London mayor Sadiq Khan has blocked Madison Square Garden Entertainment Company’s plans for the MSG Sphere entertainment venue in Stratford.
Khan has directed the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) to refuse the planning application. LLDC will now wait for the decision of the secretary of state for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities as to whether or not he will call-in the application. Gove previously issued an Article 31 notice which restricts LLDC from issuing a decision.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Company proposed creating a multi-use leisure and entertainment building adjacent to Stratford Station. The venue would comprise a main auditorium with capacity for up to 21,500 people and a smaller venue capable of housing up to 1,500 people, in addition to a members lounge, restaurants and bars.
The venue would be covered in LED panels designed to display moving images, artistic content and branded advertising across the entire façade of the building.
Khan said the proposals for the new entrainment venue “would be contrary to the development plan and would prejudice the implementation of the policies within the development plan relating to residential amenity, good design, and the conservation and enhancement of London’s heritage”.
He added the “extent of external illumination” would cause significant light intrusion “resulting in significant harm to the outlook of neighbouring properties, detriment to human health, and significant harm to the general amenity enjoyed by residents of their own homes”.
Khan also objected to the design of the proposed development, which “by virtue of its scale, massing and design, would result in a bulky, unduly dominant and incongruous form of development, which would fail to respect the character and appearance of this part of the town centre and the site’s wider setting”.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Company said it was disappointed by Khan’s decision and added: “There are many forward-thinking cities that are eager to bring this technology to their communities. We will concentrate on those.”
