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Sandra Halliday Published
July 20, 2025
The Communities Secretary Michael Gove has rejected M&S’s plan to demolish and rebuild its Marble Arch store on Oxford Street in London, a major blow to the retailers’ plans for the site.
And M&S is crying foul given the state of the building and the large number of demolitions currently being allowed in Westminster and on Oxford Street specifically.
In a 110-page report, Gove cited concerns that the public benefits of what M&S was proposing wouldn’t outweigh the harm to nearby landmarks and conservation areas, as well as the listed Selfridges flagship next door — although Selfridges (along with other retailer neighbours) had already said it supported the M&S plan.
Other issues included the carbon footprint of the planned rebuild and its failure to reuse resources such as converting buildings already in existence.
Earlier this year, M&S CEO Stuart Machin said the store is “riddled with asbestos” and that its plans were “the right – and only – workable solution”.
M&S wanted to build a new store, along with offices, a cafe and a gym. It had defended its approach staying that the building wasn’t listed (and had actually been denied listed status), wasn’t in a conservation area, and had a number of problems such as the large amount of asbestos used in it.
Its legal team had told the enquiry that the benefits “significantly outweighed” the downsides. And the retailer has also suggested it might need to close down the store if planning permission wasn’t granted. It will be interesting to see whether it now does this and whether another business would want to take over the building.
Westminster City Council had approved the demolition originally, before heritage and environmental campaigners objected. It said it was right that such a scheme should be examined and it now hopes M&S will return to it with an alternative plan.
Its an interesting development given the large number of modern buildings that have been approved in London in recent years and how the London skyline has changed beyond all recognition, with concerns that Westminster in particular could lose its Unesco World Heritage Site status over the issue of too much development.
For now, M&S’s CEO is clearly angry, saying it has “no choice but to review its future position” on the UK’s best-known high street after almost a century due to a decision taken “on the whim of one man”.
He added: “It is particularly galling given there are currently 17 approved and proceeding demolitions in Westminster and four on Oxford Street alone making it unfathomable why M&S’s proposal to redevelop an aged and labyrinthian site that has been twice denied listed status has been singled out for refusal.”
And Dee Corsi, CEO of the New West End Company that represents businesses across Bond Street, Oxford Street, Regent Street and Mayfair, seems to agree, saying: “Today’s decision is a missed opportunity to accelerate the growth of the West End and has the potential to damage the district’s reputation as a leading destination for global businesses and investors. It is particularly disappointing, given that the proposal was previously approved.
“As we understand, the current building has no historical or architectural significance and yet the new design would have been a significant enhancement to Oxford Street.The West End’s unique character has always been shaped by its buildings and those that live, work and shop in the area, and its reputation as a world-class destination has been maintained across centuries through consistent reinvention of the built environment.
“The proposal for [the] flagship redevelopment is part of Oxford Street’s future growth story and today’s decision misses the opportunity to capitalise on the positive momentum the district is currently experiencing.”