The US President
condemned his predecessor Barack Obama tweeting shortly before midnight in Washington
to criticize the move to an 'off location' at Nine Elms, south of the River
Thames, as a 'bad deal'. The tweet to his 47million followers sparked an overwhelming
social media backlash. Meanwhile, as
questions were raised over whether it was a 'bad deal', property experts said
the US may have 'sold the family silver' - but sold high and bought low. Mr
Trump tweeted overnight that he was 'not a big fan of the Obama Administration
having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for
'peanuts', only to build a new one in an off location for $1.2billion'
At a cost of
£750million ($1billion), the new embassy near Battersea is significantly more expensive
than the £315million ($431million) the Mayfair site was sold for, as revealed
by Land Registry documents today. And some
media experts pointed out that Mr Trump wrongly blamed Barack Obama for the
embassy sale, when George W. Bush was actually in the White House at the time
in 2008.
London Mayor, who has
clashed with the US President in the past, said a visit by Mr Trump would have
been met by 'mass peaceful protests'. Donald Trump was ridiculed by the people
of Battersea today after saying the US embassy was moving to an 'off location'.
Mr Trump's dismissal of Vauxhall was also questioned by David Hatcher, of
Estates Gazette, who described it as 'a prime central London location'. 'At pre
sent to some it might look like a load of cranes and construction sites with
not going on around them,' he said. 'However, Vauxhall's star has undoubtedly
risen and Apple's decision to locate its giant new headquarters at the iconic
Battersea Power Station is perhaps the ultimate rubber stamp of approval that
shows it is establishing itself as a prime central London location. Given its long-established history as an area
rich with nightlife with ever more techhie types with plenty of disposable
income set to move, as well as those that have bought pricey flats, it will
likely only become more appealing as time goes.' Situated in the London Borough
of Wandsworth, Battersea boasts many attractions, including its iconic power
station, which first started operating in 1933, when it was only half-built. It
is also home to the capital's only licensed heliport on the south bank, as well
as a family-run zoo designed specially for children in Battersea Park. Its
Peace Pagoda - which offers panoramic views of Chelsea Embankment - was
presented by Buddhist monk Nichidatsu Fuji in 1984 as part of a Japanese
movement to promote peace across the globe following the atomic bombing of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
And Nine Elms, where
the embassy is located, is home to the New Covent Garden Market. The biggest
wholesale flower, fruit and vegetable market in the UK, it spans 57 acres and
is used by 200 firms. His visit next
month would without doubt have been met by mass peaceful protests. MailOnline and other British media feels that this
just reinforces what a mistake it was
for Theresa May to rush and extend an invitation of a state visit in the first
place.
Standing in London's
Grosvenor Square, in the heart of Mayfair, itself the wealthiest part of the
city, the old embassy was bought by Qatari Diar – the property development arm
of the Qatari royal family – in 2013. The Qataris will now spend $1.4bn
(£1.08bn) to refurbish the building and turn it into a five-star Rosewood hotel
with 137 bedrooms.
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
12th Jan 2018.
