China’s London ‘mega embassy’ build approved by UK government

The project to build the new embassy on the site of Royal Mint Court near the Tower of London has been stalled for three years, amid opposition from lawmakers, local residents, and pro-democracy campaigners.

China paid £255 million (US$341.9 million) to buy the Royal Mint Court site although it is not clear how much it will cost to construct the new embassy.

Work will involve: the refurbishment and restoration of the Grade-II-listed Johnson Smirke Building; partial demolition, remodelling and refurbishment of the Grade-II-listed Seamans Registry with alterations to the west elevation of the building; the retention, part demolition, alterations, and extensions to Murray House and Dexter House; and the erection of a standalone entrance pavilion building.

According to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), there will also be part demolition and alterations to an existing boundary wall and front railings, and demolition of an electricity substation.

Opponents of the scheme have argued that China could use the site to infiltrate the UK’s financial system by accessing fibre-optic cables carrying sensitive data for companies in the City of London. The site once housed a trading floor that was wired directly into the UK’s financial infrastructure.

A drawing of the planned embassy complex, taken from the Design and Access Statement (DAS).

But the Chinese embassy said that “anti-China forces” were using the fear of such security risks to “interfere” with the British government’s consideration of the planning application.

In a lengthy document published on Tuesday (20 January), the Housing Secretary Steve Reed agreed with the Planning Inspector’s recommendation to approve planning permission and grant listed building consent for the works, subject to conditions.

Designed by David Chipperfield Architects with the involvement of engineering and design firm Cundall, the new embassy complex will cover 20,000 sq ft.

The Johnson Smirke Building will host ceremonial diplomatic receptions and house reception and meeting rooms and offices.

The Seamans Registry building will provide the main office functions for the embassy. Embassy House will be a converstion of the existing Murray and Dexter House buildings and will contain 29 studios and 197 one-, two- and three-bedroom accommodation units.

The complex site was home to the Royal Mint from 1809, when it moved from the Tower of London. Prior to that, it was the site of a burial ground during the Black Death (dated 1348-50) and then a Cistercian Abbey built in 1350. Later, it was used as a naval yard and following its closure in 1785 as a series of tobacco warehouses. The mint moved to Wales in the 1960s and the site was cleared and redeveloped into offices, houses, shops and a community centre.

The decision was announced before an expected visit to China by Prime Minister Keir Starmer this month, the first by a British leader since 2018. According to reports, some British and Chinese officials said the trip was dependent on the embassy being approved.