Plans for amazing £800m new stadium on West Ham’s doorstep spark anger as decision rests with Government
Plans for an amazing £800m new stadium on West Ham’s doorstep have sparked anger as the decision rests with the Government.
Most West Ham fans are starting to slowly but surely feel more at home at the London Stadium.
Seven years after West Ham’s somewhat traumatic move from Upton Park to Stratford, new matchday routines have become established.
Many still take issue with the distance from the stands to the pitch, gaps between the upper and lower tiers, long queues for security checks on entry and the infamous stop-go system when leaving. Not to mention the fact the club do not own their own football ground as a result of the now 92-year anchor tenancy agreement with the LLDC.
Those who remain unhappy cite the above as proof the Hammers should have moved to a purpose-built football stadium to call their own.
Well now there could be a purpose built arena plonked on the club’s doorstep and the locals aren’t happy.
Plans for amazing £800m new stadium on West Ham’s doorstep spark anger as decision rests with Government
Plans for an amazing £800m new stadium on West Ham’s doorstep have sparked anger as the decision rests with the Government.
Some local residents and businesses in Stratford have expressed concerns over plans to build a 300ft Las Vegas-style sphere close to the London Stadium.
West Ham fans will no doubt have seen the huge sphere built in Vegas. Those who haven’t can see it in the image above and the video at the bottom of this story.
Well now the he Madison Square Garden Entertainment Company behind it are set to replicate the stadium near West Ham’s ground if they get the final go-ahead.
Viva Las… Stratford
The 21,500-capacity stadium is expected to be covered in animated adverts for the next 25 years.
The proposals are yet to be approved by the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and the levelling up secretary, Michael Gove.
But some residents say they will move out of the homes they have lived in for years if plans go ahead with light pollution cited as a major bone of contention.
And business owners are even voicing concerns about adding another venue to the area on top of the large crowds West Ham, Westfield shopping centre and The Abba Arena already bring.
Many locals aren’t happy but MSG Sphere Stratford plans could impact parking and travel for Hammers fans too
Owner of El Cafecito, a small coffee stand outside Stratford International Station, Ivan Sahagun, told The Guardian he regularly sees an influx of customers due to West Ham games at London Stadium and visitors to Westfield and says the area and money could be put to better use.
West Ham MP Lyn Brown, who opposes the construction, has called the sphere “monstrous” and has raised fears about added pressure on local transport.
Stratford train station is the fifth busiest in the UK and currently deals with passengers from Westfield shopping centre, West Ham’s 62,500-seater stadium and commuters travelling to and from the centre of London.
As part of the plans, MSG is proposing to take up to three floors of the nearby Stratford International Car Park – used by West Ham fans who drive to games on matchdays – solely for its venue.
You can read more about the application and its current status on the dedicated planning section of the Queen Elizabeth Park website.
