Tower Hamlets cancels Chinese embassy project

An extraordinary meeting of Tower Hamlets Council’s strategic development committee considered the applications this week.

However, the decision will be made by the Secretary of State for Housing and Planning, Angela Rayner, after she called her on 14^th October 2024.

The committee rejected the application due to concerns about the impact on the safety of residents and tourists, heritage, policing resources and road safety given the congested nature of the area.

Rayner is keen to be seen as “a builder, not a blocker” and generally prefers local councils to approve planning applications submitted to them, rather than obstruct development, as she sees it.

For the Chinese Embassy project, a local survey will take place to determine classified planning and construction applications. This should begin the last week of January. Tower Hamlets Council’s decision will be examined as part of the local inquiry.

A Tower Hamlets Council spokesperson said: “The Strategic Development Committee last night considered listed applications for planning and building consent for the redevelopment of the Royal Mint Court complex to provide a new home for the embassy Chinese.

“A range of concerns were discussed at the committee, raised by objectors, parish members and committee members. The committee decided to reject the application due to concerns about the impact on the safety of residents and tourists, heritage, policing resources and road safety given the congested nature of the area.

The current building permit application was submitted by the Chinese Embassy in London on 16^th July 2024. A separate application for listed building consent was made on the same date in relation to work on listed buildings and structures on the former Royal Mint site, as part of the desired redevelopment of the site to serve as a embassy.

In December 2022, Tower Hamlets decided to refuse an identical request to redevelop the site to install a new embassy. The building permit application included four grounds for refusal relating to: (1) negative impacts on safety and security which would place increased pressure on local police resources; (2) negative impacts on local tourists due to concerns about the effects of protests and acts of terrorism; (3) increased congestion of the local road network with respect to automobile activity and pedestrian flow, due to potential protests and events, taking into account the current busy and congested nature of the site; (4) negative impacts on the heritage property.

Do you have a story? Email [email protected]