Populous’ MSG Sphere, a state-of-the-art music, esports and entertainment venue in Stratford, has been recommended for planning approval by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC).
LLDC said the proposals for MSG Sphere were acceptable despite more than 1,000 objections from local residents and a petition opposing it signed by more than 2,000 people, Evening Standard reports.
In a report, LLDC said the venue “would provide an attractive visual backdrop for people living, working, enjoying recreational time, visiting and travelling through the metropolitan town centre”.
LLDC acknowledged that the plan “is not universally popular or appreciated” but said the esports venue‘s “height, form and massing is considered an appropriate response to the design brief and context of this site”.
London’s new esports and entertainment venue
The planning application for the MSG Sphere will be considered on 22 March, when a final decision will be taken by LLDC’s planning committee. The meeting will be held in public and streamed online.
The proposal is opposed by AEG, which runs the O2 arena in Greenwich. A spokesperson for AEG said MSG’s planning application is “hopelessly inadequate and fails to address the issues arising out of its new London context and the specific constraints of the Stratford site“.
“The proposals would exacerbate congestion at the already over-crowded Stratford Station, and no additional train services are proposed to mitigate the impact on the Jubilee Line,” the spokesperson said.
MSG Entertainment said in a statement: “We are pleased with the LLDC planning officer’s recommendation to approve the applications for MSG Sphere, and we look forward to presenting before the planning decisions committee on 22 March.”
MSG also announced that Lucas Watson will join the company as president of MSG Sphere from 28 March. The first MSG Sphere venue is currently under construction in Las Vegas and scheduled to open in 2023.
Images: MSG Entertainment
