Marks & Spencer operations director Sacha Berendji has come out fighting as to why its store close to Marble Arch on Oxford Street, W1, needs to be demolished.
The retailer has faced a backlash over its plan to bulldoze the flagship 1930s-built Orchard House, owing to environmental issues. Secretary of state Michael Gove called in the plans – which had been approved by Westminster City Council – and will not make a decision on them until July.
Writing on the M&S website, Berendji said: “From the jewel in the crown of UK retail to fake candy stores and empty buildings, Oxford Street has seen a rapid decline. Footfall is down 30% on pre-pandemic levels – and the national perception of this once loved high street has shifted dramatically. We can’t leave it in limbo or let it decline any further.”
He said a “revitalised” M&S store at Marble Arch was an important first step in bringing Oxford Street back to its former glory.
“Our site can be a flag-bearer for modern, sustainable redevelopment, breathing life back into this part of our capital city,” said Berendji. “Our current store is no longer fit for purpose. It’s home to a confusing layout, misaligned floors and a poor ‘backstage’ area for staff.”
Berendji claimed that while the retailer has explored retrofitting the building, it was “not an option”.
He said a new building would rank among the top 1% for sustainability performance in London, use less than a quarter of the energy of today’s structure, promote circular economy principles, with 95% of the existing building materials to be recovered, recycled or reused, and deliver a net positive contribution to the environment from 11 years onwards.
Berendji said a rejection by Gove this summer would result in “a missed opportunity to save this once iconic shopping and tourism destination”.
“We want revitalisation, not rejection,” he said.
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