Government delays planning decision on Chinese 'super-embassy' as questions raised over redacted building plans
A decision over a controversial new Chinese 'super-embassy' has been delayed by Angela Rayner, citing concerns over redacted sections of the building's plans.
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The Deputy Prime Minister was expected to decide on the planning application by September 9, but this has been pushed back to October 21, to provide more time to consider the plans.
The embassy is expected to span five acres at Royal Mint Court in east London, making it the largest diplomatic base in the country.
It was initially rejected by Tower Hamlets Council after residents and advocacy groups raised concerns for the safety of Chinese dissidents, as well as locals who feared protests in the area in response to the embassy.
In August, Rayner sent a letter to the planning consultants in charge of the Chinese embassy proposal, asking for further details on the plans, which include two buildings that had been "greyed out", and the rationale for these being redacted.
The consultants responded by saying it was "neither necessary nor appropriate" to share the full internal plans.
Luke de Pulford, the executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said: "These explanations are far from satisfactory. The Government set very few conditions and the Chinese didn’t even meet those.
"Now, to visit the abbey ruins, dissidents who want to visit will be on Chinese land, vulnerable to capture, out of the reach of UK authorities."
The Chinese embassy in the UK has called on the government to "fulfil its obligation and approve the planning application without delay".
It said: "The planning and design of the new Chinese embassy project is of high quality, which has been well recognised by various professional bodies.
"The planning application has followed the customary diplomatic practices, as well as necessary protocol and procedures. In our reply to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, we have provided a comprehensive response to the questions concerning the planning application.
"It is an international obligation of the host country to provide support and facilitation for the construction of diplomatic premises. Both China and the UK plan to build new embassies in each other’s capitals. The Chinese side urges the UK side to fulfil its obligation and approve the planning application without delay."