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Martin Wong

Residents of Ho Man Tin strongly oppose the Red Cross' expansion plans, which they say will disrupt views and create a 'wall effect'.
The Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service proposes building a seven-storey, 32-metre-high building with a gross area of 9,000 square metres, as an extension of its four-storey building in King's Park Rise. 
Alex Ma So-wing, chairman of the owners' corporation at King's Park Villa, said all five residential estates in the area opposed the expansion plan.
'We are totally against the plan, as we doubt it is the most suitable site. Are there any other options? As traffic jams in the area are already very serious, the expansion may worsen the problem and may cause problems for the blood service,' Mr Ma said. 
'The expansion may also affect the views of some residents and may cause a wall effect.' 
The five estates are King's Park Villa, The Regalia, Wylie Court, Parc Palais and King's Park Hill.  
Lin Che-kit, chief executive and medical director of the service,  said the centre was the sole provider of blood in Hong Kong and its existing building failed to meet current needs. 
'We estimate that the annual demand for blood will gradually increase by 25 per cent over the next 20 years. The existing headquarters building is inadequate to provide the necessary space and facilities for its current operation, let alone the projected future growth,' Dr Lin said.
He said the existing site was the most suitable for the expansion. 
'It is the best ... use of our existing resources. It is cheaper and takes less time to build than finding a new site  for a  new building. Also, it is hard for us to move some of our  facilities  to a new location.'  
Mr Ma also said the consultation was a mess. 'Home Affairs officials asked us to reply in five days. Some owners' corporations did not even receive the consultation document and the government treated a 'no reply' as approval of the plan.'  
A spokesman for the Home Affairs Department's Yau Tsim Mong office said meetings had been held to seek residents' views   since February last year. 'The office  will continue arranging with the Hospital Authority,  Red Cross and relevant departments to meet residents' representatives over the expansion,' he said. 
The Red Cross was concerned about residents' discontent. 'Yes, we got approval from various government bureaus, departments and the Yau Tsim Mong District Council. But we also understand residents' concerns and we wish to have a harmonious neighbourhood,' said Chan Kai-ming, secretary general of the Red Cross. 
The project has been under discussion for seven years and it is expected to seek HK$350 million in funding from the Legislative Council by the end of this year.
Edward Leung Wai-kuen, vice-chairman of Yau Tsim Mong District Council, said that although the plan had been approved, he hoped the decision could be reversed.
'We understand Hong Kong needs a bigger space for processing and storage of blood. But is the current location the only option? We hope the government can listen to the views of residents,' he said.
Government officials will meet residents on Friday. 
The centre's services include collecting blood, testing and distributing it to hospitals.
Blood lust
The Red Cross needs to expand to meet growing needs 
In 1984 demand for blood was at 140,000 bags;  by 2007 it had increased by 50 per cent to: 210,000



Residents urge Red Cross to rethink plan