The Government has delayed the decision on approving plans for the Chinese mega-embassy in London amid fears over a 'secret basement' that could be converted into 'spy dungeons'.
China intends to build the largest embassy in Europe in London but has faced three years of opposition from residents and activists, while politicians in the UK and US have warned that they could use the site as a base for spying.
Beijing has refused to provide full floorplans in planning documents to Tower Hamlets Council, with the basement and other areas 'greyed out', while two suites of anonymous rooms and a tunnel were redacted 'for security reasons'.
Other buildings on the plans for the two-century-old site near the Tower of London were also partly greyed out, including the Cultural Exchange Building and Embassy House.
DP9, the planning consultancy working for the Chinese government, wrote to Angela Rayner to say China felt it would be inappropriate to provide full internal layout plans.
