Leading figures in the worlds of heritage, built environment and the arts have signed an open letter to the Communities Secretary urging him to “call in” M&S’s proposals to demolish its historic Marble Arch store.
The letter, signed by people including Bennetts Associates Co-founder Rab Bennetts, Kevin McCloud, Sarah Wigglesworth. Julia Barfield and Griff Rhys Jones among others, was initiated by SAVE Britain’s Heritage and the Architects’ Journal after Michael Gove suspended Westminster Council’s planning approval last month pending a review by his department. M&S wants to bulldoze its flagship 1929 art deco store on Oxford Street and replace it with a much larger 10-storey retail and office block.
The letter to Michael Gove says:
The letter makes the case that with design ingenuity the building's life could be extended by another 100 years or more.
Read the full open letter here.