7 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACT

7.1 Introduction

7.1.1.1 EM&A for landscape and visual resources shall be undertaken by the Contractor during the design, construction and operation phases of the Project. This section presents the requirements of the baseline review, and the monitoring of the design, implementation and maintenance of the landscape and visual mitigation measures during the design, construction and operation phases of the Project.

7.2 Mitigation Measures

7.2.1.1 The landscape and visual impact assessment of the EIA Study recommended a series of mitigation measures to ameliorate the landscape and visual impacts of the Project. The measures for both the construction and operation phases as recommended in the EIA Report are summarised in Table 7.1 and Table 7.2.

Table 7.1 Proposed Landscape and Visual Mitigation Measures in Construction Phase

ID No.	Nature / Type	Landscape and Visual Mitigation Measures
CM1	Design/Construction Planning	Topsoil, where identified, should be stripped and stored for re-use in the construction of the soft landscape works, where practical.
CM2	Site Practice	Existing trees to be retained on site should be carefully protected during construction.
CM3	Design/Construction Planning	Trees unavoidably affected by the works should be transplanted where practical.
CM4	Design/Construction Planning	Compensatory tree planting should be provided to compensate for felled trees
CM5	Site Practice	Control of night-time lighting
CM6	Design/Construction Planning	Erection of decorative screen hoarding compatible with the surrounding setting

Table 7.2 Proposed Landscape and Visual Mitigation Measures in Operation Phase

ID No.	Nature / Type	Landscape and Visual Mitigation Measures
OM1	Design/Construction Planning	Aesthetic design of the façade, chimneys of STF and associated structures to harmonize with the surrounding settings
OM2	Design/Construction Planning	Shrub and climbing planting to soften proposed structures
OM3	Design/Construction Planning	Buffer tree and shrub planting to screen proposed associated structures
OM4	Design/Construction Planning	Reinstated of disturbed area

7.3 Design Phase Audit

7.3.1.1 The Contractor shall incorporate the recommended mitigation measures in the detailed design and shall ensure the potential conflicts of the mitigation measures with the works under the Project and other interfacing projects are resolved prior to construction.

7.3.1.2 Audits of the detailed design against the recommendations of the landscape and visual impact assessments within the EIA should be undertaken by a Registered Landscape Architect (RLA) to ensure that they fulfil the intentions of mitigation measures.

7.4 Baseline Review

7.4.1.1 A baseline review shall be undertaken prior to the commencement of the construction works. The purposes of the review are as follows:-

l To check the status and any changes of the baseline Landscape Resources, Landscape Character areas and Visually Sensitive Receivers (VSRS) within and immediately adjacent to the works areas;

l To determine whether amendments in the design of the landscape and visual mitigation measures are required; and

l To recommend any necessary amendments to the design of the landscape and visual mitigation measures due to the above changes, if any.

7.4.1.2 Any changes to the mitigation measures that may be recommended as a result of the baseline review shall be taken into account.

7.5 Construction and Operation Phase Audit

7.5.1.1 A specialist Landscape Sub-Contractor (on the approved Government list) shall be employed by the Contractor for the implementation of landscape establishment works and the compensatory planting, as well as the subsequent maintenance operations during the one-year maintenance period which will be the first operational year of the Project.

7.5.1.2 All measures, including compensatory planting, undertaken by both the Contractor and the specialist Landscape Sub-Contractor during the construction phase and the first year of the operation phase shall be audited by a Registered Landscape Architect on a regular basis to ensure compliance with the intended aims of the measures and the effectiveness of the mitigation measures. Site inspections should be undertaken at least once every two weeks throughout the construction period, and once every month during the first operational year. After the one-year maintenance period, the landscape maintenance and monitoring shall be carried out by the Contractor.