The Chinese embassy in London, proposed for the former Royal Mint building in Tower Hamlets, has cleared a legal hurdle after a residents’ association challenged the planning permission.
The residents’ association argued that the embassy could become a target for terrorist attacks and might be used to enforce strict Chinese laws on dissidents, raising concerns about security and privacy for local residents.
A High Court judge confirmed that the government had taken into account that the applicant was the Chinese government when granting permission, and that the residents’ association was not disadvantaged by the lack of a blast assessment disclosure.
The judge stated that there was no unfairness to the claimants due to the undisclosed documents.
The embassy would span roughly 22,000 square metres, making it the largest Chinese diplomatic facility in Europe, and would be situated near critical fibre‑optic cables that carry data for millions of users.
Residents expressed disappointment but indicated they would pursue further legal action if they can secure funding, citing concerns about surveillance cameras overlooking their homes and the potential for a terrorist attack.
Security officials had previously highlighted the building’s proximity to major communication cables as a vulnerability, prompting plans that include a hidden chamber and a network of 208 secret rooms beneath the structure.
The proposed design places a concealed chamber adjacent to the fibre‑optic cables, equipped with heat extraction fans for cooling high‑power equipment, and involves demolition and reconstruction of the outer basement wall between the chamber and the cables.
