Dutch Embassy goes on sale

The Dutch embassy in Kensington has been put on the block and is expected to attract offers in the region of £150 million.

The Dutch are relocating to a purpose-built mission near to the American Embassy in Nine Elms, Vauxhall, which is predicted to become London’s newest diplomatic quarter.

An early planning report showed the 75,000 sq ft property could be converted into 18 apartments with sweeping views over Hyde Park. When the development is complete, it could have a value of more than £500 million.

But prospective buyers will have to lease the building back to the Dutch until 2018, when the Embassy in Nine Elms will become available.

The Embassy is the latest in a string of lucrative relocations as foreign ministries cash in on London’s soaring property market.