M&S’ plans to demolish Oxford Street flagship approved by government
The Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has given Marks and Spencer the go-ahead to demolish its flagship store on Oxford Street to make way for redevelopment.
M&S first submitted a planning application to redevelop the Marble Arch store in March 2021, which was initially approved before the previous Secretary of State Michael Gove rejected the proposals in 2023.
At the time, Gove said the plans were rejected on the grounds that the public benefits would not outweigh the harm to local landmarks, including the Selfridges department store and a number of conservation areas.
Stuart Machin, CEO of M&S, said: “I am delighted that, after three unnecessary years of delays, obfuscation and political posturing at its worst, under the previous Government, our plans for Marble Arch – the only retail-led regeneration proposal on Oxford Street – have finally been approved. We can now get on with the job of helping to rejuvenate the UK’s premier shopping street through a flagship M&S store and office space, which will support 2,000 jobs and act as a global standard-bearer for sustainability.
“We share the Government’s ambition to breathe life back into our cities and towns and are pleased to see they are serious about getting Britain building and growing. We will now move as fast as we can.”
Following the demolition, M&S plans to create a new shop, a café, a gym, and offices.