Marks & Spencer has warned that it will cease trading from its flagship store on London’s Oxford Street unless redevelopment plans are given the go-ahead.
As a public inquiry into Marks & Spencer’s plans opened the retailer maintained that it is “unsustainable” to carry on operating from the existing branch, the BBC reported.
The scheme, involving M&S’s premises at 458 Oxford Street, is designed to create a modern store as well as offices and other space, but has drawn opposition from campaigners on heritage and environmental grounds.
Russell Harris KC, who is representing M&S, argued that there was “no heritage reason” why the three buildings affected – which are not listed – should not be knocked down.
“Any heritage harm will be significantly outweighed by the benefits,” he said.
Harris maintained that M&S’s proposals would create a “new flagship store of high architectural quality”, which would benefit a “failing” Oxford Street.
He said that M&S would “not be made to trade” from the existing premises, that it would not invest any more in the property if its plans were rejected and that no other retailer would take over the location.
Campaigner Matthew Fraser told the inquiry that M&S’s stance was “not the constructive attitude of a retailer committed to the future of Oxford Street” and argued that the heritage impact of the plans has been ”considerably underestimated by M&S”.
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