US company Madison Square Garden Entertainment has withdrawn its proposal for the Populous-designed MSG Sphere London, slamming the planning process as "a political football between rival parties".
In a letter to the Planning Inspectorate, Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSG) said it could no longer participate in developing the music venue for a site in Stratford near the Olympic Park in east London.
"I write to confirm that we are officially withdrawing our application from the Planning Inspectorate process," the letter read, reported the BBC.
"After spending millions of pounds acquiring our site in Stratford and collaboratively engaging in a five-year planning process with numerous governmental bodies, including the local planning authority who approved our plans following careful review, we cannot continue to participate in a process that is merely a political football between rival parties." Plans for the MSG Sphere London have been withdrawn by its creators
In a statement shared with Dezeen, MSG's sister company Sphere Entertainment confirmed it would "not be participating in the call-in process".
"We have informed Mr Gove that our decision not to move forward with our plans for Sphere in London stands, and we will not be participating in the call-in process," the media company said.
Its withdrawal follows London mayor Sadiq Khan's rejection of the proposal in October over fears that the illuminated sphere would c...