Plans for a 30,000-capacity fan zone in central London during the Champions League final have been rejected by Westminster City Council.
The Greater London Authority (GLA) wanted to create the zone on the north bank of the Thames close to Embankment station between Westminster Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge for one of Europe’s biggest football matches.
The Champions League final will take place at Wembley on June 1 attracting huge crowds from the continent.
But councillors rejected the plans on Thursday as they believed it would cause “significant disruption” in the area.
Nearby residents wrote to Westminster City Council to say they were “horrified” by the plans and the “bizarre” location of the fan zone.
One neighbour drew comparisons to the “post-apocalyptic” scenes in London in 2021 following England’s defeat to Italy in the Euro finals, and raised concerns about similar disorder breaking out again in June.
The resident wrote: “The police [were] unable to contain the violence and the troubles continued long into the night.
“That was one of the most frightening times of our lives for us here on Craven Street and again we felt utterly helpless with no prospect of order being returned to our streets for many hours.”
Residents also highlighted how unrest has broken out at recent Champions League finals in Istanbul and Paris.
A spokesperson for Westminster City Council said: "The decision of the sub-committee to refuse the application for Embankment reflects the legitimate issues raised by many residents and businesses.
"The committee determine each application on their merits and must be mindful to strike a balance with the evidence in front of them.
"Therefore, the committee felt that this proposal would cause significant disruption in the local area and the applicant did not provide enough mitigation for the concerns raised."
Council documents show that while the site had previously hosted informal gatherings to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks displays, there have not been organised events of the same scale at the site.
The GLA told the BBC they are considering what the next steps are following the hearing.
A spokesperson for the GLA said: "Our priority is ensuring that Londoners and visitors can enjoy the Champions League celebrations safely.
"We continue to work closely with the Met and other partner agencies to plan two London meeting points for fans."
During the same licensing meeting, Westminster City Council granted permission for fans to gather in Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park, as long as they obeyed conditions.
A Westminster council spokesperson added the council was "proud to play a role in hosting one of the world's biggest sporting events".
