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Bureau plans to run open spaces

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The Development Bureau has proposed that the government take over management of public open space in future private residential and mixed developments, but may allow developers to keep charge of such space in commercial projects.

Under the new policy, developers would have to meet the cost of providing the space in new residential developments or large-scale projects involving multiple ownership, then hand it over to the government.

For example, developers buying the former government supplies depot in Oil Street and part of the North Point Estate site will be required to provide a public open space of about 3,800 square metres and a waterfront area of 2,300 square metres.

They will have to design and construct the spaces at their own cost and hand them to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

But the bureau said in a paper prepared for discussion by the Legislative Council that flexibility should be given in commercial projects.

It said it was more reasonable to invite developers to bear the management and maintenance responsibilities in such developments because the open space would help attract the public to commercial operations like shopping malls, adding value to the developments.

In the case of Two IFC on the Central waterfront, which includes more than 13,000 square metres of public open space, the developer has to maintain the space at its own expense and to the satisfaction of the government. The bureau did not consider taking over its management because the space was easily accessible and well integrated with the offices, hotel and shops, the paper said.

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