With the correct detailing I think the surrounding buildings will look great. I'm glad they have kept the pub. The contrast between old and new really works and the pub is a needed and ads a historical base to the site. I totally disagree with Roz that the pub should have been pulled down. There are lots of empty buildings around the area which could be done up. Also renovation old properties is far more environmentally friendly than building new ones. The addition of an M&S is fantastic news if it is true and if the site is properly managed and had a strategy for what shops take up the leases, it should be a great local asset. I'm 100% for it, but with an eye on the detailing and finishes of the buildings. If they are a bit like the span houses in Blackheath, then perfect. Fake, poorly designed pastiches of old buildings never work, it's far better to contrast with the old, do something different.