The new 12,400 sq ft Simply Food store is being built built from scratch by Wates Retail on a former brownfield site.

Clem Constantine, Director of Property & Store Development at Marks & Spencer said: “This store represents a big milestone in our sustainable construction programme as we are installing a host of unique technologies and features.

“Each of these sustainable features is remarkable in its own right, however by bringing them all together in one development, something that is rarely done by retailers, we will achieve a whole that is worth far more than the sum of its parts.

“The learnings we have taken from building the store, coupled with those we will make over its lifetime, will help us achieve our goal of becoming the world’s most sustainable major retailer by 2015.”

Paul King, CEO of the UK Green Building Council said: “Sustainability is increasingly important in the construction and property sector and major companies like M&S have a crucial role in driving that process, particularly given the relationship not just with suppliers, but also with consumers.

“This new M&S store at Ecclesall Road is an impressive achievement, not only for its host of environmental features and the positive social effect it will have on the local community, but also the lessons that will be learnt for both M&S and the wider construction industry.”

Features of the new store include:

• 100% of the construction waste produced in the building of the store has been recycled;
• The project is undergoing full FSC certification and  100% of the timber used in the building will be FSC certified;
• All the bricks have been reclaimed from an old mill;
• Polished concrete floors will remove the need for additional floor covering.

• Harvested rainwater will supply all the toilets and irrigate the store’s green ‘living wall’, reducing water costs by up to 40% compared with a conventional similarly sized store;
• The store will also be heated by expelled heat from its refrigeration units, helping to reduce the its carbon output by 23%;
• Highly efficient LED lighting will be used throughout the store, a first in the UK, and sun pipes will bring natural lighting onto the shop floor.