Author Bill Bryson joins the list of opponents to the proposed demolition and rebuild of Marks and Spencer Group PLC (LSE:MKS)’s iconic Oxford Street store.
Bryson, a popular travel author best known for Notes from a Small Island and A Short History of Nearly Everything, donated £500 to a campaign group called Save Britain’s Heritage, according to the Guardian.
“I believe it would be a great shame to tear down the M&S building. I have no special knowledge or insights about the matter. I just wish to help stop a bit of foolishness,” Bryson told the Architects’ Journal, which first reported his involvement in the campaign.
A public inquiry, approved by Michael Gove in June, is underway into the plan to turn the flagship store into a new shop with offices.
Save Britain commissioned a report by architect and net zero supporter Simon Sturgis, which stated the retailer’s proposals were not compliant with government net-zero targets.
M&S however argued the new building would use less than a quarter of the existing site’s energy and that the fabric of the existing site, filled with asbestos, is not fit for refurbishment.
“Our investment will deliver far more than 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,” said M&S chief executive Steve Rowe.