******************************************

Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yuen-han and a reply by the Acting Secretary for Planning and Lands, Mr Stephen Fisher, in the Legislative Council today (May 17):

Question

Regarding the means to preserve the views of the ridgelines along both sides of the Victoria Harbour, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether, since the relocation of the airport from Kowloon City, there are newly or almost completed buildings located in areas where height restriction had previously been in force for aviation safety reasons which are blocking or will block the view of the ridgelines of the Lion Rock; and

(b) whether there are policies or concrete plans for retaining the visibility of the Kowloon ridgelines from the former HMS Tamar of the Admiralty on Hong Kong Island; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply

Madam President,

The visibility of the Lion Rock ridges depends largely on the vantage point of the viewer. Given the height of the Lion Rock, its ridgelines can be seen from some districts in Kowloon and from many areas on the northern side of Hong Kong Island. However, given the short distance between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, the Lion Rock ridgelines are mostly blocked by highrise developments in Kowloon when viewed from the vantage point of the Queen's Pier or from the waterfront next to the Tamar site. These developments were mainly approved or built before the relocation of the airport.

At present, there is no specific legislation or statutory control for the protection of the visibility of the ridgelines. However, for developments that require planning approval, the Town Planning Board will take into account the possible impact of such developments on the visibility of the ridgelines.

In view of growing public concerns about urban design in Hong Kong, the Planning Department has commissioned a consultancy study on urban design for Hong Kong. During the public consultation on preliminary urban design concepts earlier this year, the Department received diverse views on the issue of the protection of the visibility of the ridgelines. While there is general support for the principle of preserving the visibility of the ridgelines, there are reservations about height restrictions and planning controls which might constrain design creativity.

The consultants are currently formulating a set of urban design guidelines for Hong Kong in the light of public comments. We aim to draw up a set of guidelines which are appropriate to Hong Kong. We intend to consult the public again by the end of this year.

End/Wednesday, May 17, 2000

NNNN