The site on the edge of the Olympic park that was earmarked for the doomed London MSG Sphere arena should be used for affordable housing, campaigners said on Tuesday.
They said new homes would be “payback” for years of stress suffered by residents as they fought the proposal for the £2bn Las Vegas-style venue, which was blocked by London mayor Sadiq Khan in a bombshell intervention on Monday afternoon.
Applicants Sphere Entertainment said in a statement that it was “disappointed” with Mr Khan’s decision and added: “There are many forward-thinking cities that are eager to bring this technology to their communities. We will concentrate on those.”
The site, a vacant brownfield site immediately to the east of the Westfield Stratford bus garage and surrounded by railway lines, was bought by the Madison Square Garden Entertainment Company (MSG) in 2018. Its future is now unclear. It was last used as a temporary coach park during the 2012 Olympics.
Nate Higgins, a Green party councillor in Newham who represents the area, told the Standard: “I think it would be some kind of justice if it’s turned into social housing at this point. We have a massive housing crisis in London and the temporary accommodation crisis in Newham is really severe.
“The people at MSG have caused enough misery to the people of Stratford. If they have the gall to go forward with an appeal, I think that would be beyond the pale.
“Sadiq Khan has highlighted a number of issue with the site. It doesn’t take a genius to work out the site is completely inappropriate for the Sphere. This has to be the end of the idea of a massive glowing orb in the middle of residential Stratford.”
Mr Higgins said some residents had been forced to request break clauses in their tenancy agreements in the event the Sphere was built, while homeowners feared being trapped in negative equity and being unable to move.
Lindesay Mace, spokesperson for the Stop MSG Sphere London campaign, said members were “gobsmacked” and “over the moon” at the mayor’s decision.
She said: “It’s not often that David wins against Goliath. It feels like the decision was a real testament to the power of residents and grass-roots campaigns. It felt like a real vindication of all the work we have done over the last nearly six years.”
Asked if she had a message for MSG should it be considering an appeal, Ms Mace said: “Just don’t.”
Mr Khan directed the planning authority, the London Legacy Development Corporation, to reject the planning application. But the final decision could rest with Communities Secretary Michael Gove, who has yet to decide whether to call it in and determine the application himself.
Mr Khan blocked the scheme on three key grounds, where it breached the London Plan: “residential amenity, good design, and the conservation and enhancement of London’s heritage”.
Mr Khan had received 377 written objections and 23 representations in support of the application. Newham mayor Rokhsana Fiaz was among a number of local politicians opposed to the Sphere.
According to City Hall planning documents, the Sphere would have attracted 2.39 million visitors per year, generating about £31m of additional spending within Newham. During construction it would have created the equivalent of about 350 to 500 full-time jobs.
The Sphere, a near replica of the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, was expected to host 70 major concerts a year. It would have been 90m tall and 120m wide.
Newham Chamber of Commerce chair Lloyd Johnson said: “As a global destination, Sphere would attract visitors year-round to Newham, which would benefit our shops, bars, restaurants and hotels.”
But Alistair Wood, executive vice-president at AEG Europe, which operates the O2 arena and other venues and music festivals in London, welcomed Mr Khan’s decision.
He said: “We do not oppose competition in the live entertainment industry, and specifically do not oppose another large music venue in London. However, this proposal had fundamental flaws from the beginning. It was the wrong design, in the wrong location, and this was the right call.”
There were also concerns about the likely impact on Stratford station, which would have been unable to cope with the crowds attracted to the Sphere, and the light pollution caused by the LED light cladding on the exterior of the Sphere.
The LLDC, which granted initial planning approval last year, had received 852 objections and 355 messages of support.
Mr Khan’s decision said the Sphere would have been “a bulky, unduly dominant and incongruous form of development”. He said the public benefits would not outweigh the harm it would cause.
