New Bisney Road development La Mer, as its name suggests, offers wide open ocean views that are guaranteed in perpetuity

WEEKDAY VISITORS TO the Bisney Road residential area in Pokfulam are met with scenes of peaceful suburbia.

A golden labrador takes his owner for a walk, a workman polishes a brass sign, old trees withstand Hong Kong's particularly harsh test of time. Even the off-peak 15-minute drive from bustling Central belies the fact that city access can be a long, frustrating affair during rush hour.

One obvious sticking point for any potential Pokfulam property investor is the proliferation of graveyards and hospitals, which are insurmountable hurdles from a feng shui perspective.

A more recent sticking point is the CyberPort project, emerging on a 26-hectare site in Telegraph Bay. A 20-year moratorium on new developments has turned Pokfulam into a low-density residential area, but residents fear the ambitious e-commerce project will transform it into a busy town. Already, loaded construction vehicles and roadworks are the bane of residents' lives.

Then there are the appeals of the Bisney Road Action Group, intent on preserving their privacy. The group, consisting mainly of tenants in the area, has voiced strong appeals against government plans to build a school on 'green belt' ground adjoining Bisney Road. Last week, they added anthrax fears to their list of reasons, saying the land once supported a dairy farm with a history of the disease. They fear anthrax spores could be disturbed during construction, a risk factor the Department of Health dismisses as 'very low'.

Against this background of controversy comes the launch of La Mer, named for its crowning glory - sweeping sea views. The development has had its own troubled history, with original investor Chi Cheung Investment taking a hit in the 1997-98 financial crisis. Talent Land Development and Chan Sum Construction are putting the finishing touches to the small development, which is scheduled for occupancy in December.