Overview

• Officials in the housing and communities department are preparing to push back the 21 October deadline for the planning ruling, according to recent reporting.
• Ministers previously paused the process after Beijing did not fully explain redacted sections in its application for the proposed compound near the Tower of London.
• Newly reported documents suggest inspectors were denied access to secret security assessments and a private inquiry was refused, though the department declined to comment.
• The Metropolitan Police withdrew a formal objection earlier this year but warned the site would require additional resources to manage frequent large protests.
• The Chinese Embassy has publicly urged swift approval, while Mayor Sadiq Khan says there is no planning basis for him to intervene.