M&S boss calls Michael Gove’s decision to block Oxford Street store revamp ‘utterly pathetic’

Plans to knock down, and rebuild, Oxford Street store were opposed by historic building campaigners

(Getty Images)

The boss of Marks & Spencer has criticised Michael Gove for blocking the retail giant’s plans to redevelop its flagship store Oxford Street store in London.

The company’s chief executive, Stuart Machin said this “short-sighted act of self-sabotage” on Mr Gove’s part had forced M&S to re-evaluate its future on the country’s busiest shopping street.

While Mr Machin’s plans to convert the 1930 art deco store, Orchard House, into a ten-storey retail and office unit were approved by Westminster city council in 2021, Mr Gove ultimately brought the project to a grinding halt – amid backlash from historic-building campaigners.

“After a two-year process where our proposals were supported at every stage, our investment in 2,000 jobs, building one of the most sustainable buildings in London, improving the public realm and creating a flagship store, is now effectively in the deep freeze,” Mr Machin said.

Conservation group SAVE Britain’s Heritage, architects, engineers as well as celebrities such as actor Kristin Scott-Thomas and comedian Griff Rhys-Jones were among those opposing the redevelopment plans.

Mr Gove ordered an inquiry into M&S’s proposed plans, but ultimately overruled the planning inspector David Nicholson’s recommendation to approve the project.

In addition to preserving the heritage building, the project was also criticised by SAVE over environmental concerns – noting that retrofitting the existing structure would be more sustainable.

According to the group, demolishing Orchard House would generate $0,000 tonnes of embodied carbon – nearly equivalent to 20,000 flights from London to Sydney.

SAVE director Henrietta Billings said Mr Gove’s decision “rightly challenges the way we continually and needlessly knock down and rebuild important buildings”, adding that this is the first time “a planning inquiry has had sustainability and heritage as its joint focus”.

Mr Manchin has said there’s “no other viable scheme” for the Oxford Street store, and Mr Gove had forced the company to evaluate whether it can remain on the high street in the long-run.

“It’s utterly pathetic,” the businessman added, noting that Mr Gove had disregarded expert opinion of the appointed inspector David Nicholson.

Archie Norman, a former chairman of M&S, called Mr Gove’s decision a “defeat for the planet” claiming the new building “would be massively more sustainable”.