The High Court has quashed the government's refusal of planning permission for Marks & Spencer to demolish and replace its flagship store on Oxford Street in London.
The High Court ruled that the rejection of Marks & Spencer's demolition plans by the UK's secretary of state Michael Gove was unlawful, the UK retailer has revealed on X (formerly Twitter).
This victory means Marks & Spencer can move ahead with its plans to replace the art deco building with a new store designed by architecture studio Pilbrow & Partners.
"In my view, it is plain that the secretary of state misinterpreted the National Planning Policy Framework, and therefore erred in law," the high court said in its ruling, reported the Financial Times. 
"The secretary of state has not applied the policy, he has rewritten it." The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) outlines the government's planning policies for England.
"Today's judgment couldn't be clearer"
Marks & Spencer initiated a legal challenge against Gove that was heard in the High Court last month.
According to its operations director Sacha Berendji, the court agreed with five of the six arguments it brought forward against him.
"Today's judgment couldn't be clearer, the Court has agreed with our arguments on five out of the six counts we brought forward and ruled that the Secretary of State's decision to block the redevelopment of our Marble Arch store was unlawful," Berendji said.
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