Marks & Spencer plans to demolish iconic Oxford Street store that has already been approved

Marks & Spencer has won a battle to get rid of its flagship Oxford Street store.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has approved the application after a three-year planning process.

It was a big win for chief executive Stuart Machin, who said the group would be ‘quickly moving’ to redevelop the site.

M&S will now demolish its 1929 decorative arts landmark near Marble Arch in Central London and build a large retail and office block in its place.

The High Street lobbyist says the new site – which will include a cafe and gym – will support 2,000 jobs.

The decision was seen as a test of Labour’s promises to support economic growth – many businesses felt they had been hit by October’s £40bn tax hike.

And experts hope it will help Oxford Street turn the corner and defeat the food stalls that now line the road.

Machin said: ‘I am delighted that, after three unnecessary years of delays, confusion and the worst political climate under the previous Government, our plans have been approved for Marble Arch, the only commercial regeneration project on Oxford Street.

We can act now to help regenerate the UK’s premier shopping street with a massive M&S store and office space, which will support 2,000 jobs and become a standard bearer of sustainability.’

Machin, who has teamed up with actress Sienna Miller to launch the new range, added: ‘We share the Government’s ambition to bring life back to our towns and cities. town, and glad to see that they are so active in the building and growth of England. We will move quickly.’

Former Home Secretary Michael Gove blocked the plans last year.

The retailer won a High Court appeal battle in March – but the General Election delayed this.

Dee Corsi, CEO of the New West End Company, said the new development ‘will help cement West End’s status as a world-class destination for consumers and office workers.

But heritage campaigners have labeled it a ‘missed opportunity’ to refurbish the existing building to match the Tate Modern, ‘the great Pennine textile mill’.

‘It’s disappointing not to see fashion house M&S do the same as the Oxford Street legend, whose fortunes have soared,’ said Henrietta Billings, Save Britain’s Heritage director.

Some of Britain’s leading architects, including Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud, also opposed the plan.

Last year, Machin labeled Gove’s decision ‘deeply regrettable’ and ‘unreasonable’. He accused the minister of ‘deregulation of business, stifling growth and denying Oxford Road access to hundreds of thousands of new quality jobs’.

M&S also threatened to abandon the retail channel in protest.

In his 144-page report, Rayner cited the independent planning inspector’s decision, which warned that the loss of M&S would have a ‘devastating impact on the health and well-being of the area’.

And he said there were ‘insurmountable structural issues’ that would make renovating the old store very difficult.

Property lawyers said the decision would set the stage for future planning decisions.