JUNGLE FERVOUR

THE ONCE BUSTLING lane is deserted. Of the many residents and small businesses that enlivened Lee Tung Street, only 10 remain. But while the Wan Chai institution known as Wedding Card Street has fallen victim to officials' grand makeover plans, the community spirit lives on.

H15, the residents' alliance which fought to preserve the character of the neighbourhood, has inspired people in other old districts facing redevelopment. Groups in Shamshuipo, Kwun Tong, Hollywood Road and nearby Nullah Lane are learning from its example.

Co-ordinator of the Shamshuipo group, Maggie Chau Yee-mei, says she first turned to H15 members when her father received a redevelopment notice from the Urban Renewal Authority.

URA officials had met residents to clarify the situation, she says, but they found the talks frustrating. 'They refused to answer our questions, and only asked us to read the relevant ordinance,' says Chau. 'They didn't answer our queries about the ordinance either. We were really helpless and didn't know what to do.'

But after talking to H15 members, Chau gained a better idea of the process and the rights of residents. She began to share that information with people in her district, distributing flyers and organising meetings. Gradually, a neighbourhood group coalesced around a few committed residents and shopowners.

Besides holding regular meetings to update the community about the challenges ahead, the group regularly visits shops and families in Shamshuipo to gauge their needs. Members have also begun to help street-stall operators and rooftop tenants organise themselves into support groups.