Chinese mega-embassy to be approved within weeks
A new Chinese super-embassy has been recommended for approval by the Planning Inspectorate, a decision expected to be waved through by the housing secretary, Angela Rayner, within weeks.
The plans for the embassy in central London had been blocked amid warnings from British intelligence about its location and the espionage risk, but were revived after personal lobbying from President Xi.
The Planning Inspectorate, an executive agency of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, is understood to have given the scheme the green light in a report which landed on Rayner's desk just under a fortnight ago. It follows a 12-day public inquiry in February.
The decision, which is expected to be formally rubberstamped by Rayner before September, is likely to trigger a judicial review process.
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