added the retailer would "not be made to trade" in the current buildings and that it would not invest further in the site if its plans were refused. He also warned "no other retailer" would take over the site. Article source: BBC
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