London, Jul 31 (PTI) The construction of a controversial new Chinese “super embassy” near the Tower of London is expected to go ahead after clearing a legal hurdle in the High Court of England on Friday.
An association of residents living on the China-owned Royal Mint Court site in the UK capital had crowdfunded thousands of pounds to legally challenge the UK government’s decision to grant planning permission for the contentious project.
The Royal Mint Court Residents Association (RMCRA), representing families and businesses in the area, sought a judicial review of the decision of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets earlier this year.
According to court reports, Justice Nathalie Lieven and Lord Justice James Dingemans concluded there was “no doubt” that the government had taken into account that the planning permission was sought by the Chinese government. They ruled that there had been “no unfairness” towards the residents association during the process.
The RMCRA said it will fight on and continue crowdfunding to add to the over 220,000 pounds raised to appeal against this week’s High Court verdict.
“The Royal Mint Court Residents Association (RMCRA) has always been prepared to take this all the way to the Supreme Court,” a spokesperson said.
“The stakes remain unchanged: we cannot accept the severe, unaddressed security risks this mega-embassy brings to our residents, and; we refuse to let our historic neighbourhood be turned into the CCP’s (Chinese Communist Party) European power base.
“We have proven that when we stand together, we can challenge even the largest of superpowers. Now, we need to fire up the next phase of this battle,” the spokesperson said.
The group argued that the residents were taken out of the planning process when the decision was “called in” by the government weeks after the Labour Party won the general election in July 2024, a plan previously rejected by the local council. The campaigners were backed by the Opposition Conservatives who had labelled the so-called super embassy as a “spy hub” for China.
“The court has ruled on the lawfulness of the planning process. It has not removed the serious national security concerns surrounding this site, answered the fears of Hong Kongers and Chinese dissidents living in Britain,” said Priti Patel, Tory shadow foreign secretary.
“This ruling is not the end of the matter. Conservatives will continue to scrutinise this issue, stand with those threatened by the Chinese Communist Party and demand that the government puts the safety and security of the British people first,” she said, calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to “change course”.
The approval for the proposed construction at the 20,000-square-metre site of the former Royal Mint Court near the Tower of London had been “called in” for a ministerial review as a matter of national significance.
Some of the Labour government’s own MPs were among those voicing their concern given the site’s proximity to the City of London financial district and characterising China as a “hostile state”.
However, former housing secretary Steve Reed formally approved the plans in January, claiming “all material considerations were taken into account when making this decision”.
China bought the historic site in 2018 for 225 million pounds and submitted plans to the local Tower Hamlets Council to turn the site into a much larger London embassy than its current location at Portland Place, near Baker Street.
The UK government issued a statement to say that the planning decision was taken “independently” following a process that began eight years ago, when the then Tory government had provided formal diplomatic consent for the site.
“Intelligence agencies have been involved throughout the process and an extensive range of measures have been developed to manage any risks. Following extensive negotiations in recent months, the Chinese government has agreed to consolidate its seven current sites in London into one site, bringing clear security advantages,” a government spokesperson said at the time of the approval.
A favourable decision was widely expected ahead of then British prime minister Keir Starmer’s visit to China earlier this year – the first by a UK PM in eight years. PTI AK GSP GSP
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