Tsuen Wan being choked by redevelopment, says green group
A green group yesterday urged the Urban Renewal Authority to stop building high-rises in Tsuen Wan after a survey revealed residents were worried about air quality.
Of 1,576 people interviewed by Green Sense and the Tsuen Wan Development and Promotion Association in September, 50 per cent said air quality was poor or very poor. Nearly 60 per cent said family members suffered respiratory diseases such as asthma or bronchitis.
About 84 per cent expressed worries about air quality as more tall buildings went up, blocking wind and sunlight.
Nearly 90 per cent urged the government to consider environmental impact when granting approval to developers to build high-rises in redevelopment projects.
About 34 per cent said they would consider leaving Tsuen Wan because of the poor air quality.
Green Sense chairman Roy Tam Hoi-pong said: 'Aged buildings in old areas of Tsuen Wan are only four to six storeys high, but they are being surrounded by high-rises. Residents living in these old buildings suffer from poor air quality as tall curtains are created around their living environment.'