UK government steps in to stop London MSG Sphere plans from being scrapped

nme.com:

first announced back in 2018 by the Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp (MSG), the team behind the iconic New York venue of the same name.

It would have been the largest concert arena in the UK.However, after five years of planning for the venue, hopes of it coming to fruition were quashed last month, when the London Mayor intervened in the decision, citing the “unacceptable negative impact” it would have on the local residents.This comes after the proposed venue raised concerns from those living in the area, who highlighted the strains on local infrastructure and health risks.

Similarly, the London Assembly environment committee warned of the unacceptable light levels that would be made by the venue – with the finished product set to have an estimated 1million LED light bulbs on its exterior.Now, it has been reported by The Standard that MP Michael Gove has ordered a six-week pause, as he considers calling in the Mayor’s decision.According to the outlet, Gove’s department is working to instruct Khan not to scrap planning proposals via a letter to the London Legacy Development Corporation.

This would ask the Mayor 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.”“The Secretary of State hereby prohibits Your Local Planning Authority from implementing the Mayor’s direction of November 20 to refuse permission,” the letter reads.The secretary of state has the power to overrule the Mayor in his decision to scrap the plans for the London Sphere, and Gove has suggested that he wants an opportunity to look over the plans for the development.In the 2018 planning application for the venue, MSG requested that a.