The Las Vegas-style Sphere had become a ‘political football between rival parties’, said developers MSG in a letter to the Planning Inspectorate
Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSG), the company behind the proposed 21,000-capacity, 300ft-tall Las Vegas-style Sphere structure in Stratford, east London, have withdrawn their plans after a rocky planning process.
Planned on land left empty since the 2012 Olympics, the 4.7-acre site would have featured the world’s highest-resolution LED screen on the illuminated exterior of the sphere and hosted sporting, live music and arts events.
The plans were unpopular with local residents, who were “insulted” with the alleged offer from MSG of blackout blinds to mitigate the glow emitted from the giant orb.
An example of the festivities can be seen below in footage of the Las Vegas Sphere’s celebration of the 2023 Grand Prix race:
London mayor Sadiq Khan ruled against the development last year
In November 2023, MSG’s planning application to the London Legacy Development Corporation was declined by the mayor, citing the “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”.
The Las Vegas-style Sphere plans were also criticised for not constituting “good and sustainable design”.
Housing secretary Michael Gove attempted to intervene
Last month, the housing secretary called for a review of Khan’s rejection of the plans, but the withdrawal of plans marks an abrupt end to the development.
Sphere Entertainment, a sister firm to MSG, said in a letter to Gove, that it would decline to participate in the review process and would instead withdraw the application.
There was no love lost in a statement by a company spokesman, who said that MSG was focusing instead on “forward-thinking cities around the world” who were “serious” about the Sphere projects.
Withdrawal of the London MSG Sphere plans “extremely disappointing”
In a letter to the Planning Inspectorate, MSG expressed their disappointment that thousands of Londoners would “not benefit from the Sphere’s groundbreaking technology and the thousands of well-paying jobs it would have created”.
“After spending millions of pounds acquiring our site in Stratford and collaboratively engaging in a five-year planning process with numerous governmental bodies, including the local planning authority who approved our plans following careful review, we cannot continue to participate in a process that is merely a political football between rival parties.”
But some are celebrating the end of MSG Sphere London
Campaign groups such as Stop MSG Sphere London were jubilant at the news:
Now we really can say HAPPY NEW YEAR and good riddance to #MSGSphere.
MSG have withdrawn their application.
Thank you again to all who objected to it and campaigned against it.
And to @MayorofLondon for doing the right thing in rejecting it.
WE WON. https://t.co/W0VRwHIkbP pic.twitter.com/bSIfkEHSZ4
— Stop MSG Sphere London (@StopMSGSphere) January 8, 2024
