Plans for a new Chinese “super-embassy” near the Tower of London have been approved after the High Court dismissed a residents’ association’s legal challenge to the planning permission. The decision clears a major obstacle for the project, which has attracted concern over security, protest rights and the treatment of Chinese dissidents in the UK.

The Royal Mint Court Residents’ Association, representing families and businesses at around 100 properties, argued that the embassy could increase terrorism risks, enable repression of protests and facilitate enforcement of Chinese laws against dissidents. It also raised concerns about fire safety and diplomatic immunity, while the Government and Tower Hamlets council said they had carefully considered the objections; two judges rejected the challenge following a hearing earlier this month.