New plans for a temporary food, drink, and culture venue have been submitted to Newham Council for the ill-fated MSG Sphere site in Stratford. Landowner Stratford Park Ltd has applied for temporary planning permission to transform the former coach park next to Stratford Station.
Prelude to Permanent Redevelopment
The plans are described as a "prelude" to a permanent redevelopment, aiming to create "a cultural and artistic identity for the area." The site was previously earmarked for a giant, illuminated sphere that would have hosted concerts and sports events, but those plans were scrapped amid objections over light pollution and opposition from Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan.
Proposed Attractions
Stratford Park Ltd wants to use the site for up to three years, featuring street food stalls, a market, a performance venue, and a skate park. These would be housed in repurposed shipping containers and London buses decorated with graffiti, which are already on site.
- A "container village" including a bric-a-brac market
- An events area
- A food pavilion
- A gallery
- A skate ramp and basketball court
- An "eco zone"
- A "mirror pool"
- Space for outdoor activities and socialising
The venue would open at 10am and close at 1am daily.
Background on the Site
Stratford Park Ltd intends the venue as a "meanwhile use" until a more permanent redevelopment begins. A website for the development, named "Stratford Junction," suggests it could include shared living housing aimed at 26-45 year olds, a hotel, education and training facilities, an outdoor square, exhibition spaces, indoor galleries, music and theatre venues, and a food market. There are also plans for a new bridge connecting the site to the link between Stratford town centre and Westfield shopping mall.
The site was last used as a coach park during the London 2012 Olympic Games. In 2019, Stratford Park Ltd (then Stratford Garden Property) applied for planning permission for the MSG Sphere, a venue similar in height to Big Ben's clock tower, covered in a large LED display. The London Legacy Development Corporation granted permission in 2022, but Newham Council opposed it, and the Greater London Authority blocked it in 2023 due to light pollution concerns. The then-Conservative government 'called in' the application, but Madison Square Gardens withdrew in January 2024, citing the plans becoming a "political football."
Ownership of Stratford Park Ltd changed hands in May 2025, with Hallmark Properties reportedly buying the land for £40 million. The new temporary plans were submitted in March and became publicly available last Thursday. They can be viewed and commented on using reference number 26/00529/FUL.
