Continuation Sheet No. 2 The matter is further complicated by the fact that the Listed BuildingsDepartment of the GLC and the Listed Buildings Officer of the PlanningDepartment at Westminster require full details of the internal planningof the new Embassy as a Grade 2 Listed Building is to become the newChancery. Apparently, Dr Simpson of the GLC Listed Buildings Departmentis not obliged to make such plans available for public inspection and iswilling to retain such plans under lock and key, subject to seeing acopy of a letter from the Protocol Department of the Foreign Officewhich expresses the need for a reasonable degree of security. However, Westminster Planning Department have advised us that theirListed Buildings Officer will insist on detailed plans of all parts ofthe buildings and will also insist that these plans be made available forpublic inspection. It would therefore assist us greatly if the ProtocolOffice could prepare a letter, 'to whom it may concern', expressingCentral Government's desire that the security of this Embassy is not inany way impaired and that with this in mind the normal obligationsdevolving upon the Planning Department might in these special circumstancesbe waived. We hope to persuede the officer responsible for Listed Buildings atWestminster Planning Department that in this particular case it shouldbe sufficient if he is able to inform the Planning Committee that the detailedplans are retained and have been approved by the GLC's experts on ListedBuildings. With a supporting letter from the Protocol Office we are optimistic that asoloution to these matters can be found. Finally, I would add that we have advised the Planning Officers that we arequite prepared to show them fully detailed plans so that they can check thatthe 'elemental' plans accurately represent the location and extent of theoffice and residential content, but at present they are not prepared toprogress our Planning Application unless we actually deposit the fullydetailed plans. In the first instance your letter would, I think, be most helpful as theEmbassy are most anxious to obtain Planning and Listed Building consentthrough the normal procedures. Yours sincerely, JOHN KNIGHT cc I Thomas Esq : Project ManagerCC M Brown Esq : Security Consultantcc Captain Ali Assiri M.O.F.A.cc Engineer Abdulla Al Ghamdi M.O.F.A.
