The government has approved plans to build a new Chinese embassy at the Royal Mint Court site in Tower Hamlets.
The comprehensive redevelopment of the 2.10-hectare site will see several listed buildings refurbished and restored to provide around 52,000 sq m of floorspace.
The site was home to the Royal Mint from 1809 and was damaged during World War II. In 1967, the Royal Mint moved to a new facility in Wales after which much of the site was cleared.
Extensive redevelopment of the site took place from 1986 to 1988 comprising offices, houses, a community centre, shops and leisure facilities, however, the site has been largely vacant since 2013.
In 2017, full planning permission was granted for a 81,000 sq m mixed-use redevelopment of the site, but the permission was not implemented and has since expired.
The Chinese government acquired the site in 2018 and following a period of pre-application discussions, submitted applications for planning and listed building consent in June 2021.
The applications were recommended for approval by planning officers, however, members of the SDC resolved to refuse both applications, and permission was refused on 10 February 2023. The applications were called in for decision by the secretary of state on 14 October 2024.
In a statement the government said: “MHCLG ministers making planning decisions must follow a quasi-judicial process. This means they must make decisions fairly, based on evidence and planning rules . . . All material considerations were taken into account when making this decision. The decision is now final unless it is successfully challenged in court.”
