The UK government has again delayed its decision over whether to approve a Chinese “super embassy” in London until January.

A decision over the controversial plan will now take place on 20 January, instead of 10 December, a letter from the planning inspectorate says.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed has said he needs more time to consider new representations from the Foreign Office and Home Office.

The letter sent to ministers and “interested parties”, including the Inter Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) – who has warned against approving the embassy – said the government aims “to issue the decision as quickly as possible” on or before 20 January.

Mr Reed became housing secretary in September and had already delayed the decision once, as he previously said he had not had enough time to look at the details.

A decision had also been delayed before that by the former housing secretary Angela Rayner.

Luke de Pulford, executive director of IPAC, told Sky News: “This is the third delay, and entirely of the government’s own making.

“Residents and dissidents have endured months of dithering as the government tries to choose between UK national security and upsetting Beijing.”

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