Bryson, who is best known for Notes from a Small Island and A Short History of Nearly Everything, has donated £500 to a fighting fund set up by the Save Britain’s Heritage campaign ahead of a public inquiry into the scheme – according to which M&S wants to build a new store and offices on the same site – was ordered by former communities secretary Michael Gove in June. The plan has become a poster child for the debate about turning to retrofitting and renovating buildings instead of demolishing and rebuilding, as part of efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of development amid the climate crisis. A report by architect and net zero expert Simon Sturgis, commissioned by Save, argued that the M&S proposals were not in line with the government’s net zero commitments or the Greater London Authority’s policy of prioritizing retrofitting. However, M&S says its proposed new building will use less than a quarter of the energy of the current structure and the fabric of the existing site, known as the Arch, made up of three buildings of different ages with asbestos throughout, means the refurbishment will not is a realistic option. Stuart Machin, chief executive of M&S, said: “Our investment will deliver much more than just carbon reduction. it will be a better place for our customers to shop, a better place for our colleagues to work and a better public realm for our community. Today and tomorrow.” M&S looks likely to face significant opposition to its plans to crowdfund to cover Save’s legal costs to oppose M&S in the inquiry, which starts on October 25, has a target of £20,000 and is nearing the halfway mark. Bryson, who announced his retirement in 2020, told Architects’ Journal, which first reported his involvement in the campaign: “I think it would be a great shame to knock down the M&S building. I have no special knowledge or expertise on the subject. I just want to help stop some nonsense.” Tompkins, co-founder of Architects Declare, which led the recent redesign of the National Theater in London, wrote in his letter against the plan: “Number 458 Oxford Street is a beautiful piece of urban architecture, built with high quality durable materials. It is a successful element of the wider street and a familiar London landmark. For these reasons, the building seems to be a perfectly suitable candidate for a deep renovation.” Subscribe to the Business Today daily email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter @BusinessDesk The list of opponents also includes Ian Ritchie Architects, who worked on the Louvre pyramid extension, and sustainable design expert Sarah Wigglesworth, as well as Conservative MP Duncan Baker – who introduced a private member’s bill for the built-in coal earlier in the Commons. year. Wigglesworth said in her letter that demolishing and rebuilding the store would be a “climate crime” in the midst of a planetary emergency “the likes of which we have never experienced”. The demolition and replacement plan led by architecture firm Pilbrow & Partners, which would release almost 40,000 tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, was approved by Westminster City Council and the Greater London Authority led by Mayor Sadiq Khan, but was subsequently called by Gove.
