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The UK’s levelling up secretary Michael Gove is believed to be considering calling in the planning application for the MSG Sphere London in Stratford after mayor Sadiq Khan blocked it earlier this month.

Gove has the right to overrule the decision made by Khan, which was to block the application for the Populous-designed music venue on the edge of the Olympic Park.

The levelling up secretary’s department has written to the London Legacy Development Corporation – the planning authority for the Olympic Park and its vicinity – asking that the application is now “referred to him for determination”.

Plans blocked over risk of “harm to hundreds of residents”

The planning application for the illuminated sphere had been blocked by Khan earlier this month over fears the venue would cause “unacceptable harm to hundreds of residents”, his spokesperson told Dezeen.

Gove’s department has written a letter instructing the London Legacy Development Corporation not to deny planning permission until he has reviewed the application.

“The Secretary of State hereby prohibits Your Local Planning Authority from implementing the Mayor’s direction of November 20 to refuse permission,” the letter states.

“The direction is issued to enable him 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,” it continued.

If Gove decides to call in the application, there will be a public inquiry chaired by a planning inspector, or lawyer, who will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State, as per the procedure for calling in planning applications.

The MSG Sphere is proposed for a site near the Olympic Park in Stratford and, if built, it would be 90 metres tall and 120 metres wide.

It would be the second MSG Sphere to be built and follow the MSG Sphere Las Vegas, which was recently unveiled and opened with artworks by Es Devlin and John Gerrard.

Both have been designed by Populous for the organisation that runs New York’s Madison Square Garden (MSG).

Khan’s rejection followed expert review

The application for the MSG Sphere in London had previously been placed on hold by Gove, who issued an Article 31 holding directive for the project in February.

Khan’s decision to block the planning application followed The Greater London Authority’s (GLA) commission of a review by global engineering firm WSP.

The review “identified significant errors and omissions in the applicant’s assessment” and claimed that the lights from the sphere would have “significant adverse effects” for those living in nearby buildings.

WSP also claimed “significant concerns” about the MSG Sphere’s height, massing and bulk, as well as that due to its high energy usage, the building would not be sustainable.

A spokesperson for the MSG Sphere operator Sphere Entertainment told Dezeen at the time that the company was disappointed in the decision.

“While we are disappointed in London’s decision, there are many forward-thinking cities that are eager to bring this technology to their communities,” the spokesperson said. “We will concentrate on those.”

The design has been controversial since its inception. When it was first proposed, it received 852 objections and just 355 responses in support.

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