Lugard Road hotel plan faces more legwork

Opponents of a planned boutique hotel on a narrow, winding lane up to The Peak are not appeased by a government proposal to extend traffic restrictions.

At a Legislative Council meeting yesterday, Transport and Housing Secretary Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung said the Transport Department proposed tightening restrictions on traffic to the grade-two heritage mansion at 27 Lugard Road, which developer Crown Empire plans to turn into a luxury hotel.

The Town Planning Board gave its approval for the hotel in September, despite 96 per cent of the submissions it received voicing opposition to the proposal.

Under the plan, the hotel would use mini electric vehicles to transport guests and goods, with no more than two round trips an hour. It also promised not to operate any vehicles to and from the hotel between 10am and 6pm on Sundays and public holidays.

Cheung said the department, which will also have to approve the plan, was asking Crown Empire to halt transport from 9am to 7pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

"There are an estimated 540 people on the road per hour on weekends and holidays. On a weekday, there are only 110 an hour, or two per minute," Cheung said.

A pedestrian would come across a car only once or twice, and there should be enough room for both car and pedestrian to pass on the road, whose narrowest section is two metres, he said.