View M&S' Plans for New King Street Development

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At exhibitions showing off new 'market style' store and ten storey tower

A visualisation of the new store published by M&S

Local people will have the opportunity to view controversial plans by M&S to redevelop its King Street store at exhibitions taking place next week.

As we reported earlier this month, the plans involve demolishing the existing ‘not-fit-for purpose’ two-storey building and creating a new ‘market style’ store selling only food with a ten-storey tower providing over 400 units of student accommodation.

The proposals would also include landscaped public space to the rear of the site and a new route between King Street, Black’s Road and St Paul’s Church.

However, the Hammersmith Society have expressed doubts about plans, criticising the developers’ ‘coyness’ in showing the scale of the student blocks and their effect on the streetscape, light and the Lyric Hammersmith on the other side of King Street.

They say this ‘substantial’ ten storey tower would be higher than the Broadway buildings and around the same height as the glass office building 10 Hammersmith Grove overlooking the north side of Lyric Square.

Visualisation of scheme showing new building on left from The Hammersmith Society

The society have since produced their own approximation overlaid onto a Google Earth 3D view of King Street which shows the proposal would cast a substantial shadow over the street, the theatre and particularly Lyric Square, significantly reducing its appeal.

The society have also questioned the need for further purpose built student accommodation, or PBSA, in Hammersmith, pointing out that the site under construction at the former West London Magistrate Courts in Talgarth Road will provide 730 units, while existing buildings, including those in Shepherd’s Bush Road and Paddenswick Road provide hundreds more.

What the store on King Street currently looks like

Residents now have the chance to see the plans for themselves and join the debate as M&S, developers Reef Group and the 27 King Street Project Team are hosting two public exhibitions at the Lyric Hammersmith in Lyric Square.

The sessions will take place on:

Wednesday 28 September 4pm – 8pm
Saturday 1 October 10am – 2pm

People can simply drop in during these times to view the plans and discuss them with members of the team.

They add that if you are unable to attend, the information will be uploaded onto the consultation website, where you can also offer your views by clicking ‘Join the Conversation’.

A planning application is expected to be submitted soon and, if it gains approval, the store will shut next summer with an expected completion of the development in Autumn/Winter 2024.

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September 23, 2022