The government has finally given the green light for Hongkong Electric Holdings' plan for a hotel in Ap Lei Chau, putting an end to a four-year controversy over land use and the scale of the development.
A Town Planning Board decision last Friday cleared the way for the power utility to redevelop a car park building within the South Horizons housing estate into an 18-storey hotel with a maximum of 510 rooms.
As well as the hotel, which will have a gross floor area of 34,000 square metres, the development will include a car park and an electricity switching station.
A Hongkong Electric spokeswoman declined to reveal any details of the project, saying it was still in an early stage.
According to the company's submission to the planning board, the detailed design of the hotel should be ready in 2006, with completion of the project due in 2010.
Government approval came after Hongkong Electric settled for various amendments to the development, which has been downsized from an 850-room hotel.