Overview
- Housing Secretary Steve Reed granted planning permission and listed building consent for the 20,000-square-metre complex near the Tower of London, with the decision final unless overturned in court.
- MI5 and GCHQ said a package of mitigations deals acceptably with national security risks, including nearby data cabling, while acknowledging not every risk can be eliminated.
- Security minister Dan Jarvis said resilience measures have been taken around local telecoms cables and confirmed the site’s publicly accessible forecourt will not have diplomatic immunity.
- The government argues consolidating China’s seven London diplomatic sites into one brings security advantages, a position rejected by opposition politicians, residents and rights groups.
- Local residents and campaigners have raised funds and are preparing a judicial review within the six-week window, as protests continue at the Royal Mint Court site.