PLANS to rescue Sir David Akers-Jones' rare tropical plants from a road-widening scheme were dashed yesterday, after the former chief secretary said few would survive transplanting.
Sir David rejected the government plan, saying only a small percentage of plants from his 'rainforest' - a collection of more than 100 exotic forms of vegetation from Malaysia, Indonesia, England, Australia, the Philippines and other countries - could be replanted.
But their seeds could be propagated if the Government wanted to preserve the species thriving in Dragon View, the home of Sir David and Lady Akers-Jones for the past 10 years, he said.
In its initial consultancy report, commissioned by the Highway Department, Mouchel Asia proposed re-planting all the vegetation.
Dragon View is in the path of a planned enlargement of the single carriageway Castle Peak Road between Sham Tseng and Ka Loon Tseng.
Chief engineer of Major Works (New Territories) Alan Tse Yun-chuen said several proposals were being considered.