LONDON (CelebrityAccess) — Plans to build a Sphere Arena, similar to the one that opened in Las Vegas in September, have been rejected by London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan.
According to the Evening Standard, Khan on Monday, moved to reject plans for the major arena project that had been proposed by Madison Square Garden Entertainment Company, following extensive pushback from local residents.
While an official announcement has not been made, Khan reportedly raised objections to the project in multiple areas, including the potential for light and sound pollution in the area, the proposed venue’s enormous electricity requirements and environment, and the impact it would have on the region’s heritage sites.
“London is open to investment from around the world and Sadiq wants to see more world-class, ambitious, innovative entertainment venues in our city,” a spokesperson for the Mayor told the Evening Standard. “But as part of looking at the planning application for the MSG Sphere, the Mayor has seen independent evidence that shows the current proposals would result in an unacceptable negative impact on local residents.”
Despite Khan’s opposition, the Mayor of London doesn’t have the final say in the project, which now falls to Communities Secretary Michael Gove for a final 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. We will concentrate on those,” a spokesman for Sphere Entertainment told the Standard, suggesting they plan to try their fortunes elsewhere.
The new venue, known as the Sphere, had a proposed capacity of 21,000 and featured state-of-the-art LED screens covering its interior and exterior surfaces, making for one of the largest video displays in the world.
The project, which was developed by Madison Square Garden, was spun off into a separate company, Sphere Entertainment, earlier this year.
