Sadiq Khan undermined by Michael Gove as minister braced to REVERSE Mayor's decision to torpedo new London venue
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Michael Gove has intervened to halt Sadiq Khan's decision to block the construction of a new venue in Stratford.
He is considering whether or not to call in the construction of the Madison Square Garden's Sphere in Stratford.
The giant Las Vegas-style sphere venue would be located on the edge of the Olympic Village in Stratford.
It would bring almost $2bn of foreign direct investment to East London.
The Mayor of London decided to block the construction of the sphere last week, stating concerns about the amount of light pollution that it would cause for Stratford residents, lack of “green” credentials, and the impact it would have on the area.
But today, the Levelling Up department has written to the London Legacy Development Corporation to instruct it not to deny planning permission yet.
Gove has the power to overrule Khan and give planning permission if he felt it to be appropriate.
The letter says: “The Secretary of State hereby prohibits Your Local Planning Authority from implementing the Mayor’s direction of November 20 to refuse permission.
“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.”
While the intervention has brought a temporary stop to Khan's decision, the letter made clear that the move does not give an indication of what the outcome will be.
Announcing his initial decision to block the plans, a spokesperson for the Mayor said: “London is open to investment from around the world and Sadiq wants to see more world-class, ambitious, innovative entertainment venues in our city.
“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.”
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A Sphere Entertainment spokesperson said: “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.”