Marks and Spencer: Dead 'green wall' on Ecclesall Road store branded 'eyesore' and 'fire hazard'
A ‘green wall’ on a flagship Marks and Spencer in Sheffield has gone brown - sparking questions about its commitment to sustainability.
Scores of plants on the huge feature on the Ecclesall Road store have died, creating an eyesore on the upmarket street amid fears of a fire hazard.
M&S opened the shop in 2011 boasting of its green credentials and stating it was the first to ‘fully embed’ its biodiversity best practice principles. The living wall had 62 types of native plants and species of wildlife value, it said.
A spokesman for M&S said: “I have looked into this and it appears there has been some drainage issues so we have a contractor visiting to arrange replanting.”
Sheffield Green councillor, Peter Gilbert, claimed the green wall at St James Retail Park at Norton in Sheffield had also died.
But in Newcastle city centre, a similar feature on an M&S appears healthy. Meanwhile in Sheffield, the newly revamped Gaumont Theatre/Kingdom Nightclub includes several panels of plants.
On X, formerly Twitter, architect Matt Bowker said: “It looks a right mess. ‘Dead wall’ is a more apt description!”
NetherEdgeRes asked the company: “Any plans to sort out this green wall at Sheffield Ecclesall Road? The graffiti is also not being cleaned off the store in good time and no litter bins are provided outside this store either, with lots of litter at most times around the entrance.”
Joeyredeye commented: “It was freezing inside for a year or two and the staff were issued with fleeces to combat the cold. They eventually put that right, but the place remains really dingy at the best of times.”
Robert Cook said: “All green walls seem to end up like this, they just seem to be unsustainable in the long run. A big hedge or set of trees would probably have been a better and more sustainable choice!”
Barbican said it was a fire hazard: “The decision to destroy the Marble Arch store says a lot more about its commitment to “sustainability”. The wall though would seem to be a fire hazard as well as an eyesore and a good example of why green walls should not be recommended by planners.”