A group of campaigners has launched crowd-funding to argue against M&S’ Marble Arch redevelopment plans.
Save Britain’s Heritage has launched a campaign to raise £20,000 to fund legal fees to fight against M&S.
M&S previously laid out plans and received approval for the demolition of its Marble Arch store, to be replaced with a 10-storey mixed-use building including the store, office space and a gym.
The heritage group believes that the building, which was built in 1929, should be saved and retrofitted instead.
A two-week public inquiry into the redevelopment will take place in October after government ministers put a pin in M&S’ plans.
M&S said it was “bewildered” by the government intervention as it had received approvals from both Westminster City Council and the Greater London Authority.
An M&S spokesperson said: “The plans we have submitted to build a new, vibrant M&S store, fit for modern retail and sustainable office space, have been approved at every stage and strongly supported by the local community as a key part of the regeneration of an iconic part of London.
“As well as attracting new investment and footfall, a detailed assessment on the carbon impact across the whole lifecycle of the building was undertaken by independent experts, who concluded that the new build offered significant sustainability advantages over a refurbishment.”
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