Unmesh Desai asked the London mayor to lobby ministers to stop the construction of the new ‘mega embassy’ reports Kumail Jaffer, Local Democracy Reporter

Sir Sadiq Khan has continued to face calls to publicly oppose the construction of a Chinese ‘mega embassy’ in London and lobby the Housing Secretary to reject the application – but the mayor is standing firm in not getting involved.

Ministers have already delayed the decision about whether the building can go ahead after Beijing failed to fully explain why there were blacked-out areas in their planning application. China intends to build a new large embassy at the historic site of the old Royal Mint Court, and while Tower Hamlets Council rejected the proposals in December 2022, ministers took the decision out of the local authority’s hands after Beijing resubmitted their plans.

The government had originally intended to make a decision on 9th September, but will now take until 21st October to deliberate.

In recent weeks the Mayor of London has said there has been “no sound planning reason” for him to intervene in the case, and the decision is purely up to the new housing secretary Steve Reed.

Yesterday (Thursday, 9th October), Labour assembly member Unmesh Desai submitted a last-ditch appeal for the Mayor to lobby ministers to stop the application being waved through.

During Mayor’s Question Time, he told Sir Sadiq: “The applicants are still refusing to give details of redacted sections – it’s unprecedented and dangerous. It is unheard of. They are being sensitive and hiding details. They must abide by the proper political and legal processes.

“On planning grounds alone, it is unprecedented, dangerous and unheard of that the applicant is refusing to give details of sections that have been redacted.”

Sir Sadiq responded: “I understand concerns about the proposed embassy and the issues it may create. There was no sound planning reason for me to intervene in the case.

“While I understand the strength of feeling from local residents and the importance of transparency, it’s up to the new Secretary of State.”

In recent months campaigners have raised concerns around the structure of the Embassy. Set to be the biggest diplomatic site in Europe, dissidents have suggested that rooms which have no identified use on the plans could be used for repressive purposes.

These worries increased when a Hong Kong pro-democracy protestor was dragged into the grounds of the Chinese consulate in Manchester and beaten in 2022. However, the Metropolitan Police also dropped their official objection to the proposals earlier this year, despite maintaining concerns over extra police resources being needed to deal with protests at the site.

Three demonstrations involving thousands of people have already been held this year at the site.

Mayor Khan admitted that the construction of the embassy “will have an impact” on Met Police resources but continued to insist the decision was up to the Housing Secretary.

“I’ve got no locus in terms of what the Government may or may not do,” he added.

After the meeting, Desai told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “What I would like is that the well-documented concerns of Londoners to be raised in public once again and relayed to ministers. I received a written answer about this from the Mayor last month but the issue around the transparency of the application is so important that I had to raise it in this arena.

“My concerns are purely on the planning front. China is an important player on the world stage and we should be doing business with them. But this is the wrong embassy in the wrong place – we’ve got to address the issue and we need assurances around any concerns.”

In a written response to Desai last month, Sir Sadiq said: “Because the planning application was acceptable in London Plan Policy terms, there were no sound planning reasons for me to intervene in the case, nor for the GLA to appear at the Public Inquiry.

“I also confirmed that I had not made any representations to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and have not made any further representations since that time.

“While I understand the strength of feeling from local residents over the proposed plans, and the importance of transparency in the planning system, it is now for the new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, to either approve or refuse the application.”

Luke De Pulford, Director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), told the LDRS: “The mayor has several good reasons to intervene.

“Sensitive cabling running between Canary Wharf and the City of London runs directly under the site, recent demonstrations outside Royal Mint Court have entirely shut down Tower Bridge Junction causing havoc for motorists, and residents don’t want it. Khan should stick up for Londoners and oppose this disastrous plan.”

Last month the Chinese Embassy in London said they had “serious concern” over the government’s delay in making a decision. They said: “The Chinese side urges the UK side to fulfil its obligation and approve the planning application without delay.”

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government declined to provide ongoing commentary on the situation before the final decision is made.

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