Appendix 2.3

 

Agreement No. CE/87/2001(CE)

 

Further Development of Tseung Kwan O

Feasibility Study

 

SUMMARY OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON

SELECTION OF PREFERRED DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT

 

1                       Introduction

 

1.1                In order to foster community support and general consensus on the key issues, and to promote public participation in the process and ownership of the study outcome, stakeholders and representative groups should be closely consulted throughout the entire study process.  In particular, they have been or will be consulted at each of the four key stages of this Study.  These are:

·              Stage 1 :    Collection of public views on key issues and direction for the TKO further development

·              Stage 2 :    Presentation and discussion on various possible development options

·              Stage 3 :    Presentation of the recommended development option

·              Stage 4 :    After finalisation of the Final Report, presentation of the study findings.

 

1.2                Stage 1 consultation was held in September/October 2002 to provide a forum for discussion, exchange of ideas and to solicit views from stakeholders regarding the key issues and direction for the future development of TKO.  Consultation activities included distribution of a Newsletter which publicised the study and set out Government’s further development intentions for TKO, and sought views from readers, distribution of a Consultation Digest, consultation with the Sai Kung District Council and a Public Consultation Forum.

 

1.3                The major concerns raised by the public during the Stage 1 consultation principally related to the following:

·              reclamation

·              environmental issues - during and after development

·              given the perceived current oversupply of housing in the territory, the strategic need to provide more land in TKO to meet the housing need of the population is not justified

·              excessive population densities

·              the impact of the proposed development on property values

·              the need to improve the quality of life of existing as well as future residents of TKO.

 

1.4                These views were taken into consideration in the development of the four alternative development themes (as presented in Section 2.3.9 of the main report).

 

1.5                The development themes were then presented to the public during the Stage 2 consultation exercise, which was held in May 2003.

 

1.6                This section outlines the Stage 2 public consultation exercise and the findings of the consultation.

 

2                       Stage 2 Consultation

 

2.1                A series of activities were undertaken during the Stage 2 Consultation to elicit comments and suggestions from concerned parties.  These included:

·              publishing and distribution of consultation materials

·              LegCo Panel on Planning, Lands and Works meeting on 2 May 2003

·              Sai Kung District Council meeting on 7 May 2003

·              Public Consultation forum on 9 May 2003

·              Discussion forum with TKO Area Committees’ members on 15 May 2003

·              Discussion forum with Ocean Shores’ residents on 16 May 2003

·              Discussion forum with Professional Institutes, Green Groups, Academia and Business Representatives on 20 May 2003

 

2.2                A Consultation Digest, which presented the ideas of the four alternative development themes for Town Centre South and Pak Shing Kok, was produced for public consultation purpose, in both English and Chinese.  The consultation digests were distributed to the target consultees before the consultation meetings / forums (except public consultation forum and discussion forum with Ocean Shores’ residents).  The Consultation Digest could also be viewed on TDD’s website.

 

2.3                Newsletter No. 3, which provided a brief account of the Study progress over the past few months, was produced in both English and Chinese.  The Newsletter was accompanied by a Questionnaire. The Newsletter presented the key features of the three alternative development themes (Theme 4 had by this stage been dropped from consideration due to the concerns over excessive housing provision) and also sought public views on the development themes through the enclosed Questionnaire.  The Newsletters and Questionnaires (approximately 67,000 copies) were widely distributed prior to the public forum, and the Questionnaire could be downloaded from TDD’s website.

 

3                       Feedback from the Public Consultation

 

3.1                Issues raised during the consultation, which relate to the further development and the choice of preferred development theme, were commonly focussed on the key areas of reclamation, planning, development density, implementation of infrastructure and social aspects.

 

3.2                The following paragraphs provide a brief summary of the major concerns and issues raised at the various meetings and forums held during the course of the Stage 2 Consultation.

 

LegCo Panel on Planning, Lands and Works

 

3.3                Consultation with the LegCo Panel was held on 2 May 2003 to present the alternative development themes.

 

3.4                Members of the Panel in general did not support further reclamation in TKO, particularly for housing development.  A suggestion was made for utilising the TKO Landfill Stage 1 for open space development and recreation purposes, and a query was raised whether the residential land reserved for the 32,000 population in Theme 1 should rather be used to incorporate the leisure and recreation facilities proposed under Themes 2 and 3.

 

3.5                There was general support for the water sports and recreation proposals in Theme 2 which maximises leisure and recreation potential.  Some members also opined that to improve the living environment of TKO, the population density should be reduced and the total population of TKO should be capped at 460,000 with 5,000 at Pak Shing Kok.

Sai Kung District Council Consultation

 

3.6                A consultation session was held with the Sai Kung District Council on 7 May 2003.

 

3.7                The majority of members of the Council raised objection to further reclamation and queried the need for further reclamation taking into account the slow population growth rate and sufficient land supply for housing in areas outside TKO.  They raised that TKO is densely populated with high-rise building blocks and there is a strong demand for lower development density and more leisure and recreational facilities and open space provisions.

 

3.8                Some members suggested to make use of the 60 hectares land in TKO Landfill Stage 1 and to release the residential land not yet developed/disposed off for providing more leisure and recreational facilities.  They also opined that the population level should further be reduced to less than 440,000.

 

3.9                There was some support for a small amount of reclamation for provision of leisure, recreational and tourist facilities, including water sport activities and waterfront hotel.

 

Public Consultation Forum

 

3.10            A Public Consultation Forum was held on 9 May 2003 at Leung Sing Tak Primary School in Hang Hau (TKO) to brief the public on the four alternative development themes and to collect views and opinions from the public.  About 210 people attended the forum.

 

3.11            Major feedback from the forum was objection to further reclamation in TKO.  Other major concerns and comments raised at the forum included the desire for provision of more leisure and recreational facilities, concerns over adverse environmental impacts due to further development and impacts on property values and quality of life in TKO.

 

3.12            Attendees particularly requested for the early provision of the planned open space and recreational facilities.

 

Discussion Forum with TKO Area Committees

 

3.13            A discussion forum was held with the TKO Area Committees’ members on 15 May 2003 at King Lam Community Centre.

 

3.14            Attendees expressed no strong preference on the development themes.  The focus of discussion was on land use suggestions, particularly those which would enhance tourist attraction.  Suggestions included town square, playgrounds for remote control aeroplanes/boats, museums and more walking trails to the Country Parks.

 

Discussion Forum with the residents of Ocean Shores

 

3.15            Upon invitation by the Chairman of Ocean Shores Owners Committee, a discussion forum was held with residents of Ocean Shores on 16 May 2003 at Ocean Shores Club House.

 

3.16            The residents in general objected to further reclamation.  They also raised the need for more and early provision of recreational facilities.  Some residents suggested a phased implementation of the new development, with Town Centre South as the core development to be completed immediately and with any further extension to be considered when there is a need in future.

 

Forum with Professional Institutes, Green Groups, Academia and Business Representatives

 

3.17            Consultation with the Professional Institutes, Green Groups, Academia and Business Representatives was held at a forum on 20 May 2003.

 

3.18            In general, attendees did not raise strong views on their preference for any particular development theme.  However, they did convey various ideas/concepts on planning and urban design for improvement of quality of life, for consideration in developing the land use proposals.

 

3.19            These ideas/concepts include greater use of depressed roads to facilitate integration between different areas, closing of some existing roads for pedestrianisation and the introduction of identity for different districts using planning themes, colours, planting and street furniture.  Integration of marine rights into the land parcels at the waterfront was suggested to increase the attractiveness of the land for development.

 

4                       Written Feedback during Stage 2 Consultation

 

4.1                Throughout the Stage 2 Public Consultation process, substantial feedback from the public on the further development of TKO has been received.

 

4.2                Up to 25 June 2003, a total of 55 electronic submissions and 15 written submissions expressing comments and suggestions on the further development of TKO have been received from the public.  These include a letter with 2,363 resident’s signatures from Oscar by the Sea, a letter with 7,545 resident’s signatures from Ocean Shores, and submissions from the Democratic Party, Civil Force and the office of Andrew W. F. Wong providing their standpoints/suggestions on the further development of TKO.

 

4.3                The major comments expressed in these submissions include: objections to further reclamation at Town Centre South for residential development, especially with regard to a lack of need for housing supply; support for leisure, recreational and waterfront developments; reduction of development densities; reduction of residential/commercial uses in the new development areas to allow instead for more open space provision for the community; concerns over adverse environmental impacts, especially air quality, which the TKO residents cannot tolerate for another 10 to 15 years while they wait for the completion of TKO development.

 

5                       Questionnaires

 

5.1                About 70,000 questionnaires were distributed to collect views and opinions from the public on the three alternative development themes.  The questionnaire could also be downloaded from TDD’s website.  A total number of 12,554 questionnaires have been returned.

 

5.2                Respondents were asked to answer a number of questions on various aspects of the three development themes.  A summary of the key responses is given in the following paragraphs.

 

5.3                Question:  Two development themes will benefit Tseung Kwan O by providing more waterfront open spaces and recreational facilities but require further reclamation.  Are they acceptable to you?

 

5.4                Response:  Overall, 62.0% of respondents do not support reclamation while 37.1% of respondents support reclamation for development of recreational facilities.

 

5.5                Question:  What sort of waterfront development would you like? (Leisure promenade with commercial activities such as sidewalk café and shops; vibrant waterfront park with more marine related recreational and entertainment facilities (eg “leisure island” and water sports centre); or promenade with greater visual interest and better linkage between western and eastern TKO.)

 

5.6                Response:  About half of the respondents (48.4%) prefer “Leisure Promenade” as their choice of waterfront development.  31.9% Prefer “Vibrant Waterfront Park” and 13.8% prefer “Promenade with Greater Visual Interest”.  Others did not have any comments.

 

5.7                Question:  Please rank the three development themes in order of your preference.

 

5.8                Response:  61.2% Of the respondents chose “Theme 1” as their first choice of development theme.  24.7% Chose “Theme 2” and 8.8% chose “Theme 3”, while 5.3% of respondents did not express their preference.

 

Additional Comments

 

5.9                About 30% of respondents provided additional comments on the further development of TKO.  These additional comments can be grouped as follows:

·              objection to further reclamation

·              rezone the non-developed land for recreational facilities

·              maintain the currently planned low density population in Pak Shing Kok

·              construct Town Park and planned recreational facilities as soon as possible

·              decrease development density and building height

·              provide more water sports, recreational facilities and open space

·              combine the key features of the three development themes

·              provide more planting and green areas

·              avoid damaging the eco-system

·              no residential land in Town Centre South.

 

6                       Land Use Proposals from the Public Consultations

 

6.1                Numerous comments and suggestions have been received from various parties during the course of the public consultations (both Stage 1 and Stage 2 consultations), covering different aspects of the further development of TKO.  A review of all the land use proposals or suggestions made by the public will be conducted to determine compatibility with the preferred development concept, once selected.  Suitable land use proposals will be considered for incorporation in the detailed planning layouts of the further development areas.

 

6.2                Table 6.2 below lists out some of the public’s proposals or suggestions for possible land uses, which would be considered in the derivation of detailed layout plans.

 

Table 6.2      Public’s Land Use Proposals

Development Area

Land Use Proposal / Suggestion

 

General

Develop TKO as a cultural and educational centre

Develop TKO as a sport hub

Art corridor/square, sculpture square

Health and Care Centre with dominant use of Chinese Medicine

Cycling park

Place for fishing / rowing boats

Golf driving range

Museum of TKO Development, Museum of History

Playground/competition venue for remote control aeroplanes/boats

 

Town Centre South

Large scale town hall, art and cultural centre

Water sports activities in water area between CBL bridge and Waterfront Park for Theme 1

Waterfront promenade with special features such as shops, side-walk cafes

European style civic square with sidewalk cafe, promenade, Leisure Island, 3 storeys or less European type building to become a world class tourist spot

Water channel with crescent shape platform for fishing, sightseeing and possible piers/landings for small boats

Tennis court, badminton court, fountain and artificial lake should be constructed in Central District Park

A piazza/town square

City Hall, Community Centre, Central Library

Area 68 for cultural and art centre and theatre

Observation tower

Water sport activities in Theme 2 and waterfront park in Theme 3 put into Theme 1

Waterfront Park with sidewalk café and hotel

Construct an integrated centre for arts, drama, environmentally friendly technology, cultural activities & water sports in the newly reclaimed land

 

Tiu Keng Leng

Indoor Stadium in Tiu Keng Leng

Cycletrack connecting TKO Town Centre, Oscar by the Sea and Area 86

Pak Shing Kok

Lookout pavilion

Low rise residential building

 

District Parks

Develop the District Park in Area 45 into an Ecological Park

Convert the residential land not yet developed in Area 74 into open space

Football pitch, baseball pitch

Connect Town Park in Area 45 with Riverine Park and Waterfront Park and also provide a continuous cycletrack system to all residential areas

The river side area can be developed as a grass skiing area and also provide some boating and canoeing facilities

 

Pier / Landing Facilities

Pier for heritage boat trip stopping at Tung Lung Chau, Tai Miu Wan, Fat Tong Chau

Develop a pier for yacht with side-walk cafe, pub and other recreational facilities in the vicinity

 

TKO Landfill Site

Landfill Stage 1 of 65ha for possible playground for kite, cycling and remote control car, etc. or rent out the area for private development to provide entertainment activities such as golf driving range.

 

7                       Conclusions of the Public Consultation

 

7.1                The findings of the Stage 2 public consultation exercise serve as an important input to the Study to determine the preferred development concept.

 

7.2                The major concerns raised by the public on the alternative development themes put forward for further development of TKO can be summarised as follows:

·              objection to reclamation

·              environmental conditions, especially during reclamation and further development

·              given the perceived current oversupply of housing in the territory, further reclamation to provide more land in TKO to meet housing needs is not justified

·              excessive population densities

·              the impact of more housing provision on property values

·              the need to improve the quality of life in TKO

·              very long implementation time for completion of the TKO further development

·              need for provision of more recreational and leisure facilities.

 

7.3                During the various consultation forums and meetings, and from the questionnaire feedback, the major concerns raised were objection to further reclamation in TKO and a desire for lower density development, along with associated concerns about the adverse effects of the further development on the environment and quality of life.  Some feedback also suggested a desire for Development Theme 1 but with the incorporation of the key features of Theme 2 and Theme 3, ie the implementation of waterfront facilities and features, but without further reclamation for development.

 

7.4                The results of the Stage 2 Consultation are largely consistent with the findings of the Stage 1 Consultation, and highlight more or less the same major public concerns.  The findings of the Stage 2 Consultation confirm that reclamation remains as the major issue.