O2 owner calls for halt of MSG Sphere planning application
The owner and operator of The O2 has written to the London Legacy Development Corporation requesting the MSG Sphere planning application be withdrawn and the scheme reconsidered, calling the application “hopelessly inadequate”.
A spokesperson for AEG said a slew of recently submitted extra documents, analysed by law firm Dentons, still failed to “address the issues”, including the constraints of the Stratford site, overcrowding on London’s transport network, and several breaches of planning policy.
The spokesperson added that while AEG is not opposed to some competition, another venue “should not be built so close to The London Stadium, Copper Box and The O2”.
The owner and operator of The O2 has written to the London Legacy Development Corporation requesting the MSG Sphere planning application be withdrawn and the scheme reconsidered, calling the application “hopelessly inadequate”.
A spokesperson for AEG said a slew of recently submitted extra documents, analysed by law firm Dentons, still failed to “address the issues”, including the constraints of the Stratford site, overcrowding on London’s transport network, and several breaches of planning policy.
The spokesperson added that while AEG is not opposed to some competition, another venue “should not be built so close to The London Stadium, Copper Box and The O2”.
“We believe that MSG’s scheme is fundamentally the wrong proposal, in the wrong location, and is technically seriously flawed.
“It appears far from being conceived to reflect its locality, MSG have taken their original concept developed for downtown Las Vegas and transposed it directly onto a tight and constrained site overlooked by hundreds of residential properties in Stratford.
“As proposed, the Sphere would directly negatively impact the safe operation of The O2, and the health and wellbeing of local residents.”
AEG said the number of documents associated with the scheme now totalled 1,922 after the LLDC requested more information.
It added there was also serious concern over the consultation deadline of 13 November given all this new information, meaning there was little time for interested parties to digest it.
AEG also said there was a lack of information on the health and wellbeing of residents which could be impacted by the digital exterior.
MSG submitted plans to the LLDC for the 21,500-capacity, spherical entertainment venue in Stratford, E20, in March 2019.
The 96.5m-high sphere is to sit on a “multi-layered podium” comprising four levels and be accessed through new pedestrian link bridges.
MSG acquired the 4.7-acre east London site for £60m in 2017.
To send feedback, e-mail louise.dransfield@egi.co.uk or tweet @DransfieldL or @estatesgazette
Image © MSG
