M&S hails High Court victory in battle to demolish and redevelop Marble Arch store
Marks & Spencer has announced that the High Court has ruled that Michael Gove’s decision to block planning permission for the redevelopment of its Marble Arch store in London was unlawful.
The retailer would like to demolish the Art Deco flagship site and replace it with a larger retail and office block.
In November last year, M&S announced that it had been granted permission by the High Court to apply for a judicial review of Gove’s decision. At the time, it said that the Secretary of State had wrongly interpreted and applied planning policy to justify his rejection of the scheme on grounds of heritage and environmental concerns.
Today M&S operations director Sacha Berendji said in a statement: “Today’s judgment couldn’t be clearer, the Court has agreed with our arguments on five out of the six counts we brought forward and ruled that the Secretary of State’s decision to block the redevelopment of our Marble Arch store was unlawful.
“The result has been a long, unnecessary and costly delay to the only retail-led regeneration on Oxford Street which would deliver one of London’s greenest buildings, create thousands of new jobs and rejuvenate the capital’s premier shopping district.
“The Secretary of State now has the power to unlock the wide-ranging benefits of this significant investment and send a clear message to UK and global business that the government supports sustainable growth and the regeneration of our towns and cities.”
