Plans to demolish a huge M&S and replace it with an office block have been hit with criticism by locals.
The “behemoth” office block set to be built in Chelsea, London, has prompted a fightback from the nearby Smith Street Residents Association.
Christine Morrissey, secretary of the association, told MyLondon the M&S on King’s Road is a “local institution”
She added: “If this is what is happening to mansion block residents, we worry about how much worse it will be for our low-built, single-family homes surrounding the King’s Road site.
“It is also an important employer. These social places, where people from all walks feel welcome, are disappearing.”
Graham Love, who lives in the area, said residents have spent thousands trying to counter the “overdevelopment”.
He said: “This proposed building will be a behemoth, towering over the surrounding listed and heritage low-rise buildings in the conservation area which give this part of Chelsea its character.
“Local residents have joined forces to fight it because we do not want to see overseas owners profiting from overdevelopment at the expense of local residents and future generations.”
Ms Field, 92, said the area should be protected: “This [planned] building is for the developers. It has nothing to offer the community.”
But Giovanni, the manager of the Pizza Express across the road welcomed the plans, saying: “More offices and more apartments means more people who will come here”.
According to Kensington and Chelsea Council, 1,365 objections and a petition were made against the application.
Plans detail it being a five-storey block made with light-toned bricks and landscaped balconies. This would potentially mean that those in the offices would be able to see into nearby homes and the building could block sunlight from gardens.
The Chelsea Society said the extra storey would make the new building “excessively dominant” in the local area.
A statement on their website said: “To allow a building of this height and mass to be constructed would contribute to the further ‘canyonisation’ of the King’s Road.
“It would also be damaging to the view from Chelsea Green down Markham Street to the King’s Road, one of the iconic vistas in the borough.”
Jennifer Grossman, head of the Save King’s Road group worries “this major development, if approved, will irrevocably alter the face of the King’s Road and set a precedent for similar developments leading to such monolithic structures built all along this iconic street”.
