Michael Gove is considering whether to call in the planning application for the MSG Sphere in Stratford.
Earlier this month, London mayor Sadiq Khan directed the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) to refuse the planning application for the multi-use leisure and entertainment building adjacent to Stratford Station.
However, in a letter to the LLDC the secretary of state for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, said: “The secretary of state hereby prohibits your local planning authority from implementing the mayor’s direction of November 20 to refuse permission. The direction is issued to enable him to consider whether he should direct under section 77 of the Town and Country Planning Act that the application should be referred to him for determination.”
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Company’s proposals for the MSG Sphere include 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.
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”.
