Michael Gove urged to reject M&S Marble Arch redevelopment for a second time

Rival retailers near M&S’s Marble Arch store have been able to revive ageing sites, which the campaigners said cast doubt over the department store’s claim it is unable to retrofit tis Marble Arch building. Sacha Berendji, M&S operations director, said there was “nothing new in SAVE’s submission” and said the retailer had provided a legal commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of the development. Mr Berendji added: “We hope on the basis of this new evidence that the Secretary of State approves the scheme and demonstrates that this government supports sustainable investment in Britain’s high streets and town centres.” The fresh review follows a High Court ruling in March that found Mr Gove’s initial decision to block the project was unlawful. Mr Gove had argued that the project would “fail to support the transition to a low-carbon future, and would overall fail to encourage the reuse of existing resources, including the conversion of existing buildings”.