Minutes of the Twentieth Meeting of
Central and Western District Council
Date
Time
Venue
: 9 July 2015 (Thursday); 16 July 2015 (Thursday) (Resumed)
: 2:30 pm; 4:20 pm (resumed)
: Conference Room
14/F, Harbour Building
38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong
Present:
Chairman
Mr YIP Wing-shing, BBS, MH, JP*
Vice-chairman
Mr CHAN Hok-fung, MH*
Members
Mr CHAN Chit-kwai, BBS, JP
(2:30 pm – end of the meeting) (9 July)
(4:20 pm – 7:29 pm) (16 July)
Mr CHAN Choi-hi, MH*
Mr CHAN Ho-lim, Joseph*
Ms CHENG Lai-king*
Mr CHEUNG Kwok-kwan, JP
Mr CHEUNG Yick-hung, Jackie
Mr HUI Chi-fung
Mr IP Kwok-him, GBS, JP
Mr KAM Nai-wai, MH*
Dr Malcolm LAM
Mr LEE Chi-hang, Sidney
Miss LO Yee-hang
Mr MAN Chi-wah, MH*
Mr NG Siu-keung, Thomas, MH, JP
Ms SIU Ka-yi
Mr WONG Kin-shing
Remarks:
(2:30 pm – 2:44 pm and 4:09pm – end of the meeting) (9 July)
(4:20 pm – 6:08 pm) (16 July)
(2:30 pm – end of the meeting) (9 July)
(3:49 pm – end of the meeting) (9 July)
(4:20 pm – 4:42 pm) (16 July)
(2:38 pm – 2:52 pm) (9 July)
(4:20 pm – end of the meeting) (16 July)
(2:30 pm – end of the meeting) (9 July)
(4:20 pm – end of the meeting) (16 July)
(2:30 pm – end of the meeting) (9 July)
(4:20 pm – 7:29 pm) (16 July)
(2:30 pm – end of the meeting) (9 July)
(2:30 pm – end of the meeting) (9 July)
(4:20 pm – 5:37 pm) (16 July)
(2:30 pm – end of the meeting) (9 July)
(4:20 pm – 7:56 pm) (16 July)
*
Members who attended the whole meeting
( ) Time of attendance of Members
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Item 2
Ms LI Mei-sheung, Michelle, JP
Mr MOK Man-kit, Keith
Mr CHAIONG David, Stanley
Mr TSANG Chin-kwong, Harry
Ms CHIU Tap-hung
Miss TSANG Yuk-chi, Fiona
Mr NGAN Siu-ming, George
Item 3
Mr WONG Chi-kong, Alan,
S.B.S., JP
Mr SHAM Chun-hung, Joseph
Item 4(i)
Mr Kenrick KO
Mr TSE Fuk-sum
Mr LI Sze-ming
Mr FUNG Kin-ip, Kevin
Mr CHOI Yiu-kwok, Kent
Item 4(ii)
Mr AU Chun-ho, Wilfred
Item 4(iii)
Mr WONG Chi-pan, Ricky
Miss LEE Hoi-lun, Leonie
Mr CHU-ho, Larry
Ms TANG Tsui-yee, Caroline
Mr LAM Shu-kee, Philip
Mr Alan PUN
Revd Peter Douglas KOON
Mr NG Chi-ho
Item 8
Mr FUNG Ying-lun, Allen
Mr CHONG Wing-wun
Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Leisure and
Cultural Services Department
Senior Staff Officer (Headquarters), Leisure and Cultural
Services Department
Chief Leisure Manager (Hong Kong West), Leisure and
Cultural Services Department
Chief Executive Officer (Planning)1, Leisure and Cultural
Services Department
Chief Librarian (Operations and Technical Processing),
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Curator (Historical Buildings)1, Leisure and Cultural Services
Department
District Leisure Manager (Central and Western), Leisure and
Cultural Services Department
Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation,
Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department
Assistant Director (Country and Marine Parks), Agriculture,
Fisheries and Conservation Department
Project Communications Manager, MTR Corporation Limited
Operations Services Manager (Island Line and Tseung Kwan
O Line), MTR Corporation Limited
Senior Engineer/West Island Line 1, Highways Department
Engineer/Priority Railway 2, Transport Department
Deputy District Leisure Manager (Central and Western),
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Deputy Chief Manager, Planning and Design, Urban Renewal
Authority
Chief Assistant Secretary (Works) 2, Development Bureau
Assistant Secretary (Heritage Conservation)3, Development
Bureau
Assistant Secretary (Harbour) 1, Development Bureau
Assistant Secretary (Planning)1, Development Bureau
Engineer/Central and Western 2, Transport Department
Associate Director, MVA Systra Group
Provincial Secretary General, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui
Assistant to Provincial Secretary General, Hong Kong Sheng
Kung Hui
Political Assistant to Secretary for Development,
Development Bureau
Principal Assistant Secretary (Planning and Lands),
Development Bureau
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Ms KIANG Kam-yin, Ginger
Mr AUSTIN Joseph Jerry
Mr CHAN Chi-ming, Lawrence
Mr LOK Chun-chung, Francis
Mr CHAN Wai-kit, Edmond
Mr LIU Chi-wai
Mr Edmund KWOK
District Planning Officer/Hong Kong, Planning Department
Senior Town Planner/Hong Kong 4, Planning Department
Senior Engineer/Central and Western, Transport Department
Engineer/Central and Western 1, Transport Department
Senior Estate Surveyor/Central, Lands Department
District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent
(Central/Western), Food and Environmental Hygiene
Department
Associate Director, MVA Asia Limited
Item 9
Mr TSE Pui-keung, Derek
Mr LAM Kei-shing
Mr Timothy CHAN
Miss LO Po-si
Mr Francis MA
Senior Town Planner/Hong Kong 5, Planning Department
Chairman, Incorporated Owners of Cayman Rise
Representative, Sai Wan Concern Group
Chairman, Mount Davis Concern Group
Chairman, Incorporated Owners of Mount Davis 33
Item 10
Mr CHU Ho, Larry
Mr LIU Chi-wai
Mr CHOI Yiu-kwok, Kent
Miss TSUI Shuk-ting, Yvonne
Item 11
Mr LIU Chi-wai
Mr LAM Chun-ming
Mr CHUNG Kin-yeung, Winky
Item 13
Mr WONG Ka-lun, Alan
Mr LAI Fu-keung
Dr C C LUK
Ms Mabel KWONG
Dr CHUNG Hon-ping
Ms CHAN Man-yi
In Attendance:
Mr LAM Chun-ming
Mr CHUNG Kin-yeung, Winky
Mr MAK Chi-biu
Assistant Secretary (Harbour)1, Development Bureau
District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Central and
Western), Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
Deputy District Leisure Manager (Central and Western),
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Senior Transport Officer / Central and Western, Transport
Department
District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Central and
Western), Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
District Commander (Central District), Hong Kong Police
Force
Police Community Relation Officer (Central District), Hong
Kong Police Force
Engineer/Housing and Planning 1, Transport Department
Engineer/ Pedestrian Hillside Link (2), Highways Department
Cluster Chief Executive, Hong Kong West Cluster, Hospital
Authority
Public and Community Relations Officer (Hong Kong West
Cluster), Hospital Authority
Deputising Hospital Chief Executive, Tung Wah Hospital
General Manager (Administrative Services), Tung Wah
Hospital
District Commander (Central District), Hong Kong Police
Force
Police Community Relation Officer (Central District), Hong
Kong Police Force
Chief Engineer/Hong Kong (1), Civil Engineering and
Development Department
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Mr LIU Chi-wai
Mr CHAIONG David, Stanley
Mr CHOI Yiu-kwok, Kent
Mr CHAN Nap-sang, Nelson
Miss TSUI Shuk-ting, Yvonne
Miss CHOW Ho-kiu, Cheryl, JP
Miss LAM Bing-bing, Erica
Miss YU Yan-yan, Rosanna
Mr CHAN Shing-fung
Secretary
Ms WONG Ming-wai
District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Central and
Western), Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
Chief Leisure Manager (Hong Kong West), Leisure and
Cultural Services Department (9 July)
Deputy District Leisure Manager (Central and Western),
Leisure and Cultural Services Department (16 July)
Chief Transport Officer / Hong Kong, Transport Department
(9 July)
Senior Transport Officer/Central and Western, Transport
Department (16 July)
District Officer (Central and Western)
Assistant District Officer (Central and Western)
Senior Executive Officer (District Management), Central and
Western District Office
Executive Officer I (District Council), Central and Western
District Office
Senior Executive Officer (District Council), Central and
Western District Office
Absent with Apologies
Mr LEE Chi-hang, Sidney (9 July)
Mr CHEUNG Yick-hung, Jackie (16 July)
Dr Malcolm LAM (16 July)
Mr NG Siu-keung, Thomas, MH, JP (16 July)
Opening Remarks
The Chairman welcomed guests and Members to the twentieth meeting of the Central and
Western District Council (C&WDC).
He welcomed Mr LAM Chun-ming, District
Commander (Central District) and Mr Winky CHUNG, Police Community Relation Officer
(Central District) of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), who attended the meeting for the first
time. The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) announced that it might issue Tropical Cyclone
Signal No. 8 later on that day, and according to Order 10 of the C&WDC Standing Orders, a
meeting should be suspended immediately if the HKO issued Tropical Cyclone Signal No. 8 or
above during the meeting. Thus if the HKO issued Tropical Cyclone Signal No. 8 during the
meeting, the meeting had to be suspended immediately. Discussion of unfinished items would
continue after the 9th meeting of the Food, Environment, Hygiene & Works Committee
(FEHWC) on 16 July 2015 (Thursday).
Item 1: Adoption of the Agenda
(2:30 pm to 2:31 pm)
2.
Members had no objection to the agenda, so the Chairman declared the adoption of the
agenda.
Item 2: Meeting the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services
(2:31 pm to 3:24 pm)
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3.
The Chairman welcomed Ms Michelle LI, Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, and
representatives of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) to the meeting.
4.
Ms Michelle LI, Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, gave a PowerPoint
presentation on various items under the purview of the LCSD in the C&W District. The main
points were as follows:
(a)
Facilities and Projects: The open space at Eastern Street North, Sai Ying Pun was
under planning. Proposed facilities included a waterfront promenade suitable for
jogging, rain shelters and fitness facilities. The department had consulted the
Culture, Leisure & Social Affairs Committee on 18 June this year and would
consider the views of Members. On the other hand, open space projects planned by
other departments or organisations in the district would be implemented or
completed successively, including the harbourfront enhancement at the Western
Wholesale Food Market implemented by the C&WDC and the reprovision of
Kennedy Town Swimming Pool and Harcourt Garden implemented by the MTR
Corporation Limited. The department hoped that more facilities would be provided
in the district for public use.
(b)
Recreation and Sports Facilities and Signature Activities: There were a number of
district facilities and territory-wide facilities in the C&W District. The department
thanked the C&WDC for its active participation in facility management. In the
past three years, funding for 48 district minor works projects had been approved and
some 4 000 recreation and sports activities were organised. The C&W District
achieved remarkable result in the recent Hong Kong Games (HKG). With the
slogan “Stay Active, Stay Healthy”, the department would open facilities for free on
the Sports For All Day on 2 August to encourage the public to exercise more.
(c)
Public Library Service: There were currently three libraries in the district. The
department was planning to provide a mobile library stop near Sheung Wan Cultural
Square. The library stop was estimated to commission in the first half of 2016 if
works went smoothly. Moreover, the department collaborated with DC Members’
offices and local non-governmental organisations to provide 11 community libraries
in the district to provide borrowing service on some 2 500 books to the public. The
department thanked DC Members and community members for their coordination
and welcomed DC Members to continue to assist in the provision of additional
community libraries. Moreover, the department updated the website of Hong Kong
Public Libraries and launched the mobile application of “My Library” in 2014. 61
electronic databases and some 200 000 e-books were available on the website and
the public could use library services at home.
(d)
Culture and Arts: The cultural and arts facilities in the C&W District included
Hong Kong City Hall and Sheung Wan Civic Centre, of which the utilisation rate
was very high. Moreover, the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre in Hong Kong Park,
Central was a Grade I historic building and provided well-equipped studios for
trained art practitioners in ceramics, sculpture and printmaking. The department
would continue to promote cultural and arts facilities, for example, the display of
artworks during the event “ArtAlive@Park” at the public space of Tamar Park in
April 2015, and to implement public art schemes to infuse arts into the life of the
public.
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(e)
Monuments, Museums and Heritage Conservation: There were currently 110
graded historic buildings and 23 declared monuments in the C&W District. Apart
from tangible cultural heritage, the department had announced the first list of
intangible cultural heritage in June 2014, covering 480 items. Items of the C&W
District included Man Cheong Festival, Lo Pan Festival, To Tei Festival, To Tei Po
Po Festival and Yu Lan Festival. The department would actively promote the
integration of intangible cultural heritage and district culture, and set up an
Intangible Cultural Heritage Office. Community members or DC Members were
welcomed for their collaborative efforts to promote conservation.
5.
The Chairman invited Members to raise enquiries and express their views. The main
points of their comments were as follows:
(a)
Mr WONG Kin-shing said that there was a severe shortage of open space in light of
population increase in the C&W District and asked whether the LCSD could provide
more open space in the district. Moreover, he said that cultural venues such as
Sheung Wan Civic Centre, City Hall and community halls were always full,
reflecting the lack of cultural and recreational venues in the district. He suggested
the department provide more venues for cultural and recreational activities when
planning cultural and recreational facilities in the Western District.
(b)
Ms SIU Ka-yi indicated that she would continue to strive for the provision of
additional libraries in Sheung Wan District. Furthermore, she pointed out that there
was an enormous demand for study rooms due to the large number of schools in the
C&W District and requested that the store rooms of LCSD’s Technical Processing
Unit in Sheung Wan Civic Centre be vacated and developed into study rooms or a
library. Lastly, she requested that WiFi network be provided at parks in C&W
District such as Hollywood Road Park.
(c)
Mr Joseph CHAN requested the LCSD to step up tree management and maintenance
works under the department’s purview so as to prevent trees from collapsing and
endangering public safety. Moreover, he was concerned about the problem of
stagnant water frequently found in LCSD’s venues which provided breeding sites for
mosquitoes and affected nearby residents. He concurred with the view that there
was a shortage of open space in the C&W District and pointed out that some sites at
the Mid-Levels which were managed by the Lands Department (LandsD) had been
left vacant and the department could actively explore the possibility of rezoning the
said sites as temporary or permanent open space. Lastly, he hoped that the
department would endeavor to allocate resources to improve the repair and
maintenance of venues in the district.
(d)
Mr MAN Chi-wah pointed out that there was little shading in parks in the district.
He hoped that the LCSD would in future include more shading facilities in the
design of new parks. In addition, he hoped that the LCSD would consider
providing facilities to protect the venue when activities were held at the indoor
venues of the LCSD by district organisations. He also hoped that the department
would allocate more resources to the provision of mobile library vans. Finally, he
suggested that the department allocate more resources to promote training of elite
athletes while promoting sports among the public.
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(e)
Mr CHAN Choi-hi stated that the department should review the demand for library
in relation to the current ratio of population in the district. He indicated that the
provision of mobile library van fell short of fully satifying the demand of the district
and therefore the provision of Sheung Wan Public Library should be considered.
Moreover, he said that the C&WDC hoped to display sculptures in the parks
managed by the LCSD and Members had made a site visit to Belcher Bay Park
together with the department. He hoped that the department would soon agree to
the C&WDC’s request. Finally, he suggested that the department consider making
use of information technology to set up a mobile museum so that more people
could use museum facilities.
(f)
Mr CHAN Chit-kwai suggested reviewing the format of HKG, such as tightening
the eligibility criteria for athletes who had participated in international competitions
and reviewing the arrangement for replacing candidates in case the tennis
competition was to be replayed due to adverse weather. He also suggested
providing an open air cafe at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park. Lastly, he said that Yu
Lan Festival had been listed as an intangible cultural heritage at the national level.
While venues were made available to organisations for organising Yu Lan Festival,
the LCSD should make arrangements to coordinate as far as time and regulations
were concerned. He also hoped that electric eco-furnace would be provided at the
venue or lent to parties organising the Festival.
(g)
Ms CHENG Lai-king suggested that the department provide drinking fountains at
existing parks and those under planning. She pointed out that while cycling was
not allowed in the parks managed by the LCSD,there were, however, parents who
relayed to her their wish to take their children to go cycling. Therefore, she
suggested that the department should relax the restriction on cycling to allow
children to go cycling at parks if they were accompanied by parents. Lastly, she
suggested relocating LCSD’s Technical Processing Unit from the ninth floor of
Sheung Wan Civic Centre to an industrial area so that the vacated space could be
developed into a library.
(h)
Mr KAM Nai-wai remarked that the provision of a Sheung Wan Public Library had
been proposed for 20 years and the department should carefully consider vacating
the Technical Processing Uniton the ninth floor of Sheung Wan Civic Centre for
developing the space into Sheung Wan Public Library. If the population did not
meet the threshold for setting up a district library, a small-scale library with a study
room and a reading room should at least be provided. In addition, he indicated that
despite the proposal of mobile library van’s being put forward in 2014, it could not
be commissioned until the first quarter of 2016. He hoped that the department
would step up its monitoring of the progress.
(i)
The Vice-chairman pointed out that there was a lack of indoor performance venues
in the C&W District and suggested including cultural and recreational venues while
planning the land use of the western part of Kennedy Town to cater for residents’
needs. He also suggested that the LCSD install free Wi-Fi facilities at the venues
under its management. Lastly, he indicated that the processing time of venue
booking was rather long and hoped that the department would respond promptly to
applications.
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(j)
Mr Jackie CHEUNG hoped that the department would consider extending the
mobile library van service to Caine Road at the Mid-Levels, especially during the
summer holiday. He proposed that mobile library vans park outside Sacred Heart
Canossian School at Caine Road or at the lay-by off the Grand Panorama at No.10
Robinson Road to provide library service to residents at the Mid-Levels.
Moreover, he said that he, together with the department, had made a site visit earlier
and suggested that arm stretching fitness equipment be provided next to the fountain
in Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Garden near Caine Road and Robinson
Road.
(k)
The Chairman opined that the shortage of venues and facilities was a territory-wide
issue. He pointed out that some venues in C&W District had been in use for over
10 years and required comprehensive improvement. The department should keep
pace with the times when formulating policies on facility enhancement.
Furthermore, the HKG had been held for five times already and the C&W District
had achieved good results in this year’s game. He commended the department for
organising the HKG so impressively well inspite ofthe limited resources available
and for making continuous improvement. The district would continue to support
the HKG.
6.
Ms Michelle LI, Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, gave a consolidated response
as follows:
(a)
The LCSD conducted review after each HKG. Before organising the 6th HKG in
2017, the LCSD would continue to gauge the opinions of various parties in order to
strive for perfection.
(b)
She thanked Members for supporting the provision of mobile library stop near
Sheung Wan Cultural Square. Although the planning had taken longer than
expected, it had entered the final stage. The District Facilities Management
Committee had allocated funds in June this year for the construction of switch box
and notice board for the mobile library stop. It was hoped that the mobile library
stop could commission as soon as possible.
(c)
The department understood Members’ views on the provision of additional library
facilities in Sheung Wan. However, according to the planning standards, the three
libraries in the C&W District were enough to satisfy the requirements on ratio of
population. The department would continue to explore the feasibility of providing
mobile library stops in other locations, but collaboration among different
departments was required. Apart from establishing libraries, the department also
encouraged local organisations to set up community libraries. The department
would work closely with Members who were interested in setting up community
libraries in their offices.
(d)
As regards recreational facilities, the existing open space met the planning standards.
However, some recreational facilities in the district had been temporarily closed due
to the railway project. The department would request the MTR Corporation
Limited to complete the re-provisioning works as early as possible, so as to enable
residents to use the facilities concerned. In addition, the department noted the
views on provision of additional facilities, and would spare no efforts to identify
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appropriate locations in the densely built-up area of the district for providing
additional recreational facilities.
(e)
Regarding the issue of new park facilities, the department would submit the design
of the park to the C&WDC for discussion before finalising it. The C&WDC was
welcomed to provide further comments. In addition, the original design of the
Belcher Bay Park had its own theme and was with high density. The department
would continue to study the feasibility of the C&WDC’s request for installing
sculptures there.
(f)
As far as maintenance was concerned, apart from encouraging users to use public
property with care, the department would continue to work closely with works
departments to expedite the repair of damaged facilities. Moreover, the department
would explore ways to provide additional drinking fountains as far as practicable.
(g)
When planning for the use of the open space at Eastern Street North next to the Sun
Yat Sen Memorial Park, the department would study the feasibility of providing a
cafe. Food trucks as suggested by the Financial Secretary would be another viable
option and might park at weekends. The department was now discussing the
related arrangements with the Tourism Commission.
(h)
If Members found any mosquito or hygiene black spots in LCSD venues, they were
welcomed to contact the department which would handle the cases promptly
together with the FEHD.
(i)
The department would inspect all trees under its care before the typhoon season
every year. Moreover, trees in LCSD venues were constantly inspected by the
on-site staff.
(j)
The objectives of laying down rules and regulations for users of venues were to cater
for the needs of different users and to ensure their safety. If cycling or other
high-speed sports were allowed in parks, such activities might pose a danger to
slow-moving users. The department would make every effort to strike a balance.
Specific areas would be designated in some parks for members of the public to ride
bicycles or tricycles. The C&WDC could give the department more comments in
this aspect.
(k)
The department understood the aspirations for the provision of Wi-Fi in its venues,
and would actively lobby the relevant departments to provide Wi-Fi hotspots in
facilities under its management, with a view to tying in with the development of
Hong Kong into a smart city.
(l)
Performance venues were planned according to territory-wide demand. The
department had been facing the problem of performance venue shortage. It was
thus hoped that some performing arts events would be moved to the East Kowloon
Cultural Centre upon its completion, with a view to freeing up some facilities in the
C&W District for hire by users in the district. In addition, the department also
planned to shift some of the performing arts programmes in the C&W District to
other districts, so as to free up more available time slots for users in the district to
hire the facilities. At the same time, the department would actively explore ways to
make full use of other LCSD facilities such as parks as performance venues for
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diversified arts and activities, with a view to alleviating the problem of venue
shortage.
7.
The Chairman thanked the guests for attending the meeting.
Item 3: Meeting the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation
(3:24 pm - 4:12 pm)
8.
The Chairman welcomed Mr Alan WONG, Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Conservation and Mr Joseph SHAM, Assistant Director (Country and Marine Parks) of the
Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) to the meeting.
9.
Mr Alan WONG, Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, pointed out that the
AFCD made three major changes in recent years, namely: (1) regarding the new agricultural
policy, the department would, as per the Government’s request, strengthen collaboration with
other bureaux, and was consulting the public on the positioning and development of Hong Kong
agriculture; (2) as regards country park management, there was extensive discussion in the
community as to whether the land use of country parks should be changed to ease the problem
of shortage of housing land supply, and whether or not to include indigenous villages into
country parks for conservation; and (3) to deal with H7N9 avian influenza, the department,
together with the FEHD, stepped up inspection and quarantine measures for local and
mainland-imported live chickens.
10. Mr Joseph SHAM, Assistant Director (Country and Marine Parks) of the AFCD, briefly
introduced the work of the five branches of the AFCD as follows:
(a)
Agriculture Branch - to provide basic agricultural infrastructure and technical
support to farmers and to ensure the adequate provision and efficient operation of
the government's wholesale marketing facilities for fresh food produce. Specific
tasks included registering credit unions and co-operatives, licensing and regulating
livestock farms, and providing administrative support to the Vegetable Marketing
Organisation. The department implemented the Local Vegetable Farm Voluntary
Registration Scheme to enhance food safety in vegetable farms, pesticide residues
analysis was provided by the scheme. In addition, the Branch also implemented
the Accredited Farm Scheme to promote good horticultural practice to farmers. As
regards promotion of organic farming, the Branch provided technical support to
farmers and fostered the development of local market for organic agricultural
products. It provided organic certification services and organised publicity events
through the Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre of the Hong Kong Baptist
University. The Branch recommended high quality varieties that could match local
demands and help farmers gain better economic returns. Moreover, low-interest
loans were provided to farmers through the agricultural loan fund. Phase one and
phase two of the Western Wholesale Food Market (WWFM) were launched in
1991 and 1994 respectively, which handled the wholesale of fresh vegetables, fruits,
fish, egg and other mixed food. Furthermore, the Government released a public
consultation document entitled “New Agricultural Policy: Sustainable Agricultural
Development in Hong Kong” in December 2014 to consult the public on the new
policy of modernisation and sustainable development of local agriculture. The
Government suggested adopting supportive measures including exploring the
feasibility of establishing an Agricultural Park and a Sustainable Agricultural
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Development Fund to support farmers, to enhance marketing efforts and to build
brand names.
(b)
Fisheries Branch - to offer technical support to fishermen and fish-farmers, to enact
relevant legislations and to provide administrative support to the Fish Marketing
Organisation. In regard to aquaculture, the focus was placed on the promotion of
sustainable aquatic development, including the monitoring of aquaculture
environment and the promotion of good aquaculture practice. The Branch
launched the Accredited Fish Farm Scheme and promoted the development of local
fish hatchery. In regard to conservation of fisheries resources, the Branch took
stringent actions against destructive fishing practices, deployed artificial reefs,
restocked fish fingerlings, studied the designation of fisheries protection areas and
provided professional advice on the assessment of the impacts of development
projects on fisheries. As far as promotion of sustainable development of the
fisheries industry was concerned, the Branch had banned trawling ban in Hong
Kong waters in 2012 and had provided corresponding measures including ex-gratia
grants and loans to help fishermen adapt to the change.
(c)
Inspection and Quarantine Branch - work primarily encompassed animal and plant
disease control, animal management and welfare. In regard to avian influenza
prevention and control measures, it monitored wild birds on a long-term basis,
collected dead birds for avian influenza tests, imposed ban on backyard poultry
keeping and combated poultry smuggling, as well as assisted in the execution of
duties at border crossing facilities and the airport with quarantine detector dogs.
As regards plant quarantine, the Branch implemented the control and registration
system of pesticides. In regard to animal management, its major work included
rabies control, promotion of animal welfare, eradication of illegal dog breeding
farms and handling of complaints about nuisance caused by stray animals. It also
appealed to the public to be a responsible pet owner through enhanced publicity and
education efforts..
(d)
Country and Marine Parks Branch - work included management of afforestation,
fire prevention, provision of facilities to country parks (such as road signs and
pavilions), and keeping country parks clean. The management of marine parks was
similar to that of country parks. It also made efforts to keep marine parks clean,
which included the cleaning up of abandoned nets under the sea. In regard to
marine conservation, the focus was placed on the protection of corals and Chinese
white dolphins. There was one geopark in Hong Kong which comprised two
regions and eight geo-areas and had been accepted as a member of the Global
Geoparks Network in 2011. The Global Geoparks Network would carry out an
interim assessment this year and the department was confident that Hong Kong
Geopark could keep its membership in the China and Global Geoparks Networks.
(e)
Conservation Branch - work included wildlife and natural habitat conservation,
conservation of biodiversity and carrying out ecological surveys. In regard to
wetland conservation, the Branch implemented the Ecological Monitoring
Programme for Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site and was responsible for the
management of Hong Kong Wetland Park. As far as endangered species protection
was concerned, the Branch fulfilled the requirements set out in the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to protect
endangered species.
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11. The Chairman invited Members to express their views.
comments were as follows:
The main points of their
(a)
Mr Jackie CHEUNG remarked that some country parks such as Pat Sin Leng
Country Park had poor mobile network coverage, which might hinder members of
the public from seeking help in case of emergency. He suggested that the
department send staff to patrol country parks to test the signal reception and make
improvements. Furthermore, he pointed out that the department could consider
providing free WiFi service at country parks so that countryside visitors would have
one more way to call for help in case of emergency.
(b)
Mr Joseph CHAN relayed that the stagnant water at some slopes within the country
park at the Peak had resulted in mosquito problem and undesirable hygienic
conditions, affecting the life of nearby residents. Moreover, he indicated that the
trees on the slopes in the country park required maintenance. Timely maintenance
to trees when health problems first appeared could prolong their life, and trees
posing an immediate danger should be removed to ensure the safety of residents and
road users..
(c)
Mr MAN Chi-wah pointed out that four of the piers of the WWFM would be
revitalised under the Signature Project of the C&W District, while the remaining
pier would be left idle for most of the time during the day. He hoped that the
department could be flexible and open the pier for use by the public when it was idle
or open up the carriageway connecting to the pier to facilitate a continuous linkage
through this section of the waterfront promenade.
(d)
Mr CHAN Choi-hi pointed out that at the last DC meeting, he had suggested
following the practice of foreign counties to provide campsite and improve facilities
in country parks for public use. He hoped to know the progress of the matter. In
regard to agricultural industry, he opined that local agriculture should not be written
off and pointed out that advanced and high-tech farming methods such as vertical
farming and hydroponic farming could be a way out for the agricultural industry in
Hong Kong. In addition, he was concerned about what measures the AFCD would
take to prevent wild pigs from entering urban areas.
(e)
Mr CHAN Chit-kwai said that there was a lack of both resources and manpower
training for developing local agriculture and fisheries industries and that the
Government should offer the industries support and assistance in the certification of
agricultural produce. Furthermore, he indicated that since Lung Fu Shan Country
Park had been designated for almost 20 years and the facilities there had been
ageing. The Chinese Herbal Garden jointly established by community groups and
the University of Hong Kong had recently been damaged by wild pigs. He hoped
that the department would take the opportunity of the country park’s 20th anniversary
to repair, refurbish or provide new facilities, and step up publicity about the diversity
of species and historical relics in Lung Fu Shan Country Park.
(f)
Ms CHENG Lai-king opined that local agricultural produce should be vigorously
promoted, and opined that country parks must be conserved and should not be
rezoned for residential or other uses.
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(g)
The Vice-chairman pointed out that the military relics at Mount Davis were under
the purview of the AFCD, and were, however, not properly protected that they had
been damaged by the public to different extent. As even fly-tipping was found at
the site, he hoped that the department would follow up on this. In addition, he
thanked the AFCD for its support in developing the Signature Project in the C&W
District and organising the WWFM Flea Market cum Carnival with the C&WDC in
the past few years. He suggested that the department negotiate with operators in
the WWFM so as to open the market to the public for shopping, thus developing
the market into a tourist attraction. Lastly, he was concerned about the mosquito
problem in country parks.
(h)
The Chairman said that the construction of a continuous promenade in the C&W
District had been the aspiration of the C&WDC. He thanked, on behalf of the
C&WDC, the AFCD for facilitating the Signature Project in the C&W District by
turning four of the piers in the WWFM into a waterfront open space. He pointed
out that the Central and Western District Promenade stretched from Central
Government Offices to Sheung Wan and the lorry parking site near Sai Ying Pun
would also be rezoned as part of the promenade. He hoped that the department
would consider opening up the last pier in the WWFM to provide more open space
for public enjoyment.
12. Mr Alan WONG, Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, gave a consolidated
response as follows:
(a)
Users of the WWFM were mainly wholesalers. To maintain its daily operations, it
was difficult to fully open the market for public use. To tie in with the
development of the Signature Project in the C&W District, four piers in the market
would be opened for public use. The remaining pier was leased to operators in the
WWFM for loading/unloading purpose. The department would consult the
operators to explore the feasibility of opening up the pier for public use at certain
period of time.
(b)
Regarding the problem of wild pigs, he pointed out that only 247 reports about
sighting of wild pigs in Hong Kong were received in 2012, but 408 reports were
received in 2014, among which 13 were from the C&W District. Adult wild pigs
could pose danger to members of the public. In the past, upon receipt of reports
about sighting of wild pigs threatening the safety and property of the public, the
AFCD would invite the civilian wild pig hunting teams (hunting teams) to set out
hunting depending on the need and circumstances. However, due to the objection
of organisations advocating animal rights and welfare, the hunting operations of the
hunting teams had been greatly reduced in recent years. At present, the AFCD
would mainly chase the wild pigs back into the hills. In addition, if wild pigs were
caught on Hong Kong Island, the AFCD would set them free at country parks in the
New Territories. He pointed out that there was a need to retain the civilian hunting
teams. Wild pigs which posed a threat to public safety would be shot to death only
in the absence of other practicable options.
(c)
The adoption of advanced and modern production methods, such as vertical farming,
was one of the possible development directions for agriculture and could be
considered for implementation in the proposed Agricultural Park (Agri-Park). At
present, hydroponic farms were established in some vacant units of factory
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buildings. The AFCD would work with various departments such as the Planning
Department (PlanD) and the LandsD to study the feasibility of regulating such
emerging industry in areas such as planning and land leases. As regards manpower
training, the department had set up an experimental farm near Fanling Golf Course
to provide training courses for farmers in the New Territories and those who were
interested in working in agriculture, so that they could learn farming methods, the
growing of new varieties and pest control techniques. They could also borrow
agricultural machinery. In addition, as mentioned in the consultation document on
new agricultural policy, a Sustainable Agricultural Development Fund would be set
up to provide financial support for agricultural development, including the
promotion of courses on quality agriculture. As regards organic certification,
related work was carried out at present by the Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre
(HKORC) under Hong Kong Baptist University, to which the Vegetable Marketing
Organisation (VMO) had allocated funds. Having been operating for over a
decade, the HKORC organised the “Organic Day” in Central each year to promote
organic products. The VMO was the statutory body while the AFCD provided
administrative support. The Government’s active participation in promoting
organic certification was evident.
(d)
As regards mobile network coverage in country parks, the department had
maintained communication with the Communications Authority (CA) and
telecommunications service operators.. Improvements were seen in both signal
coverage and transmission power in recent years.
(e)
Regarding the problems with trees, it was the responsibility of the departmentto
take care of the trees inside country parks so as to prevent potential tree collapses
that might pose risks to public safety.
13. Mr Joseph SHAM, Assistant Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation,
supplemented as follows:
(a)
The problem of poor signal reception often occurred in peripheral areas of Hong
Kong. He would follow up on the issue raised by Members regarding the signal
coverage in Pat Sin Leng Country Park.
(Post-meeting note: According to the Mobile Network Coverage Survey conducted
in country parks by the CA, the reception along popular hiking trails in Pat Sin Leng
Country Park was generally good. Signals of one or more local mobile network
could be received at most of the locations and the voice quality was good. Signal
reception was found to be poor only at a few individual locations. Regardless of
which network service they had subscribed to, hikers would be connected to the
police through any mobile network which had coverage at the location concerned if
they wished to make an emergency 112 call., .)
(b)
Regarding slope management, given that not all slopes surrounding country parks
were managed by the AFCD, he suggested that Members provide the exact locations
so that the department could follow up.. He explained that the department would
conduct tree risk assessment once a year and on-site examination was required for
some 100 locations with higher pedestrian flow in the C&W District (e.g. entrances
and exits of country parks and activity venues). The department would examine
surrounding trees and remove, monitor or conduct in-depth investigation on
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problematic trees according to risk assessment results.
risk assessments would be conducted after typhoons.
Moreover, additional tree
(c)
As regards the facilities of Lung Fu Shan, the AFCD would first refurbish facilities
related to visitor service subject to availability of resources. Moreover, the
department would work together with the C&WDO to update the interpretation
plates and install additional ones for Peak Trail. The project would be completed
by the end of September this year and pamphlets would be produced for information
of the public.
(d)
As far as conservation of military relics at Mount Davis was concerned, the AFCD
would be willing to consider rehabilitating and introducing to the public the military
relics concerned if the site was confirmed to be under the department’s purview.
He pointed out that the department attached great importance to the conservation of
military relics, e.g. the information board of the wartime Gin Drinker’s Line in
Shing Mun Country Park had been updated recently.
(Post-meeting note: Mount Davis and its military relics were situated outside the
country park and fell outside the AFCD’s purview. The department had referred to
the relevant departments for follow-up the proposal to conserve the military relics at
Mount Davis.)
14. Mr Alan WONG, Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, added that the
designation of country parks in Hong Kong had begun in the late seventies. At present, around
40% of the land in Hong Kong had been designated as country parks. He stressed that country
parks were protected by law and according to the statutory procedures, the Country Parks
Committee must be fully consulted on all proposals to amend the boundary of country parks
before such proposals were submitted to LegCo for discussion.
15. Mr Jackie CHEUNG said that mobile telephone network coverage in country parks
involved safety of human life and hoped the AFCD could study the issue seriously. In
addition, he further enquired about the provision of wireless internet access in country parks.
16. Mr Alan WONG, Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, responded that
telecommunications providers were responsible for the provision of mobile telephone network
and were managed by the Communications Authority (CA). He urged hikers not to go to
places where signal reception was poor. Moreover, he said that there were difficulties in
providing wireless internet access in country parks but the department would study with the CA
the possibility of providing related facilities.
(Post-meeting note: According to a survey conducted by the CA, improvements were seen in
both signal coverage and transmission power in country parks in recent years. The department
would continue to maintain communication with the CA and telecommunications providers to
study the improvement of signal reception when necessary.)
17.
The Chairman thanked the guests for attending the meeting.
Item 5: Chairman’s Report
(4:12 pm to 4:15 pm)
18. The Chairman reported on the suspension of DC operation. He said that the Secretariat
had emailed to Members the paper on the suspension of DC operation issued by the Home
Affairs Department and the relevant paper submitted by the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs
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Bureau to the Panel on Constitutional Affairs of the LegCo on 2 July 2015 and asked Members
to note the following:
(a)
The nomination period for the 5th DC election was suggested to commence on 2
October 2015 and end on 15 October 2015. Having regard to the nomination
period, the Director of Home Affairs (DHA) decided to suspend the operation of
DCs with effect from the commencement of the nomination period (suggested as 2
October 2015) until the end of the current DC term (i.e. 31 December 2015).
(b)
During the suspension of DC operation, meetings of DCs as well as their committees
and working groups, activities and projects organised or co-organised by DCs as
well as their committees and working groups, and service provided by the Meet the
Public Scheme should cease.
(c)
During the suspension period, should DC members express their views on district
matters or government policies, they should do so in their personal capacity just like
any other members of the public. DC members serving on government advisory
bodies in their personal capacity might continue to attend meetings of such advisory
bodies during the suspension period. They should express their views at the
meetings in their personal capacity and not in the capacity of DC members. DC
members might continue to carry out other duties, including referral and handling of
complaints from the public. Ward offices might operate as usual. DC members
will continue to be eligible for honorarium, miscellaneous expenses allowance and
expenses reimbursements for operating and setting-up expenses until the end of the
term.
19. The Chairman reported on the Signature Project Scheme (SPS) of the C&W District. He
said that the Public Works Subcommittee of the LegCo had approved on 30 June 2015 the SPS
of the C&W District, i.e. Harbourfront Enhancement and Revitalisation at the Western
Wholesale Food Market. The funding involved was HK$90.1 million. The Finance
Committee of the LegCo would consider the funding application concerned on 10 July 2015.
If the application was approved, the relevant works could commence by the end of 2015 at the
earliest and the facilities weres estimated to be completed and opened by the end of 2017.
20. The Chairman reported on the C&W District’s participation in the 5th HKG and said that
the C&W District had sent a delegation team of 200 athletes to take part in eight sports events,
in which 12 medals (i.e. seven gold medals, one silver medal and four bronze medals) were
won. In addition,- the C&W District delegation team also obtained other awards such as the
overall champion of the table-tennis competition, the overall first runner-up of the basketball
competition, the “District with Impressive Progress” prize for the table-tennis competition and
the “Online Voting – Most Favourite Sporty District” prize, ranking the sixth among the 18
districts at the HKG.
Item 6: Confirmation of the Minutes of the 19th C&W DC Meeting Held on 21 May 2015
(4:15 pm)
21. The Chairman said that the Secretariat had sent the draft minutes of the nineteenth
C&WDC meeting to Members on 26 June 2015 by e-mail for Members’ perusal.
22. Members had no comments on the draft of the minutes and the Chairman declared that the
minutes were confirmed.
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Item 7: Action Checklist on Matters Arising from the Last Meeting
(C&W DC Paper No. 72/2015)
(4:15 pm)
23. The Chairman asked Members to refer to the checklist for the progress of follow-up of
different items.
Item 17: Date of the Next Meeting
(4:15 pm)
24. The Chairman announced that the meeting must be adjourned immediately as the HKO
would soon issue the Tropical Cyclone Signal No. 8. The unfinished items would be discussed
at the twentieth C&WDC meeting which would be held immediately after the 9th FEHWC
meeting on 16 July 2015.
25. The Chairman declared the meeting closed and thanked the guests and Members for
attending the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 pm.
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16 July 2015 (Thursday) (Resumed)
Opening Remarks
(4:20 pm – 4:22 pm)
26. The Chairman welcomed guests and Members to the twentieth C&WDC meeting. The
discussion on the unfinished items of the C&WDC meeting on 9 July 2015 which had been
adjourned early due to Tropical Cyclone Signal No. 8 issued by the HKO would continue at this
meeting.
Standing Items
Item 4(i): Progress of the MTR West Island Line Project
Progress of the Construction Works of the West Island Line
(C&W DC Paper No. 69/2015)
(4:22 pm – 5:14 pm)
27. The Chairman welcomed the representatives of the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL),
the Highways Department (HyD), the Transport Department (TD) and the LCSD to the meeting.
28. Mr Kenrick KO, Projects Communications Manager of the MTRCL, gave a PowerPoint
presentation on the progress of the construction works of the Island Line extension to Western
District as follows:
(a)
The ground freezing as well as excavation were underway at the remaining 20-metre
passenger adit connecting Sai Ying Pun (SYP) station entrance B3 at Ki Ling Lane.
Architectural builder works and finishes, building services and engineering and
mechanical works, as well as escalator installation in the station were underway; the
entrance would be equipped with six escalators upon completion of the works. The
Ki Ling Lane entrance was targeted to open in the fourth quarter of 2015.
However, as this part of works was very challenging, the MTRCL would continue to
monitor the works progress closely.
(b)
The re-provisioning of Kennedy Town Swimming Pool (Phase II) had commenced
in September 2014. Foundation and super structural works were underway and
were scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2016.
(c)
Regarding the re-provisioning of open space, four venues including the Hill Road
Rest Garden, Sai Woo Lane Playground, Mui Fong Street Children’s Playground and
Centre Street Sitting-out Area were expected to be completed and handed over to the
government departments concerned in the third quarter of 2015, while Mui Fong
Street Children’s Playground was scheduled for handover in August this year.
(d)
Temporary traffic control measures for the re-provisioning of open spaces remained
in forceonly at a few locations, including King George V Memorial Park. The
MTRCL would complete the projects as soon as possible.
(e)
In regard to community activities, the MTRCL organised school talks in various
districts including the C&W District to deepen children’s understanding in MTR
services and promote safe and courteous behaviour on the railway network. On 17
- 18 -
June 2015, representatives of the MTRCL joined the Vice-chairman to visit St
Charles School.
29. The Chairman invited Members to raise enquiries and express their views.
comments were summarised as follows:
Their
(a)
Mr WONG Kin-shing hoped that the LCSD would keep a close eye on the
reprovisioned open spaces handed over by the MTRCL, while the MTRCL should
ensure prior to the handover that the open spaces were reprovisioned according to
the design. He also requested the MTRCL to provide folding seats along the access
inside MTR stations so that elderly people and mobility-impaired passengers could
take a rest on their way to the concourse.
(b)
Ms SIU Ka-yi enquired about the works progress of the open space at Tsz Mi Alley
off SYP Station entrance A. Furthermore, she indicated that during site visits,
some elderly people reflected that since the entrances of MTR stations on West
Island Line (WIL) were far away from the concourse, some elderly people had fallen
down halfway as they were not able to walk for such a long distance. She
requested that folding seats or handrails be provided along the access inside MTR
stations.
(c)
Miss LO Yee-hang enquired when the SYP Station entrance at Ki Ling Lane would
be commissioned and whether “Fare Savers” would be provided to make up for
the delay in the commissioning of the entrance.
(d)
Mr Sidney LEE was discontented with the works progress of the re-provisioning of
sitting-out facilities. He remarked that the progress of the works at King George V
Memorial Park was slow and the completion of the works at Central Street
Sitting-out Area should not be subject to the commissioning of the entrance at Ki
Ling Lane. The MTRCL should give an explanation in this connection.
Moreover, he received complaints about odour emission at the passage at SYP
Station entrance near Bonham Road and requested the MTRCL to identify the
source of the odour and follow up the matter.
(e)
Mr CHAN Choi-hi said that the works progress of the re-provisioning of leisure
facilities was slow and requested the MTRCL to surrender the open space as soon as
possible. Besides, he requested the MTRCL to submit the layout design plans of
Ki Ling Lane Children’s Playground for C&WDC’s reference. He also reflected
that there was always an odor at the platform of HKU Station where the third
compartment of train was located. He suspected that there was toilet seepage on
the upper floor and requested the MTRCL to follow up. Lastly, he said that
delivery workers always used pedestrian walkways for transporting goods at HKU
Station during peak hours, thus posing a danger to pedestrians.
(f)
Mr CHAN Chit-kwai said that he had conducted an inspection at Bonham Road
entrance of SYP Station with MTRCL staff on 9 June and noted that the signage of
the barrier-free access there was unclear. Moreover, he said that the directional
signs in MTR stations should provide indications for major buildings in the vicinity
and hoped that the MTRCL could follow up.
- 19 -
30.
(g)
Ms CHENG Lai-king asked whether the Kennedy Town Swimming Pool (Phase 2)
was sheltered and if heated pools were provided. Moreover, she reflected that the
directional signs at the platform of Sheung Wan Station were unclear and suggested
that route maps or clear directional signs be provided at appropriate locations of the
station for passengers’ interchange. She also said that members of the public could
access Bonham Road or High Street by travelling from exit A of SYP Station at Des
Voeux Road West to exit C via the unpaid zone. She hoped that directional signs
could be provided to encourage public use. At last, she suggested that folding seats
be installed along longer pedestrian walkways in MTR stations. In case folding
seats could not be provided, thenhandrails should be installed instead..
(h)
The Vice-chairman said that he had conducted a site inspection with the LCSD and
the MTRCL at the Forbes Street Playground earlier. Many facilities in the
playground remained to be enahnced and he hoped the MTRCL could make
improvements as soon as possible. Moreover, he said that excavation works were
being carried out at the site of MTRCL’s temporary office at Kennedy Town. That
the said works began in the morning and led to dust emission had caused nuisance to
residents in the vicinity. He also said that the construction site at the sitting-out
area at Hill Road entrance of HKU Station was enclosed by water-filled barriers, on
the top of which cigarette butts being disposed of and accumulation of water were
found. He requested the MTRCL to make improvements. At last, he requested the
provision of Fare Saver at Victoria Road to offer discounts to residents.
(i)
The Chairman enquired about the commissioning date of the sitting-out area at Hill
Road and was concerned about the progress of the re-provisioning works of
Kennedy Town Swimming Pool (Phase 2). Moreover, he pointed out that the
planters at entrance C2 of HKU Station were filled with garbage and the plants
therein lacked maintenance. He requested the MTRCL to follow up. He also said
that there was busy traffic in the vicinity and proposed that the pedestrian crossing
facilities be improved.
Mr Kenrick KO of the MTRCL gave a consolidated response as follows:
(a)
He noted the suggestion to install folding seats along the access inside MTR stations
and also understood that the elderly or the mobility-impaired passengers had such
need. The MTRCL had to consider pedestrian flow and the arrangement for
emergency evacuation of passengers, and was studying the proposal to provide seats.
(b)
As regards the provision of a Fare Saver near the Ki Ling Lane entrance, he said that
the Sai Ying Pun Station Pre-opening Special Discount Promotion launched by the
MTRCL earlier was a special arrangement arising from the failure of SYP Station to
be commissioned concurrently. As the SYP Station had come into service, those
fare saver machines were no longer in use. The MTRCL would complete the
works of Ki Ling Lane entrance as soon as possible and carry out tests per the
requirements of various government departments upon completion of works. A
timely announcement would be made upon confirmation of the commissioning date
and the MTRCL would also report to the C&WDC..
(c)
Regarding the re-provisioning of open space, leisure facilities to be handed over had
to meet the requirements of various government departments concerned. The
MTRCL also strived to surrender the facilities as soon as possible and would instruct
- 20 -
the project team to complete the works concerned soonest. It was hoped that the
Sai Woo Lane Playground could be surrendered in the third quarter of this year but
the exact date had to be confirmed later. King George V Memorial Park was
undergoing site formation and was expected to be surrendered in the third quarter of
this year. The MTRCL would urge the contractor to complete the works as soon as
possible. Besides, as entrances B1, B2 and B3 of SYP Station belonged to the
same access structure, the Centre Street Sitting-out Area could only be
re-provisioned upon the commissioning of exit B3 at Ki Ling Lane. The MTRCL
would arrange site inspections later if necessary. Information such as layout plans
and facilities of Ki Ling Lane Children’s Playground would be submitted to Mr
CHAN Choi-hi later. The Kennedy Town Swimming Pool (Phase 2) would be
sheltered and heated pools were provided. The swimming pool was estimated to be
surrendered in the fourth quarter of 2016 for management by the relevant
government departments, which would be responsible for the arrangement of, its
opening hours and relevant details. The MTRCL had noted the views to improve
Forbes Street Playground and had them successively implemented. It would
continue to follow up and see to a soonest possible completion.
(d)
As regards the odour reported to be present at HKU and SYP Stations, the MTRCL
would deploy staff to look into and follow up on the case. Besides, each station
had laid down rules and specified the time for goods delivery to the shops so as
not to affect the access and safety of passengers. The MTRCL would deploy
station staff to follow up to ensure delivery workers’ compliance. Regarding the
disposal of cigarette butts on the top of water-filled barriers at Hill Road entrance,
the MTRCL would urge the contractor to step up its efforts to inspect and clean up.
Furthermore, regarding the greening arrangement at exit C2 of HKU Station, the
MTRCL was studying with horticulturists whether the problem with the plants was
related to species selection or tree maintenance, and said that it attached great
importance to the environmental hygiene of areas under its purview.
(e)
Regarding the views on Sheung Wan and S Y P Stations, the MTRCL would review
the operation and facilities of stations from time to time, and study the proposals of
providing route maps and interchange instruction boards at Sheung Wan Station.
In addition, the MTRCL would study the locations for installing the signage of
barrier-free route at SYP Station and examine the need to provide additional signage
along access inside the station.
(f)
Site formation for the MTRCL’s temporary office at Kennedy Town was being
carried out for returning the site to the Government later. Despite the fact that the
works could commence after 7:00 am according to the construction permit, having
considered the possible impacts on the neighbourhood, works which were close to
residential buildings would be scheduled after 9:00 am as far as practicable. To
deal with the problem of dust emission, water spraying would be carried out more
often. Cutter heads would also be covered with noise insulating fabric to reduce
noise.
(g)
The views on providing an additional Fare Saver on Victoria Road would be relayed
to the marketing department for consideration.
31. Mr LIU Chi-wai, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Central/Western) of the
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), pointed out that the department was
- 21 -
responsible for the cleanliness in public areas while the MTRCL was responsible for the
cleanliness within MTR stations.
32. Mr CHAN Choi-hi added that property owners of Chong Yip Centre hoped that the
information on the signage at HKU Station would be corrected in which “Chong Yip Shopping
Centre” should be re-named as “Chong Yip Centre”. In addition, he pointed out that if folding
seats could not be installed along the access of the station, consideration should be given to the
implementation of a wheelchair campaign wherebystaff or volunteers would help the elderly
travel between the platform and the entrance/exit of the station with the aid of wheelchairs.
33. Mr Kenrick KO of the MTRCL responded that as far as he knew, the Owners’ Corporation
of the building concerned was discussing the exact name to be added and the MTRCL would
continue to follow up on the matter. In addition, the MTRCL was thankful for the suggestion
of the wheelchair campaign and would examine its feasibility.
34. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the MTRCL and the departments concerned
for attending the meeting.
Item 4 (ii): Report on the Projects under the Urban Renewal Authority in the Central and
Western District
(C&W DC Paper No. 70/2015)
(5:14 pm - 5:41 pm)
35. The Chairman welcomed Mr Wilfred AU, Deputy Chief Manager, Planning and Design of
the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) to the meeting.
36. Mr Wilfred AU of the URA gave a PowerPoint presentation on the latest progress as
follows:
(a)
Regarding Peel Street/Graham Street Development Scheme (Project H18), the
foundation works for the Market Block were completed while completion of the
construction works for the block was expected to be in the first quarter of 2016. To
help shop operators who chose to continue their business at the Market Block, the
URA would discuss with the FEHD ways to assist them in expediting the processing
of their applications for issuance of fresh food shop licence, so that they could
resume their business in the Market Block after relocation as soon as possible. In
addition, demolition works for four groups of buildings at Sites A and C had started.
Regarding the request of Nam Wah Ink Company to take back the two plaques and
place them at its office, as the size of the two plaques was bigger than the existing
office of Nam Wah InkCompany, it decided after discussion to withdraw its request
and agreed to have the plaques handled by the URA. The two plaques would be
placed in the open space of Site C to fit in with the overall landscape design.
(b)
The beautification works for the Cochrane Street Sitting-Out Area were completed
according to the design agreed by the C&WDC. The sitting-out area was open for
public use and would be handed over to the relevant government departments for
management and maintenance in July this year. In addition, the drainage and
diversion works between Lyndhurst Terrace and Wellington Street were expected to
be completed in August or September this year. The whole project, including the
beautification works for the Cochrane Street Sitting-Out Area and the drainage and
- 22 -
diversion works at Lyndhurst Terrace/Cochrane Street/Wellington Street, was
expected to be completed in the third quarter of this year.
(c)
Regarding the design of the public open space of Project H18, the public might have
direct access to the Peel Street/Pak Tsz Lane via the connecting Sites A, B and C
after entering the entrance of Cochrane Street Sitting-out Area. Regarding the
public open space of Site C, no less than 30% of the area would be used for greening
purpose, and barrier-free access provided therefrom to connect Wellington Street and
the existing market at Graham Street. In addition to the provision of a
multi-purpose hall at Site A, a small square of about 1 500 square feet would be
provided in the public open space to facilitate organisation of activities by local
groups. In addition, the two plaques of Nam Wah Ink Company would be placed in
the indoor public space near the entrance of Site C at Gage Street to facilitate public
viewing. As regards the way the two plaques of Nam Wah Ink Company were
installed, reference had been taken from their display locations at the old office in
which they were displayed over two floors. The URA would later submit an
application for revising the master landscape plan, into which the relocation plan for
the two plaques and a landscape design would be incorporated, for approval by the
relevant government departments.
(d)
Regarding Wing Lee Street/Staunton Street Project (Project H19), the conditions of
some buildings in Site B were undesirable, therefore the URA was discussing with
the Government on the necessary processes for redevelopment of Site B on priority.
The URA would report the revised scheme of the project to the C&WDC in due
course. As the local community reflected that it was difficult to identify suitable
venues for holding Owners’ Corporation (OC) meetings, the URA had set aside the
timeslot of 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm on Wednesdays for OCs of the buildings in the
district to rent the G7 Centre at Wing Lee Street for meetings. The hiring
arrangements had been uploaded to the website of the URA.
Interested
organisations could submit their applications to the URA according to the venue
application guidelines.
(e)
Regarding the Central Oasis, the URA was discussing the revised design with the
consultant. It was expected to be completed by the end of this year. The URA
would report the latest progress to the C&WDC then. In addition, the covering
removal was almost completed. The renovation works of the Oasis Gallery of the
Central Oasis had also been completed in June, and the Gallery continued to be
available for hire by organisations.
37. The Chairman invited Members to express their views.
comments were as follows:
(a)
The main points of their
Ms CHENG Lai-king agreed to conserve and display the two plaques of Nam Wah
Ink Company to the public. However, she was concerned about where and how the
plaques were to be placed. She enquired whether members of the public could
access 26A, B and C Graham Street from Cochrane Street through the public space
in the future. She also wanted to know the detailed design of the Market Block in
Project H18, which she suggested the URA disclose to the public as soon as
possible. Regarding the Central Oasis, she suggested the URA make reference to
the proposals of the Central Market Concern Group and conserve the Central Market
- 23 -
by “restoring to its original size and establishing a creative market”, and provide
co-work spaces to young entrepreneurs.
38.
39.
(b)
The Chairman pointed out that the location for placing the two plaques of Nam Wah
Ink Company in future was close to the ground. He was thus worried that the
plaques would be susceptible to graffiti, and suggested that protective measures be
adopted.
(c)
The Vice-chairman was concerned that the URA was too optimistic about the
construction progress of the Market Block in Project H18. In addition, as the outer
wall of the Central Market was dilapidated, he enquired if the outer wall would be
restored.
Mr Wilfred AU of the URA gave a consolidated response as follows:
(a)
Placing the two plaques of Nam Wah Ink Company in the indoor public open space
of Site C near the Gage Street entrance was relatively better than placing them
outdoors. The URA would also consider adopting relevant protective measures to
reduce the risk of vandalism. Furthermore, members of the public could enter the
public open space of Site C from Cochrane Street in the future, and gain a direct
access to Graham Street and its nearby buildings (namely 26A, B and C Graham
Street) through the public open space.
(b)
The diagram of the Market Block in Project H18 shown in the PowerPoint was
prepared based on the approved plan and its appearance was similar to the Market
Block to be commissioned. According to the design, there would be six shops
facing Gage Street, while the other six shops would be facing the public open space.
The URA would explain to the merchants who had chosen to participate in the Local
Fresh Food Shop Arrangement the design of shops, with a view to facilitating their
future operation/shop selection. At present, the project was carried out as
scheduled. Should there be any major changes, the URA would report to the
C&WDC.
(c)
Regarding the Central Oasis, he pointed out that the views of the Central Market
Concern Group, which primarily held that the URA should not be profit-oriented
and should strike a balance between conservation and development, were similar to
those collected from the consultation activities organised by the Central Oasis
Community Advisory Committee. Such views had not deviated from the
development direction of the Central Oasis. The URA would later report the
revised proposal to the C&WDC. As for what would be done to the outer wall
after the removal of covering, he supplemented that in order to minimise the impact
on the outer wall, there would not be any repair works at the current stage until the
commencement of the overall outer wall restoration.
Members made further comments as follows:
(a)
Ms SIU Ka-yi observed that construction workers of the project and staff of the
nearby shops smoked and tossed cigarette butts at the works site of the Cochrane
Street open space. She thus suggested putting up slogans to remind people not to
litter their cigarette butts.
- 24 -
40.
41.
(b)
Miss LO Yee-hang was concerned about the begging activities in the Oasis Gallery
of the Central Market, and enquired about the cleansing and management
arrangements for the Oasis Gallery.
(c)
Mr MAN Chi-wah opined that the outer wall of the Central Market should be kept in
its original appearance so that the public could see to what extent the Central
Market was damaged. As regards the Project H19, he held the view that the
relatively dangerous buildings should be demolished in phases and converted to
temporary open space for public use.
(d)
Mr CHAN Choi-hi suggested planting trees in the Cochrane Street open space, and
requested the URA to report to the C&WDC the handover arrangements with the
relevant departments. In addition, he opined that the C&WDC should play a
bigger role in the Central Oasis.
(e)
Mr CHAN Chit-kwai was of the opiniond that the views collected from the public
and the C&WDC in the past regarding the Central Oasis should not be wasted, but
be taken into consideration by the URA when formulating the revised proposal for
the Central Oasis.
(f)
Mr IP Kwok-him considered that the URA should invite the C&WDC to provide
comments after sorting out the construction costs of the Central Oasis and setting the
specific scope of works. In addition, he pointed out that the hygiene conditions of
public toilets in the Central Market were poor, and opined that modern facilities
should be provided.
Mr Wilfred AU of the URA gave a consolidated response as follows:
(a)
The Oasis Gallery of the Central Market was managed by the URA and was cleaned
twice per day, while the public passage was managed by government departments.
(b)
The revised design proposal, which the URA and the design consultant were
studying at the moment, would not depart from the mainstream public views gauged
by the Central Oasis Community Advisory Committee and the C&WDC. The
URA would later report to the C&WDC the revised proposal for the Central Oasis.
The C&WDC could take this opportunity to ensure that the proposal was in line with
the mainstream public views collected from the public consultation exercise.
(c)
The Cochrane Street open space would be the entrance and exit of the future public
open space for Project H18. In order to maintain the accessibility of the entrance,
the URA adopted the design proposal agreed by the C&WDC in which shrubs
instead of trees would be planted under the flyover, with a view to enhancing the
visual permeability of the access to the future public open space. The open space
would be transferred to the HyD and the LCSD for management. Moreover, the
greening ratio of the Site C public open space for Project H18 would not be lower
than 30% and trees would also be planted there.
The Chairman thanked the representative of the URA for attending the meeting.
Item 4(iii): Conserving Central
(C&W DC Paper No. 71/2015)
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(5:41 pm – 6:22 pm)
42. The Chairman welcomed the representatives of the Development Bureau (DEVB), the TD,
MVA Systra Group and Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (HKSKH) to the meeting.
43. Mr Ricky WONG, Chief Assistant Secretary (Works) 2 of the DEBV introduced the
progress of the projects as follows:
(a)
The revitalisation of the Central Police Station (CPS) Compound was scheduled for
completion in phases in early 2016 and the site was expected to be open to the
public in the second half of 2016. The DEVB would arrange for a site inspection
on 11 September for Members so that they could have a better understanding of the
works progress.
(b)
Since its opening in April 2014, the Transformation of the Former Police Married
Quarters (“PMQ”) on Hollywood Road project had attracted over 4 million visitors.
(c)
The former French Mission Building was expected to be taken over by the
Department of Justice (DoJ) after relocation of the Court of Final Appeal to the Old
Supreme Court Building at 8 Jackson Road, Central in 2015. The DoJ and the
departments concerned had taken forward the preparatory work for the renovation of
the building. The DoJ would brief the C&WDC on the works arrangement when
the details became available.
(d)
The renovation works for the East and Main Wings of the former Central
Government Offices (CGO) Complex had substantially been completed in late
March 2015 and some offices of the DoJ would be relocated to the aforesaid site in
the third quarter of 2015. For the works related to the relocation of the DoJ to the
West Wing, the Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) had endorsed the heritage impact
assessment (HIA) report at its meeting on 4 March. The results of the HIA report
had gained the support of the AAB. The relevant departments were preparing for
the works required and the target completion time was early 2018.
44. Ms Caroline TANG, Assistant Secretary (Planning)1 of the DEVB said that the DEVB and
the TD had, at the C&WDC’s request, submitted the information on the traffic review and the
observation and views of the TD on the hotel development project at the Murray Building to the
C&WDC for perusal on 17 June this year. Meanwhile, the DEVB had, in response to some
Members’ request, also submitted the entire traffic review report to the C&WDC with the
developer’s consent. In addition, the DEVB had replied in writing on 29 June to the follow-up
questions put forward subsequently by Members. At the meeting, the representatives of the
TD and the traffic consultant would also answer questions about traffic matters.
45. Mr Larry CHU, Assistant Secretary (Harbour) 1 of the DEVB said that it would take some
time to implement the long-term development of Sites 1 and 2 of the New Central Harbourfront
as the works of Central – Wan Chai Bypass (CWB) at the aforesaid sites were still in progress.
The Harbourfront Commission and the DEVB were compiling the public opinions collected
during the two phases of public engagement exercise conducted earlier for the consideration of
the way forward..
46. The Revd Peter Douglas KOON, Provincial Secretary General of the HKSKH introduced
the revitalisation project of the HKSKH’s Compound as follows:
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(a)
The HKSKH intended to preserve the four historic buildings within its sites in
Central, and discussion on amendments to the original plan of the entire project
between the HKSKH and architects was in progress to solve problems regarding
slopes and field exploration works.
(b)
The Food and Health Bureau (FHB) agreed in principle to HKSKH’s proposal to
build a hospital providing not fewer than 274 beds. The HKSKH’s original
proposal was to build a 23-storey hospital providing about 300 beds to cater for the
demand of the the district for healthcare services. The HKSKH was having
deliberation with the PlanD and Antiquities and Monuments Office on the height of
buildings and conservation of monuments respectively.
47. The Chairman invited Members to express their views.
comments were as follows:
The main points of their
(a)
Mr Joseph CHAN said that although he had already indicated two years ago the
potential traffic problems which might arise from the redevelopment of Murray
Building into a hotel, the DEVB had not taken heed of his opinion when planning
the project nor actively responded to his questions and provided information. He
was very displeased with the way the DEVB handled the matter. Furthermore, he
pointed out that the TD had not provided any actual data to support the conclusion of
the relevant traffic impact assessment. Since the traffic flow and direction from the
hotel would be different from those of the former offices but similar to the traffic
pattern of the residents travelling to and from the hill, the traffic loading at Cotton
Tree Drive and Garden Road would be increased. Therefore he did not agree to the
findings of the report. In regard to the development of the HKSKH’s Compound,
he supported the project in principle as it could preserve historical buildings and
provide healthcare services to the community at the same time. However, he was
concerned about the project’s impact on traffic, air ventilation and visual quality in
the district, and opined that government departments should work closely together to
assist the HKSKH in implementing the redevelopment project.
(b)
Mr Sidney LEE hoped that the pricing of services of the private hospital in the
HKSKH’s Compound could be affordable, so that members of the public with
low-income could benefit from the hospital.
(c)
Mr CHAN Chit-kwai shared the view that the private hospital under the HKSKH’s
planning should be grassroots and middle class-oriented in its service, and
suggested that the DEVB and the HKSKH consult the C&WDC before finalising the
proposal. He also requested the relevant government departments to facilitate and
support the HKSKH in implementing the project.
(d)
Ms CHENG Lai-king said that working groups under the C&WDC had proposed the
diversion of mini-buses passing via Old Bailey Street to other routes, so as to tie in
with the works of the footbridge connecting the CPS Compound and the Central to
Mid-levels escalator. She enquired about the follow-up work of the proposal
concerned. She enquired about the occupancy rate of “PMQ” and whether vacant
units were available for hiring by young creative workers. Moreover, she asked the
HKSKH whether the proposal to build a 23-storey hospital was the same as the
original design. She also requested the HKSKH to provide the building plans for
- 27 -
C&WDC’s reference and set hospital charges at a level which people in the middle
and low income groups could afford. Lastly, she was concerned about the impact
of the redevelopment of Murray Building into a hotel on the traffic of Mid-Levels
and requested that the Administration monitor the traffic situation.
48.
(e)
Mr MAN Chi-wah said that to provide service at low charges, it would be
imperative for the hospital developed by the HKSKH to have sufficient number of
storeys and beds to balance out the operating costs. The conflicts therein must be
resolved.
(f)
The Vice-chairman suggested the DEVB provide to the C&WDC information about
those major events held at the New Central Harbourfront to facilitate Members’
release of information to the public. Moreover, he supported the HKSKH to
develop a low-charge hospital from which grassroots in the district could benefit.
He hoped the HKSKH could strike a balance between the height and the number of
beds of the hospital, and provide the relevant information for the C&WDC’s
reference so that the project could be implemented as soon as possible.
(g)
The Chairman supported the HKSKH to develop a low-charge as soon as possible to
provide medical service to people living and working in the district. He agreed that
there were divergent views on the building height and the impact on the surrounding
during planning and development but he hoped various parties could seek common
grounds while preserving differences.
(h)
Mr CHAN Choi-hi enquired of the HKSKH about the rationale for determining the
number of beds in the hospital and suggested organising short-term community
activities at the site before project implementation.
The Revd Peter Douglas KOON of the HKSKH responded as follows:
(a)
He understood Members’ concerns about the impact of the project on traffic,
ventilation and landscape. After exploring various proposals, he considered the
current 23-storey design more desirable. The HKSKH was making adjustments to
the building design to minimise the impact.
(b)
Services provided by the new hospital had to meet the medical demand nowadays.
It was preliminarily estimated that an investment of $3 to $4 billion would be
required. The HKSKH considered establishing a fund and solicited donations from
interested parties to raise sufficient start-up capital. Moreover, the HKSKH would
provide community medical services such as health talks and talks for the elderly,
and was also inviting doctors to provide free medical consultations. The HKSKH
would discuss with the FHB the charges of medical service and would provide the
public affordable medical service in line with the church’s vision.
(c)
The FHB agreed in principle that the HKSKH could build a hospital with no fewer
than 274 beds while there would be no upper limit on the number of beds. He said
that at present, a hospital had 400 beds in general. However, having considered
factors such as cost effectiveness, building height and heritage conservation, the
HKSKH proposed to build a 23-storey hospital whichwould provide 300 beds. The
height of the hospital would not be higher than adjacent buildings and the HKSKH
was negotiating the building height with the Government.
- 28 -
49. Mr Ricky WONG of the DEVB responded that the DEVB would follow up with the TD
the proposal to divert mini-buses passing via Old Bailey Street. Besides, the occupancy rate of
“PMQ” was close to 100% but there were still vacant units available for hiring. Designers
interested in hiring those units might contact the “PMQ” directly.
50. Miss Leonie LEE, Assistant Secretary (Heritage Conservation) 3 of the DEVB said that
two new buildings were originally planned in the revitalisation project for the HKSKH’s
Compound, with the taller one being 18 storeys high. Having considered various proposals,
the HKSKH proposed to construct a 23-storey high new building and would consult the
C&WDC when more detailed information became available.
51. Ms Caroline TANG of the DEVB said that she understood Members’ concerns over the
traffic impact of the redevelopment of Murray Building into a hotel. She said that the DEVB
was also concerned about the problem. Thus it had included in the tender conditions the
requirement that the hotel developer would need to submit a traffic review report together with
the Master Layout Plan. The development project was successfully tendered at the end of
2013. The Master Layout Plan and the traffic review report were finally approved in
December 2014 after a number of revisions and acceptance by relevant government
departments. The DEVB had then invited representatives of the TD to attend C&WDC
meetings to give an account on the traffic review and traffic arrangement of the development
project concerned.
52. Mr Alan PUN, Associate Director of the MVA Systra Group, explained that the traffic
review report of the redevelopment of Murray Building into a hotel compared the traffic pattern
and traffic flow at Murray Building as it was used as offices with those after its being converted
into a hotel. The findings indicated that there was no significant difference between the traffic
flows generated before and after the conversion. Hence, he considered that the traffic at Cotton
Tree Drive and Garden Road would not be affected.
53. Mr Larry CHU of the DEVB said that he would invite the contractor of the activity venue
at the Central New Harbourfront to continue maintaining communication with the C&WDC.
54. Mr Joseph CHAN reiterated that he had already raised in 2013 the potential traffic flow
problem concerning the redevelopment of Murray Building into a hotel but that was not
mentioned in the tender documents of the DEVB. As a result, the problem concerned was not
considered in the final traffic review report either. He considered the explanations of the traffic
consultant inconsistent with the contents of the traffic review report, and opined that the DEVB
and the relevant departments failed to come up with feasible solutions. He indicated that the
departments concerned had to be held fully responsible for the future traffic problems if the
project was implemented as planned.
55. Mr Alan PUN, Associate Director of the MVA Systra Group, added that the traffic flows
concerning the offices and the hotel in the traffic review report were worked out according to
traffic surveys conducted at local office and hotel sites. He said that the traffic flows generated
by an office building and a hotel were similar as indicated by statistics. As such, the
conversion of Murray Building into a hotel would not generate a high vehicular flow that would
worsen the traffic congestion at Cotton Tree Drive and Garden Road.
56. Mr Philip LAM, Engineer/Central and Western 2 of the TD, added that apart from
accessing the upper floor of the hotel via the original vehicular entrance at Cotton Tree Drive,
- 29 -
vehicles travelling to the hotel could also enter the slip road adjacent to the hotel from Garden
Road and leave the area by travelling in the direction of Cotton Tree Drive. The traffic
arrangement was similar to the pattern at the drop-off and waiting areas at Citibank Tower and
the Bank of China Tower.
57. Mr Joseph CHAN said that the travel pattern of office-goers at Murray Building was
originally opposite to that of Mid-Levels residents in the vicinity during morning and afternoon
rush hours but after the building was converted into a hotel, the travel pattern of lodgers would
be the same as that of residents.
58. Mr Ricky WONG of the DEVB added that the road connecting Murray Building had been
converted into a one-way road and vehicles would enter from Garden Road and leave at Cotton
Tree Drive. Lodgers would travel in the direction of the Peak via the Cotton Tree Drive when
leaving the hotel during rush hours in the morning and would travel in the direction of Central
via Garden Road when entering the hotel at night. Thus the travel pattern of lodgers would not
be the same as that of residents during morning and afternoon rush hours.
59. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the DEVB, the TD, the MVA Systra Group
and the HKSKH for attending the meeting.
Item 5: Chairman’s Report
(6:22 pm to 6:23 pm)
60. The Chairman reported on the SPS of the C&W District. He said that the Finance
Committee of the LegCo had approved the SPS concerned of the C&W District on 14 July
2015, i.e. the funding of HK$90.1 million for Harbourfront Enhancement and Revitalisation at
the Western Wholesale Food Market. The progress report of the project was set out in Paper
No. 1/2015 of the Steering Committee on Signature Project in Central & Western District (the
Steering Committee) and the paper had been emailed to Members for perusal on 14 July this
year. Moreover, the third meeting of the Steering Committee would be held at 5:30 pm on 30
July (right after the ninth meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee) to discuss the
progress of the project and Members were invited to participate.
Discussion Items
Item 8: Proposed Rezoning of Murray Road Multi-storey Car Park Building for
Commercial Development
(C&W DC Paper No. 73/2015)
(6:23 pm to 7:25 pm)
61. The Chairman welcomed representatives of the DEVB, the PlanD, the TD, the LandsD,
the FEHD and the MVA Asia Limited to the meeting.
62. Mr AUSTIN Joseph Jerry, Senior Town Planner/Hong Kong 4 of the PlanD, gave a
PowerPoint presentation on the proposed rezoning and the contents were summarised as
follows:
(a)
The demand for Grade A office sites was keen and it was necessary to increase
supply to maintain Hong Kong’s competitive edge. It was proposed in the last
Policy Address that the supply of commercial sites in core business districts be
increased and suitable “Government, Institution or Community” (GIC) sites be
- 30 -
converted into commercial uses, including the Murray Road Multi-storey Car Park
Building.
(b)
The Murray Road Multi-storey Car Park Building (MRMCPB) was located in the
core business district in Admiralty. Its entrance was located at Lambeth Walk and
there were a number of commercial skyscrapers in the vicinity, including the Bank
of China Tower, the Fairmont House and the Bank of America Tower. The carpark
was 10 storeys high and its existing uses included a government office, a 5-storey
public carpark and a public toilet.
(c)
The proposed zoning amendments proposed to rezone the site from GIC site to
“Commercial (3)” site with a maximum height of 190 mPD (including rooftop
structures) and a maximum site coverage of 65%. These development restrictions
were to preserve the landscape of the ridgeline and enhance the air ventilation of the
site. The maximum plot ratio of the site was 15 and the maximum gross floor area
was around 41 700 square metres.
(d)
The relevant departments had conducted assessments on traffic, air ventilation and
landscape and the proposed development would not cause negative impact to the
supply of community facilities and open space.
(e)
Members were welcomed to raise comments on the proposed amendments. The
comments concerned would be submitted to the Metro Planning Committee of the
Town Planning Board (TPB) for consideration. Should the TPB agree to the
proposed amendments, the approved plans would be exhibited for two months
according to section 5 of the Town Planning Ordinance. Members of the public
could submit representations to the TPB during the public inspection period.
63. Mr Edmund KWOK, Associate Director of MVA Asia Limited, briefed Members on the
traffic impact assessment of the proposed rezoning as follows:
(a)
MRMCPB was currently providing 388 and 55 public parking spaces for private
cars and motorcycles respectively. The company was engaged by the TD to carry
out traffic impact assessment on the proposed rezoning from April 2014 and
investigate the occupancy rate and condition of the carpark concerned as well as
those in the vicinity. According to the findings and the car park’s occupancy rate
data provided by the government car park operator, the occupancy rate of MRMCPB
was constantly high from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm from Monday to Friday, with the
numbers of occupied car parking spaces for private cars and motorcycles’ being
approximately 309 (80% of the total) and 35 (64% of the total) respectively. The
occupancy rate of both private car and motorcycle parking spaces was stable.
(b)
According to the survey conducted by the consultant, the car park occupancy rate of
parking spaces for private cars and motorcycles at the nearby Star Ferry Pier, City
Hall, Cheung Kong Center and Citibank Tower ranged from about 70% to 90%.
Taking into account the environment of the site, the 300-metre research scope and
the number of vacant public parking spaces for private cars at the said car parks, it
was estimated that there was a shortage of 102 private car parking spaces and 69
motorcycle parking spaces in 2014 after MRMCPB was demolished. In view of
this, the report suggested that the number of public parking spaces to be provided at
the redeveloped site be no less than the aforesaid figures. Since MRMCPB would
- 31 -
become a commercial building after redevelopment, it should, in accordance with
the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines, provide about 152 and 8 parking
spaces for private cars and motorcycles respectively in light of its use and area.
Taking into account the above figures, it was expected that the total number of
parking spaces for private cars and motorcycles to be provided at the redeveloped
site would be about 254 and 77 respectively.
(c)
It was suggested that vehicles enter and leave the redeveloped site through the
entrance adjacent to Lambeth Walk Rest Garden. The traffic impact assessment
also looked into the usage of the road junctions affected by the proposed
redevelopment, including the junction of Queensway/Cotton Tree Drive junction,
Chater Road/Murray Road/Lambeth Walk junction, Chater Road/Jackson Road
junction, and Queensway/Murray Road junction. The report concluded that the
proposed rezoning would not exert negative impacts on the traffic at the road
junctions in the vicinity.
(d)
Regarding access arrangement for pedestrians, the report suggested that the
developer should construct temporary footbridges for use during implementation of
redevelopment works prior to its launch for maintaining the original accessibility as
the public often travelled between the Mid-Levels and Admiralty via the pedestrian
access in the MRMCPB. The independent pedestrian access encircling the
building would remain unchanged. The departments concerned also requested the
developer to provide public pedestrian access upon the completion of the
redevelopment works to link Garden Road to Lambeth Walk and Queensway Plaza
to maintain the connectivity of Admiralty, Central and even the Mid-Levels.
64. The Chairman invited Members to raise enquiries and express their views.
comments were summarised as follows:
Their
(a)
Mr WONG Kin-shing had reservations about the proposed project and was inclined
to oppose because there was already a shortage of parking spaces in the C&W
District. Upon completion of the redevelopment, the number of parking spaces for
private cars would drop further to 254, which definitely fell short of meeting the
demand. He was also concerned about where the 388 MRMCPB parking space
tenants could park their vehicles during the implementation of the redevelopment
works. Although the departments concerned suggested that the vehicles be parked
at the car parks at Star Ferry Pier and City Hall instead, it would be inconvenient to
motorists as the said locations were a certain distance away from their offices. In
addition, he said that the assessment report did not indicate how many people and
parking spaces the redeveloped site with an area of 41 700 square metres could
accommodate. Lastly, he considered that while the number of people using the
parking spaces would only go up in future, there was an obvious inadequacy of
ancillary facilities to meet the demand. He enquired how the departments
concerned would solve the above problems.
(b)
Mr Joseph CHAN agreed that since Hong Kong lacked Grade A office space, sites
should be identified to support economic development. However, he had
reservations about the proposed project and was inclined to oppose it. He said that
only public car parks south of MRMCPB were assessed and the demand of
large-scale offices east of MRMCPB such as United Centre and Pacific Place for
parking spaces was neglected. Moreover, although the findings indicated that the
- 32 -
occupancy rate of MRMCPB reached 90% during peak hours, he pointed out that
motorists knowing that the MRMCPB was 70% to 80% full would in general turn to
other car parks, especially during morning rush hours. Also, the report had no
mention of the reason for the comparatively low occupancy rate of the car parks at
Citibank Tower and Cheung Kong Center being their higher charge as compared to
that of public carparks provided by the Government. As far as landscape was
concerned, he opined that the Mid-Levels should also be included in the assessment,
and was worried that it would cause a visual blight to the residence along
Macdonnell Road.. Lastly, he was concerned about the traffic flow of the road
junctions in the vicinity after the redevelopment. He indicated that the problem of
traffic congestion at the junction of Cotton Tree Drive and Queensway during peak
hours was acute and the implementation of the proposed project would aggravate the
problem. . He suggested that the relevant departments and the Police discuss the
problem of excessive traffic load and choose another site for commercial purpose.
(c)
Mr MAN Chi-wah agreed to increase the provision of Grade A office space, but he
had reservations about the proposed project. He said that currently there were 309
parking spaces for private cars in the MRMCPB. The number of parking spaces
would be reduced to 254 after the redevelopment, among which only 102 would be
open for public use. He opined that the number of parking spaces to be provided
should be the sum of the original 309 and the 152 for office use after the
redevelopment, making a total of 461 parking spaces. In view of the habits of
motorists, substantial incentives were needed for them to switch to other car parks.
After the redevelopment, there would be a shortage of about 207 parking spaces.
When motorists were waiting to enter the car park, there would be an increase in
traffic flow. Therefore, he suggested retaining at least the existing 388 public
parking spaces.
(d)
Mr Sidney LEE was concerned about how to address the shortage of parking spaces
and divert vehicles from the MRMCPB, because most of the motorists would not
change their habits to use other car parks that were further away. The relevant
departments had to calculate the vehicular flow and changes in traffic flow in the
nearby car parks during and after the redevelopment. He held the view that if the
problem of insufficient parking spaces could not be solved, it would be difficult to
enlist public support for the proposed project. In addition, he was also concerned if
the same situation would occur in the redevelopment project of the Rumsey Street
Car Park. Owing to the ever-growing number of vehicles, the number of public
parking spaces for private cars to be provided at the redeveloped site should not be
fewer than the original 388.
(e)
Mr CHAN Choi-hi was of the view that as the parking problem in Central was rather
special and the assessment should not be confined to the 300-metre scope. He
considered that the proposed project was unable to solve the problem of insufficient
parking spaces during and after the redevelopment, and there had been no solution at
the moment. He suggested the relevant departments discuss and consider adopting
other proposals such as basement development and specifications in the assignment
requiring developers to provide a certain amount of parking spaces. As regards the
pedestrian passage, he suggested paying attention to the comfort level of
pedestrians.
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(f)
Mr CHAN Chit-kwai supported the proposed project as it could ease rental
pressures. However, he considered the reduction of over 100 parking spaces
unacceptable. He concurred with the suggestion of basement development, and
opined that the problem of parking spaces should be solved at the redeveloped
commercial buildings instead of transferring the demand to the nearby car parks.
Moreover, he held the view that the pedestrian passage leading to United Centre
must be retained during the redevelopment period.
(g)
Ms CHENG Lai-king enquired if the MRMCPB was a declared monument, and
asked about the completion date of the redevelopment project. She also held the
view that although the sale of Government land could increase Government revenue,
fees charged by car parks in redeveloped commercial buildings would be a lot
higher. Furthermore, while the existing height of the MRMCPB was suitable, she
was worried that the redeveloped commercial buildings would be too tall that the air
ventilation in the district would be affected. She would also like to know about the
land sale schedule, and suggested preserving the MRMCPB on a temporary basis.
Besides, she enquired of the TPB about the public consultation arrangements for this
project. In conclusion, she objected to the proposed project.
(h)
Mr KAM Nai-wai said that there were sources earlier saying that commercial
buildings would be built on Queensway Plaza and the new reclamation area in
Central. Moreover, there would be redevelopment projects in the proposed project.
It was thus believed that the traffic flow would increase accordingly. He enquired
of the consultant about the computation method for the expected increase in the
demand for parking spaces. In addition, there would be a surge in traffic flow in
the Central District during the redevelopment period. He expressed his objection
to the proposed project and the Rumsey Street Car Park redevelopment project, as
well as the rezoing of “Government, Institution or Community” sites for commercial
use.
(i)
The Vice-chairman held that the current shortage of commercial land in Hong Kong
had resulted in high rental rates. He did not object to the proposed project but the
traffic issues must be solved first. He was concerned about the arrangements to
divert pedestrian flow after completion of the redevelopment, and considered that
there should not be an increase in pedestrian flow while the number of parking
spaces dropped. He thus suggested the relevant departments take the nearby
ancillary facilities into consideration and provide feasible solutions to provide
additional parking spaces. Furthermore, he said that the department had yet to
explain in detail the computation method for the data. He suggested that the
relevant departments enhance the pedestrian footbridge system concurrently when
carrying out the redevelopment project, especially the section linking Hutchison
House and Cheung Kong Center. He proposed to retrofit platforms and increase
the width of the footbridge to provide greater convenience to pedestrians.
(j)
Mr IP Kwok-him opined that the overall development of Hong Kong should be
taken into consideration. Since there was indeed a lack of commercial land in
Central, he did not object to the rezoning of “Government, Institution or
Community” sites for commercial use. However, comprehensive planning was
required. He expressed his concern over the traffic problems arising from the
reduction of parking spaces in the proposed project, and suggested raising the
number of parking spaces when designing commercial buildings. He also held the
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view that as the MRMCPBwas located near MTR station, members of the public
should be encouraged to use public transportation.
(k)
The Chairman supported the proposed project, but was concerned about how the
transition of the redevelopment project would be handled. He was of the view that
the number of parking spaces after the redevelopment would be insufficient to
satisfy the future demand of motorists, while there had long been a shortage of
parking spaces in the C&W District. Hence, he suggested that the relevant
departments adopt other methods to increase the supply of parking spaces, with a
view to fulfilling the demand of motorists.
65. Mr Allen FUNG, Political Assistant to Secretary for Development of the DEVB, indicated
that he understood Members’ concern over traffic and pedestrian flows.
66.
Mr Francis LOK, Engineer/Central and Western 1 of the TD, responded as follows:
(a)
Regarding the 300-metre study scope, similar studies would in general adopt a study
scope of 500 metres (around 15 minutes walking distance) which was in line with
the requirements of general users. As the MRMCPB was mainly connected to
nearby buildings by footbridges, the study scope of 300 metres was adopted to
reflect the environmental and geographical considerations in the area.
(b)
The focus of the assessment was mainly to study the public parking spaces in the
vicinity and thus the private car park east of the MRMCPB was not included in the
study.
(c)
In response to the computation method of the estimated number of parking spaces
upon redevelopment, the assessment was based on the existing daily usage and it
was projected that the 102 private parking spaces provided upon redevelopment in
2024 would be technically adequate.
(d)
Motorists were advised to use other car parks in the vicinity during redevelopment
works due to constraints of actual circumstances.
(e)
Relevant studies on the arrangement of pedestrians had been conducted in this
assessment and a temporary footbridge was therefore proposed to maintain
accessibility.
(f)
Regarding traffic flow, the assessment report indicated that the traffic flows before
and after the redevelopment of the MRMCPB were similar.
67. Ms Ginger KIANG, District Planning Officer/Hong Kong of the PlanD, supplemented the
responses given above as follows:
(a)
In response to the question concerning the exclusion of Mid-Levels as a viewing
point in the landscape assessment, owing to the high development intensity of Hong
Kong, the PlanD, when selecting viewing points for visual impact assessment,
accorded priority to public viewing points, including areas with high pedestrian flow
such as parks and promenades, according to TPB PG-No. 41 of the “Guidelines on
submissions of Visual Impact Assessment for Planning Applications to the Town
Planning Board”.
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(b)
Regarding air ventilation assessment, the consultant assessed the relationship
between height and maximum site coverage. Targeting the situation in Central, the
site coverage was relatively more important and thus the PlanD would suggest the
TPB set a cap of 65% on the maximum site coverage to facilitate air ventilation.
(c)
Regarding public consultations, members of the public could submit representations
to the TPB during the public inspection period if the project was endorsed by the
TPB.
(d)
Regarding the improvement of the footbridge system, as the proposed maximum site
coverage was 65%, a podium might not necessarily be provided for public use in the
future building design but a land lease condition could be included to require the
developer to provide a more comprehensive and suitable pedestrian walkway linking
system.
68. Mr CHONG Wing-wun, Principal Assistant Secretary (Planning and Lands) of the DEVB,
supplemented on land planning and use as follows:
69.
(a)
The MRMCPB was commissioned in 1973 and was not a declared monument.
(b)
The MRMCPB was located at the prime site of Admiralty and was a precious land
resource. Precious land and public resources would be wasted if the site continued
to be used for GIC purpose. It would bring huge economic benefits to Hong Kong
if the use of the site could be optimised and rezoned for commercial use. Apart
from generating revenues for the Treasury, it would also provide commercial floor
space for local and foreign companies to foster economic development and create
employment. It could also promote the commercial activities in Central and
Admiralty at the same time, enhancing Hong Kong’s position as a financial centre.
From the macro point of view, it was appropriate to rezone the site for commercial
use.
(c)
Regarding the suggestion to provide underground parking spaces, the existing policy
exempted underground car parks from the calculation of gross floor area to offer
incentives for developers to provide underground parking spaces.
(d)
Regarding the land sale schedule, the departments concerned would rezone the use
of the site according to established town planning procedures. Upon completion of
rezoning, the Government would release the site to the market as soon as possible
having regard to other procedures and the drafting progress of land sale conditions
to tie in with the economic development of Hong Kong.
The supplementary views of Members were as follows:
(a)
Mr Joseph CHAN opined that the major problems of the proposed project lied
mainly in the site selection, transport and landscape issues. Moreover, there were
tens of thousands of residents in the Mid-Levels and their landscape problem should
not be ignored. Lastly, he opined that the proposed project failed to resolve the
problem of insufficient parking spaces in car parks.
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(b)
Mr MAN Chi-wah said that he had proposed at an informal meeting to include the
open space at Lambeth Walk adjacent to the MRMCPB in the scope of
re-provisioning so that its area could be increased accordingly when developing the
underground car park. Moreover, a podium garden connecting the footbridge could
be built on the additional space on ground level for public use.
(c)
Mr Sidney LEE opined that the redevelopment of the City Hall Car Park with
relatively low utilisation rate could first be considered to increase the number of
parking spaces from the existing 175 to 600-700 for the convenience of users in the
neighbourhood and to resolve the problem of insufficient parking spaces before
further considering the redevelopment projects of other car parks.
(d)
Ms CHENG Lai-king opined that the demolition would produce a massive amount
of construction waste as the MRMCPB had been in use for 42 years. Besides, she
cited as an example the impact of the illuminations of the Centre on the views
enjoyed by the residents at the Mid-Levels, and held that it was unfair of the
departments concerned to neglect those residents being affected.
(e)
The Vice-chairman agreed to improve Lambeth Walk Rest Garden through the
redevelopment.
70. Mr Allen FUNG of the DEVB responded that various factors had been taken into
consideration when choosing the site for the proposed project. He considered the MRMCPB
such a rarity being a site located in a core business district and available for commercial
development. As for the proposal to include Lambeth Walk Rest Garden into the development,
technical difficulties might emerge as there was a MTR railway track beneathw the said rest
garden.
71. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the DEVB, the PlanD, the TD, the LandsD,
the FEHD and MVA Asia Limited for attending the meeting.
Item 9: Strong Request to the PlanD for Extension of the Consultation Period about the
Land Use of the Western Part of Kennedy Town
(C&W DC Paper No. 74/2015)
(7:25 pm – 7:54 pm)
72. The Chairman welcomed the representatives of the PlanD, Owners’ Corporation (OC) of
Cayman Rise, Sai Wan Concern Group, Mount Davis Concern Group and OC of the Mount
Davis 33 to the meeting.
73.
Mr LAM Kei-shing, Chairman of Cayman Rise’s OC commented as follows:
(a)
There was often traffic congestion in the vicinity of Ka Wai Man Road, especially
during peak hours before and after school. Furthermore, there were 12 scheduled
trips of rehabilitation buses daily with a patronage of around 60 to 70 people
arranged by elderly homes for transporting elderly people with impaired mobility
every day. The parking time of the buses was 15 to 30 minutes each. The traffic
problem would become more serious if a large number of buildings would be built
in the vicinity of Ka Wai Man Road.
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74.
(b)
The residents of Cayman Rise welcomed the planning and development of Kennedy
Town but hoped that the Government would, while developing the area, also take
into consideration the difficulties with which the residents were confronted. In
addition to traffic problems, residents of Cayman Rise had reflected to the PlanD
earlier that the increase in population would lead to a decrease in the population to
open space ratio.. He queried whether the harbourfront promenade alone would
suffice to meet residents’ demand for sitting-out facilities.
(c)
That the present planning lacked ancillary facilities such as medical facilities,
coupled with the need of Queen Mary Hospital to be redeveloped due to the
population growth in south-west Hong Kong Island, the problem had been
aggravated. . He hoped that Members and government departments would revise
the planning to alleviate the said problems.
Mr Timothy CHAN, Representative of Sai Wan Concern Group, commented as follows:
(a)
Some outsiders thought that residents in the western part of Kennedy Town raised
objection as soon as they had learned about the DEVB’s intention to develop the
area concerned. In fact, residents objected strongly only after they had listened to
the PlanD’s elaboration on the entire project and the related improvement measures,
as they were of the view that the measures announced by the TD and the PlanD fell
short of satisfying the needs brought about by the future population growth.
(b)
If the Government intended to increase revenue by fully utilising land resources, it
should have auctioned off the former Police Married Quarters on Ka Wai Man Road,
a prime housing site, to benefit society with the proceeds instead of building public
rental housing (PRH) estates at the site. Meanwhile, the Police had also raised the
problem of insufficient quarters. He questioned why the Government would build
PRHs instead of police quarters at the site.
(c)
Ka Wai Man Road, a two-lane two-way road, had originally been designed for use
by approximately 600 households of the two quarters. There were a total of 585
households in Cayman Rise and Mount Davis 33 at present. If 2 000 more
households were to be added, the traffic load to be accommodated by Ka Wai Man
Road would increase by five times. .
(d)
He raised four requests to the Government: (1) the total number of units be reduced
to below 2 000; (2) roads be developed prior to the construction of buildings so that
the site would be connected to new roads; (3) additional public sitting-out facilities
be provided; and (4) the decontamination works of the temporary garden be
scheduled last so that the said garden would be kept until the last moment.
75. Miss LO Po-si, Chairman of Mount Davis Concern Group indicated that most of the trees
would have to be removed or transplanted under the development plan and the reduction in the
number of trees would have negative impact on human health and global warming. She said
that according to the Hong Kong Birdwatching Guide published earlier, Mount Davis was one
of the five birdwatching spots on Hong Kong Island and the only one being located not within a
country park. She suggested that the PlanD calculate the ratio of the total number of residents
of PRH estates and private buildings to open space and set it as a standard.
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76. Ms WONG Kin-ching, Representative of the OC of Mount Davis 33 commented as
follows:
(a)
Residents were of the view that if the population along Ka Wai Man Road increased
while the road could not be widened, schoolchildren and elderly people frequently
using the road would be endangered.
(b)
At present, there was often traffic congestion at the section of Belcher’s
Street between Sai Cheung Street and Cadogan Street. The traffic load of the said
section had almost reached the maximum limit. She was worried that the
accessibility of residents would be impaired if the population in the vicinity of Ka
Wai Man Road further increased. Moreover, she was convinced that the traffic
problem would have an impact on the traffic of Western Harbour Crossing too.
(c)
The current planning had no increase in open space and associated ancillary
facilities to be provided such as markets, supermarkets and shops selling necessities.
If there was a lack of such ancillary facilities, it would be a great leap backwards
rather than an improvement in residents’ daily life. .
(d)
She suggested that the Government consider adjusting the ratio between public and
private housing while planning, so as to avoid causing huge traffic problem. For
instance, the Police Married Quarters could be redeveloped into private housing.
She also hoped that the Government would discuss the improvement measures with
residents again after having taken into account the aforesaid problems, before
submitting the proposal to the TPB. Otherwise, the residents would raise strong
objection.
77. The Chairman invited Members to raise enquiries and express their views.
comments were summarised as follows:
Their
(a)
Mr WONG Kin-shing agreed that the proposal should be withdrawn and the
consultation conducted afresh. He pointed out that the PlanD
had not taken
into account the redevelopment of old buildings and the completion of new
developments in the area concerned. If an additional 2 300 public housing units
and 1 000 private housing units were to be constructed, he estimated that some 20
000 to 30 000 new residents would be moving to Kennedy Town in a few years,
resulting in a supply-demand imbalance in ancillary facilities for the entire
community. The areas in the vicinity of Ka Wai Man Road were most affected.
He doubted if Ka Wai Man Road could accommodate 2 300 PRH households given
its being a very narrow and winding road. In addition, he opined that the large
influx of new residents would cause traffic problem along Sai Cheung Street and
Belcher’s Street even with the availability of MTR. The Government was
duty-bound to review the overall development. Furthermore, he pointed out that
the redevelopment of the Abattoir and the potential conversion of Kadoorie Factory
Building into residential use would lead to continuous increase in population
pressure. The Government would need to re-consider whether the community
could accommodate such a large population.
(b)
Ms CHENG Lai-king asked about the procedure for extending the consultation
period of the proposal and for how long the consultation period could be extended.
Furthermore, as this meeting was the last C&WDC meeting before it suspended
- 39 -
operation, she proposed writing to the Secretary for Development to request that the
proposal be frozen.
(c)
Mr KAM Nai-wai said that he had attended the residents’ forum about the proposal
and all residents present at the forum opposed it. He was concerned how the PlanD
would deal with the proposal after having sought the residents’ views, and opined
that such piecemeal amendments to the project would not help address the
problem. He objected to the current planning and urged the C&WDC to voice
objection to the PlanD, requesting it to withdraw the proposal and consult the
residents anew.
(d)
The Vice-chairman pointed out that residents did not object to development by the
Government, but the proposal put forward had to be reasonable. The current
development proposal failed to reach a reasonable level in terms of population
density, traffic and ancillary facilities. In addition, he pointed out that the
population increase was equivalent to an addition of a district council constituency
area, and queried if the PlanD had underestimated the population increase and its
impacts brought about by the development. He also pointed out that residents in
the Western District relied primarily on Smithfield Road and Belcher’s Street, and
doubted if these two roads could cope with the needs of the new residents. He
criticised the current proposal for being not comprehensive in that the
redevelopment of Sai Wan Estate was not taken into account and that it failed to
meet the needs of residents. He requested the PlanD to consult the C&WDC on the
revised proposal before submitting it to the TPB.
(e)
Mr IP Kwok-him was concerned about the problems of traffic and housing-related
planning arising from the development, and agreed that the PlanD should submit the
revised proposal to the C&WDC for consideration so as to ensure that the new
proposal could meet the traffic demand and other needs of residents.
78. Mr Derek TSE, Senior Town Planner of the PlanD, responded that after consulting the
C&WDC on 19 March 2015, the relevant government departments, including the PlanD, the
Housing Department (HD) and the TD, consulted the Task Force on Harbourfront Developments
on Hong Kong Island, and attended five public forums organised by Members and local
residents. Furthermore, the relevant government departments received a large number of
submissions from groups and members of the public. The relevant departments were
reviewing the comments received from the local residents and different stakeholders. After
that, they would decide the way forward. Therefore, there was no specific timetable for
submitting the proposal to the TPB at present. At the current stage, members of the public
were welcomed to submit any additional views to the PlanD or other relevant departments.
The PlanD would relay the aforesaid views of Members and groups to the relevant departments
for consideration.
79. The Chariman urged the representatives of the PlanD to relay the views of residents and
Members to the department. He also proposed writing to the Secretary for Development and
attaching to the letter a copy of the minutes of this meeting to express the views of the C&WDC.
80.
The Chairman thanked the representatives of the departments for attending the meeting.
- 40 -
Item 10: Impetus to Enhance Vibrancy of the Central Harbourfront
(C&W DC Paper No. 75/2015)
(7:54 pm - 8:06 pm)
81. The Chairman welcomed the representatives of the DEVB, the FEHD, the LCSD and the
TD to the meeting.
82. The Chairman invited Members to raise enquiries and express their views.
comments were summarised as follows:
Their
(a)
Mr IP Kwok-him said that he submitted the paper because he hoped that the
Government would have a better planning of land and harbourfront resources in the
district. He pointed out that the catering industry had flourished in the district.
With a growing number of bars and food premises, there would inevitably be noise
nuisance to the residents. He proposed that a section of the Central Harbourfront
site be designated for food establishments so as to meet the public’s needs for leisure
and dining while minimising the nuisance caused by bars and food premises to
residents in the district.
(b)
Ms CHENG Lai-king was of the view that since the handover of the new Central
Harbourfront sites to the operator Central Venue Management (CVM) for
management, the sites had only been used for organising high-spending activities
such as large-scale expos or carnivals and the harbourfront open space could not be
fully used by the public. She suggested that more public sitting-out facilities be
developed at the harbourfront for public use.
(c)
The Vice-chairman pointed out that as there was a lack of food establishments at the
Central Harbourfront sites at present, members of the public had no choice but to
dine in more expensive restaurants nearby. He believed that if food establishments
were developed at the site off Central Pier No. 7, the ancillary facilities at the whole
harbourfront could be enhanced to attract visitors while the nuisance of restaurants
and bars in SOHO area caused to residents could be alleviated. Furthermore, he
said that as a landmark of Hong Kong, the Central harbourfront should be developed
in a diversified manner to accommodate different trades. He suggested that the
Administration make reference to the development of harbourfronts in other regions
such as Sydney and Singapore in order to revitalise the Central harbourfront.
(d)
The Chairman opined that the development potential of the Central harbourfront
should be optimised to attract more visitors to Hong Kong. He also shared the
view that the development of the catering business at the Central harbourfront could
foster the diversified and sustainable development of the harbourfront.
83. Mr Larry CHU, Assistant Secretary (Harbour) 1 of the DEVB, responded that the DEVB
and the W&CDC shared the same vision in developing the new Central harbourfront. He said
that with the development and completion of the CWB project, the DEVB would proceed with
the planning of the harbourfront sites for diversified development, including the provision of
ancillary catering facilities, with reference to the Urban Design Study for the New Central
Harbourfront completed in 2011. He said that both the Administration and Members hoped
that the harbourfront could attract more visitors with a view to boosting the tourism industry and
promoting economic development. He added that as the related infrastructural works had not
yet been completed, the DEVB had divided the Central harbourfront sites into passive or active
temporary sites for the time being. Passive uses included the waterfront promenade, a pet
- 41 -
garden and the open space off Tamar Park while active uses included a site for organising
large-scale events and an Observation Wheel. The Administration understood that there were
in the meantime not many food establishments available for selection at the new Central
harbourfront sites, and had asked operators of event venue to remind event contractors to
provide catering service when big events were being organised. He also pointed out that no
application for changing the planning use would in general be required for opening a food
establishment which would operate for a short term (not exceeding five years) at the new
Central harbourfront sites, , but applications for the relevant licences would need to be made to
the departments concerned. In addition, he said that the open area connecting to the ground
floor of the building of Central Pier off Pier No. 7 was under the management of the ferry
company. If a food establishment was to be opened at the site, consent should be sought from
its manager and relevant statutory requirements should be complied with.
84. Mr IP Kwok-him supplemented that the Government should take a more proactive attitude
in developing the harbourfront sites and enhance the ancillary transport facilities, etc. around the
harbourfront to encourage the development of harbourfront sites by their managers.
85. Mr Larry CHU of the DEVB said that the Bureau understood Members’ aspirations and
that Sites 1 and 2 of the new Central harbourfront would be planned for multi-purpose
development. However, the sites were still managed by the ferry company, thus Members’
views would be relayed to the TD at the present stage.
86. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the government departments for attending
the meeting.
Item 11: Concern over the Problem of Unlicensed Hawkers in Central
(C&W DC Paper No. 76/2015)
(8:06 pm - 8:13 pm)
87. The Vice-chairman welcomed the representatives of the FEHD and the Hong Kong Police
Force (HKPF) to the meeting.
88. Mr CHAN Choi-hi said that according to the data from the department, the problem of
unlicensed hawkers had long existed. Coupled with the unfortunate incident that occurred in
March this year, public concern over the problem of unlicensed hawkers was aroused. He
asked whether the problem had been dealt with properly. In addition, he enquired whether the
FEHD had sufficient manpower at present to carry out patrol in a two-person team.
89. Mr LIU Chi Wai, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Central/Western) of the
FEHD, indicated that the department would deploy manpower from its headquarters on public
holidays to assist in patrolling and enforcement work. Patrol would be carried out by teams of
two to three persons so that mutual support could be given to each other.
90. Mr LAM Chun Ming, District Commander (Central Dist) of the HKPF, said that the Police
would support every department in taking enforcement actions for operational needs in order to
ensure smooth operation and staff safety.
91. Mr CHAN Choi-hi indicated that the number of unlicensed hawkers was far greater than
that of the FEHD officers on duty and worried that their enforcement actions might not
effectively crack down on unlicensed hawkers. He hoped that the FEHD would arrange for
Members a site inspection of the enforcement actions.
- 42 -
92. The Vice-chairman pointed out that the C&WDC under the last term had conducted an
inspection in the vicinity of World-Wide House and had also discussed the problem of
unlicensed hawkers, but he opined that the situation there had not yet improved. Furthermore,
he said that in view of the great number of the hawkers, even if the FEHD officers patrolled in a
two-person team, the manpower might not be sufficient to deal with unexpected situations. He
asked whether the FEHD would work together with the Police when taking enforcement actions
at spots calling for special attention.
93. Mr LIU Chi Wai of the FEHD responded that when a team was on duty, all members
would be divided into a number of sub-teams to patrol in the same area. The sub-teams would
not stay too far away from one another. In addition, the District Control Centre (DCC) would
keep in contact with the team members during the operations. If need be, the DCC would
contact the Police directly and request assistance.
94. Mr LAM Chun-ming of the HKPF said that since March this year, the Police had deployed
at FEHD’s request police officers to standby near the operation site for 22 times to provide
support when necessary.
95. The Vice-chairman hoped that FEHD officers would ensure their personal safety while on
duty and strengthen communication and cooperation with the Police. He thanked the
representatives of the FEHD and the HKPF for attending the meeting.
Item 12: Concern over the Proposal of the Working Group on Long-Term Fiscal Planning
to Dispose of the Non-departmental Quarters Sites in the Peak by Sale
(C&W DC Paper No. 77/2015)
(8:13 pm – 8:18 pm)
96. The Vice-chairman indicated that the departments had submitted a consolidated response,
but since no concrete development proposal was available in the meantime, they had no further
comment and did not send any representatives to the meeting.
97. The Vice-chairman invited Members to express their views.
comments were as follows:
The main points of their
(a)
Mr Joseph CHAN remarked that it was necessary to condemn departments which
did not deploy representatives to attend meeting for explaining the proposal.
Besides, he was discontented with the departments concerned because the exact
location of sites included in the non-departmental quarters (“NDQs”) disposal
programme and planned vacating date of occupants therein were not provided. He
said that the sale of NDQs sites in the Peak for private housing development would
cause short-term traffic problems and have long-term effects on traffic and
environmental hygiene in the area in the long run. For example, the large number
of heavy construction site vehicles accessing the residential development project at
the NDQs site on Borrett Road would increase the number of traffic accidents and
affect the daily life of the residents. He opined that the departments concerned
should consult the C&WDC during the planning stage of the development of the
NDQs sites.
(b)
Mr Sidney LEE was of the view that departments’ response was incomplete and
suggested writing to the departments concerned to express discontent with the
- 43 -
departments’ failure to send representatives to attend the meeting and request the
departments concerned to provide more detailed information.
(c)
Ms CHENG Lai-king opposed the sale of NDQs sites at Conduit Road as she
worried that the development of the site into private residential housing would
increase the building density of the Mid-Levels, which would affect the life of
residents in the vicinity.
(d)
The Chairman opined that it was unreasonable for the departments not to send any
representatives to attend the meeting and that a letter expressing discontent should
be written to them.
98. The Vice-chairman concluded that a letter would be written to the departments concerned
after the meeting to express discontent with the absence of departmental representatives. Main
points of Members’ comments would also be relayed to the departments for consideration.
Item 13: To Request for Expansion of the Tung Wah Hospital for Provision of More
Medical Services, and for Conduct of a Feasibility Study about Improving and
Developing the Connection of the Tung Wah Hospital to the Pound Lane
Escalators and Lifts at Tai On Terrace Nearby as well as the Entire Tai Ping
Shan Area for Preservation of the Tai Ping Shan Area, a Historic Urban Area in
the Territory, and for Service to Local Residents
(C&W DC Paper No. 78/2015)
(8:18 pm – 8:32 pm)
99. The Vice-chairman welcomed the representatives of the TD, the HyD, the Hospital
Authority (HA) and the Tung Wah Hospital (TWH) to the meeting.
100. The Vice-chairman invited Members to express their views.
comments were as follows:
The main points of their
(a)
Ms CHENG Lai-king suggested that given the endless dispute over the Pound Lane
Escalator Project, elevators should be installed at Tai On Terrace first to meet the
urgent need. At the same time, she also suggested providing additional access for
the public to travel to and from the Mid-levels by making use of the space in the
vicinity and the opportunity given by the proposed expansion of the TWH. In
addition, she indicated that the escalator at Centre Place at No. 1 High Street was
open round-the-clock at present and suggested that similar arrangement be made in
the future. She declared her interest as being a member of the TWH Governing
Committee.
(b)
Mr MAN Chi-wah said that the expansion of the TWH and the Pound Lane escalator
project should be handled separately. He took the hospital project of SKH as an
example to illustrate that the provision of additional beds was already difficult
enough and it would be even more difficult to provide access for the public at the
TWH. Although he had no objection to the proposed expansion of the TWH and
the provision of access linking the Mid-Levels, he considered that the two proposals
should not be linked up for implementation.
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(c)
Mr KAM Nai-wai indicated his hope for a win-win package instead of linking up the
two projects. While he agreed to the provision of Pound Lane escalator, there was
indeed opposition from the community. He continued that the provision of access
linking to the Mid-Levels for the convenience of the residents in the district should
be considered during the planning stage of the redevelopment of the TWH. He
reiterated that he had no intention to link up the proposed expansion of the TWH and
the provision of access for the public.
(d)
Mr Sidney LEE considered that although the proposed expansion of the TWH and
the proposed provision of access for the public were not mutually exclusive, they
could not be viewed as a substitute for the Pound Land escalator project. He hoped
that the TWH would, if possible, consider providing additional access for the public
to enhance accessibility.
101. Dr C C LUK, Cluster Chief Executive, Hong Kong West Cluster of the HA responded that
the Hong Kong West (“HKW”) Cluster included seven hospitals. The Clinical Services Plan
drawn up three years ago set out that the TWH was responsible for providing a few specific
hospital services, including regional hospital, ambulatory health-care services and rehabilitation
services for patients with critical illness. Since there were quite a number of patients seeking
ambulatory health-care services, it was necessary to provide access for the public. However,
there was no redevelopment plan for this hospital in the present stage. Under the HKW
Cluster, top priority had been accorded to the redevelopment plan of Queen Mary Hospital and
then that of Grantham Hospital. The need for redevelopment of other hospitals would be
studied in due course. He agreed that the facilities in the TWH were insufficient and old, and
enhancement in accessibility would be one of the factors to be taken into account when
considering redevelopment in the future.
102. Dr CHUNG Hon-ping, Deputising Hospital Chief Executive of the TWH said that the
TWH would not be expanded in the near future, but would take heed of Members’ views when
planning for the expansion. He also suggested not linking up the expansion of the TWH with
the escalator project at Pound Lane.
103. The Vice-chairman indicated that the redevelopment of Queen Mary Hospital would take
10 years to complete. He enquired if the HA would consider expanding the TWH in the
coming 10 years.
104. Dr C C LUK of the HA responded that according to the planning and priority of the
existing redevelopment projects, the expansion of the TWH had a lower priority than the
Grantham Hospital. As a result, it was believed that it would be difficult to implement the
TWH expansion project in the near future.
105. The Vice-chairman thanked the representatives of the TD, the HyD, the HA and the TWH
for attending the meeting.
Item 14: Members’ Written Reports
(8:32 pm)
106. The Chairman said that the District Fight Crime Committee (Central and Western District)
had held its 1st and 2nd meetings (2015-2016) on 15 April and 10 July 2015 respectively.
107. Members had nothing to add.
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Item 15: Work Reports of the Committees under C&WDC
(8:32 pm - 8:33 pm)
108. The Chairman asked Members to note the contents of the following papers:
(a)
Cultural, Leisure and Social Affairs Committee
(C&W DC Paper No. 79/2015)
(b)
District Facilities Management Committee
(C&W DC Paper No. 80/2015)
(c)
Finance Committee
(C&W DC Paper No. 81/2015)
(d)
Food, Environment, Hygiene and Works Committee
(C&W DC Paper No. 82/2015)
(e)
Traffic and Transport Committee
(C&W DC Paper No. 83/2015)
Item 16: Reports of the Working Groups under C&WDC (2014-15)
(8:33 pm - 8:36 pm)
109. The Chairman referred Members to the papers, and asked the chairmen of the working
groups to supplement the contents of the papers.
110. Mr IP Kwok-him, Chairman of the Working Group on Review of Standing Orders of
Central and Western District Council said that the Working Group had completed the review of
the Standing Orders of Central and Western District Council with the collaborative efforts of
Members and careful deliberation on issues of Members’ concern. In view of the fact that
individual Members might hold different views on the review findings, and the heated debate
that might be generated, he suggested leaving the review findings and suggestions for
consideration by the new term of the C&WDC. There was no objection.
111. Ms CHENG Lai-king enquired if the Working Group on Concern over the Development of
the Central Police Station Compound and Former Police Married Quarters would write to the
relevant authorities regarding the road safety problem of green minibuses on Old Bailey Street.
Mr CHAN Shing-fung, Secretary of the Working Group, responded that the Secretariat had
written to the TD in May 2015 to requestthatthe department take into account the above issue.
Item 17: Reports on the Meetings of the Area Committees of the Central & Western
District
(C&W DC Paper No. 84/2015)
(8:36 pm)
112. The Chairman referred Members to the paper.
Item 18: Any Other Business
(8:36 pm)
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113. There was no other business.
114. The Chairman declared the meeting closed and thanked the guests and Members for
attending the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 8:36 pm.
The minutes were
confirmed on 24 September 2015
Chairman:
Mr YIP Wing-shing
Secretary:
Ms WONG Ming-wai
Central and Western District Council Secretariat
September 2015
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