// M&S flagship demolition plans to be reconsidered by the Mayor of London
// The Oxford Street building was expected to make way for a 10-storey site
Sadiq Khan is reconsidering plans to demolish Marks & Spencer’s flagship store on Oxford Street after backlash from the public.
City Hall has said the proposals to demolish the site will be reviewed after it initially said it did not want to intervene with the plans.
In January, architect Simon Sturgis wrote a report arguing that knocking down the building was inconsistent with tackling the climate crisis.
The Mayor of London will now take Sturgis’ findings into account while he revisits the planning decision.
READ MORE: M&S to downsize Marble Arch flagship and add office space
The Oxford Street building is expected to make way for a 10-storey site. It was approved by Westminster City Council in November.
M&S previously said that 90% of materials from the existing site will be reused in the construction of the new building, and once finished will have a higher sustainability rating than the current one.
The company is in discussions with the relevant authorities.
Under its plans, the retailer will occupy two and a half floors rather than the five currently used, with office space filling the upper floors.
City Hall officials decided to allow Westminster Council to determine the final outcome of the application on 7 March because they did not have sufficient grounds to be able to intervene.
“The planning process is still ongoing, with the City of Westminster yet to issue its planning decision,” A Mayor of London spokesperson said.
“The initial assessment of the plans by City Hall thoroughly considered the issue of carbon emissions. This found that the carbon saving of the refurbishment of the existing building would be countered by its poor energy efficiency, and the refurbished buildings would have a larger total carbon footprint than a new build.
“Following its initial report, City Hall has since published new guidance on carbon emissions and officials are considering an updated report to include further analysis of the carbon emissions of the proposed demolition.”
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