Construction firm Sir Robert McAlpine is set to team up with US contractor Harbert to build the new US embassy in Battersea.

The news regarding the embassy, which will be based in the Nine Elms development, was announced by The Independent newspaper last week.

Harbert was appointed earlier this month because, under US State Department rules, a foreign firm is not allowed to carry out the embassy construction works alone for security reasons.

The £650m job will feature several landscaped defences, including a moat around part of the building to protect the embassy against terrorist attacks Planning permission for the five acre development in Battersea was granted by Wandsworth Council’s planning applications committee, and work could begin as soon as next year.

Sir Robert McAlpine is a leading UK building and civil engineering company, with a 140-year-old history in the business.

Recent high-profile projects include the O2 Arena, Emirates Stadium, the Eden Project, Cabot Circus in Bristol, the M74 Completion in Glasgow and the Olympic Stadium.