We, the undersigned, call on Tower Hamlets Council and the UK Government to take immediate and decisive action to end the continued misuse and neglect of the Royal Mint Court site by the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Background:
In 2022, Tower Hamlets Council rightly refused the Chinese Government’s planning application to convert Royal Mint Court into a new embassy. Since then, the PRC has allowed this valuable 5.23-acre site—situated next to the Tower of London and St Katharine Docks—to sit empty, undeveloped, and increasingly derelict.

Meanwhile, the PRC has failed to pay an estimated £250,000+ per year in business rates, depriving one of the UK’s most deprived boroughs of over £1 million in lost revenue.

Despite this, neither Tower Hamlets Council nor the UK Government has taken action to enforce payment or demand that the site be sold or repurposed.

The Problem:
A valuable site in central London is lying idle.
Tower Hamlets residents are losing out on vital funding.
British citizens face penalties for leaving homes empty, yet the PRC has faced no consequences.
No plans have been made public by the PRC to develop or sell the site.
Our Demands:
Compulsory Purchase of the Royal Mint Court estate so the site can be used for housing, commercial development, or other public benefit.
Enforcement of Business Rates: Require the PRC to pay all backdated and future business rates until the property is sold or developed for non-embassy purposes.
Why It Matters:
This is not just about money—it’s about fairness. Local residents and businesses are expected to follow the rules. Foreign governments should not be given special treatment—especially when their actions harm the local community.

By signing this petition, we demand that Tower Hamlets Council and the UK Government act in the interests of local people, not foreign powers.

Let’s take back Royal Mint Court—for homes, for jobs, and for Tower Hamlets.

For reference please see business rates payable in 2020 as per the council website:-