13.1.1
This
chapter present a summary of the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA)
of the overall development and Chok Ko Wan Link Road (CKWLR) included as Annex J of this Report.
13.1.2
The
LVIA of the Theme Park is covered in a separate report and includes the
following designated projects: Penny’s Bay reclamation, Theme Park, Water
Recreation Centre, Penny’s Bay Rail Link, Roadworks and Drainage Channel.
13.2.1
The
existing environment of the study area for the overall development and Chok Ko
Wan Link Road (CKWLR) is rural in nature with significant intrusions along the
north coast in the form of the North Lantau Highway and Lantau Airport Railway
(NLH/LAR). Landscape elements consist of natural and man-made coastlines, bay
and coastal waters, undulating hills and upland areas associated with Fa Peng
Teng, Tai Yam Teng and Tai Shan, and some small streams and associated valleys.
13.2.2
Upland
areas are dominated by grassland, and denser shrubland and woodland exist in
scattered groups along sheltered stream courses and the lower slopes,
especially along the natural coastline. This is undisturbed mature vegetation. Plantation woodland is also present along
the NLH and LAR corridors, and along disturbed areas in Penny’s Bay.
13.2.3
The
Study Area contains a substantial amount of high quality landscapes,
particularly natural streams and topography.
However, forty percent of the coastline has already been disturbed or
reclaimed. Many of the streams have
already been altered at their original outflow to the sea due to construction
of the NLH corridor and existing development at Penny’s Bay.
13.2.4
Sensitive
receivers of visual impact include receivers in such far-reaching areas as Tuen
Mun and Hong Kong Island, as well as closer areas such as Ma Wan. Views for closer receivers such as from Ma
Wan, Peng Chau and the ferry routes are dominated by the Lantau hillsides, but
quality is reduced by existing reclamations and development along the
coastlines. The southern coastline
includes a shipyard, a power station and former borrow area, all of which
reduce the visual quality.
13.3.1
As
much of the development is proposed on reclamation, the local natural landscape
elements of vegetation cover, topography and natural streams will remain
relatively undisturbed. Impacts will be
concentrated on the south and east Fa Peng Teng hillsides due to the
construction of the Chok Ko Wan Link Road and the service reservoir. Additional
smaller impacts will occur on the Yam O headland due to construction of the
Road P1 tunnel portals.
13.3.2
These
impacts will remain in the long-term as they will be caused by permanent works
with associated major local earthworks. However, overall they are only
considered moderately adverse, as the majority of landscape elements in the
Study Area will remain undisturbed.
Additionally, the context of the future use of the site offers
opportunities for quality design and mass landscaping, especially the Theme
Park at Penny’s Bay, Water Recreation Centre, sloping seawall and low-rise
development, all of which will blend with the natural hilly backdrop. These will provide new positive landscape
elements. The proposed development is
primarily for tourist and recreation uses, and there is likely to be
opportunity for improving the local vegetation cover over a large area, albeit
of a different type, particularly with respect to tree planting.
13.3.3
The
main adverse impact is loss of the natural coastline. The reclamation works
will affect an additional 6.7km of the natural coastline of Lantau and is
considered to be a significant loss in both the short and long term. This will
be replaced by a manmade reclamation edge.
13.4.1
Direct
impacts to the existing landscape character zones are generally limited as much
of the proposed works will be constructed on reclamation. The impacts are those
caused by the works occurring on the Tsing Chau Tsai headland, i.e. the Chok Ko
Wan Link Road and the service reservoir, and to the reclamation of Penny’s Bay.
13.4.2
The
change of Penny’s Bay from a bay to a reclaimed area supporting recreational
facilities will represent a major impact and change in character, extending and
modifying the existing development already present on the western side of the
bay.
13.4.3
On
Fa Peng Teng impacts will locally change the existing landscape character from
primarily natural hillsides and valleys with low levels of disturbance to those
containing a major road and a reservoir, together with the associated slope
cuttings. These impacts are, however, limited in their effects, with much of
the hillsides remaining unaffected by the works and retaining their overall
character. At Ngong Shuen Au further
local impacts on landscape character will result from slope cutting for the
CKWLR and Road P2.
13.4.4
The
Road P1 tunnel portals will also cause impacts due to disturbance to the local
hillsides, however, this will be localised and the character of Yam O will be
retained overall. Hillsides shall also be affected by the proposed reservoirs
to a higher degree.
13.4.5
A
more indirect impact to several of the landscape character zones is the loss of
natural coastline. This occurs primarily in Penny’s Bay but also takes place
along the southern side of Lantau at Fa Peng Teng, the Pa Tau Kwu headland and
valley, and to a degree at Fa Peng and Sam Chuen (although these are more
likely to be affected by Route 10). On the northern side the loss of natural
coastline is less significant as the existing coastline is generally manmade by
reclamation for the NLH corridor. Ng Kwu Leng and Yam O headlands will however
lose natural coastline. Overall this represents a localised impact to landscape
elements while the character of these areas is generally retained. Although the
impacts will modify the existing character they should be considered in the
context of the future use of the area, which provides the opportunity for a new
landscape with high quality design in both built form and landscape.
13.4.6
The
impacts are thus generally localised in their effects. However, the proposed
development will cause a change to the overall character of this eastern end of
Lantau. The hillside character will to a large degree be retained, however,
this area of Lantau will change from being distinctly rural to a more sub-urban
landscape, with its mix of development and natural undisturbed areas.
13.5.1
Impacts
will arise from the extension of the coastline along large areas of the
Northshore site and the provision of development along coastal areas. However, many of these areas are already
reclaimed, in particular on the northern side, which is dominated by the NLH
and LAR and associated slope cuttings.
The development itself will offer appealing views, and will also provide
the opportunity to create a new character to the northern coastal zone by
providing a landscaped screen and buffer to the currently poor visual quality
transport corridor. Proposed reservoirs at Yam O shall however reduce visual
quality in the Yam O Tuk area.
13.5.2
On
the southern side the impacts are likely to be more severe overall as the
change in character will be from the current bay, which has limited
disturbance, to a large extent of reclamation, which will be developed. The
impact will be a major change of character, yet also provides opportunity to
create positive visual features of the area.
13.6.1
Mitigation
measures are proposed for the operation phase.
Careful design and landscaping of cut slopes will be done to minimise
the area of cutting and produce naturalistic contours with vertical elements of
landscaping. Shotcrete use will be
minimised. Design of highway and road
structures will also be done to minimise impacts, including careful landscaping
and tall planting to reduce the apparent height of viaduct structures,
avoidance of lower maintenance roads, and the design/placement of columns and
signage to create single design themes and avoid screening key views. Lighting for highways is recommended to be
full cut-off, and hoods and cowling will be used as necessary to avoid light
spillage. Tall pole floodlights will
also be avoided. Planting to all
disturbed areas and roadsides is an important mitigation for both landscape and
visual impacts. Natural coastline can
be preserved by the provision of a drainage channel along the west coast of
Penny’s Bay.
13.6.2
Mitigation
at the construction phase will include use of hoardings as appropriate,
minimisation of cut slopes, retention of existing vegetation, and re-use of top
soils.
13.7.1
The
main severe adverse impact to landscape elements overall is likely to occur due
to the loss of bay and coastal waters and the loss of approximately 6.7 km of
natural coastline as a result of the reclamation. Permanent and irreversible impacts will also result from CKWLR,
the service reservoirs, and Road P1 tunnel portals, and though these are major
localised impacts they are not as significant in the context of overall Lantau
development. Vegetation cover will be
disturbed though this will be predominantly grassland and shrubland, with a
small loss of woodland due to the CKWLR, but the development provides
opportunity for extensive additional planting, thus enhancing the existing
vegetation cover.
13.7.2
Landscape
character changes are localised impacts due to the provision of roads, as well
as the provision of a positive new landscape character in the form of the new
Theme Park development. Overall
existing character of Northshore Lantau will change from a rural hillside area
to a more suburban developed area with predominantly undisturbed hills rising
as a backdrop.
13.7.3
Visual
residual impacts are mainly the local disturbance caused by introduction of the
CKWLR and service reservoir with associated slope cuttings. The introduction of the new developments
will create a new visually interesting landscape in Northshore Lantau.
13.7.4
In
accordance with Annex 10 of the Technical Memorandum the landscape and visual
impact is considered acceptable with mitigation.