Waste of Space

In 2001, the government renovated the Lok Hing Lane playground into a public theater. At great taxpayer’s expense, three years were spent building the Lan Kwai Fong-situated stone amphitheatre. The project was part of an initiative to convert unused public areas into more community-friendly spaces.

But those hoping for live performances and Shakespeare in the Park have been sorely disappointed. In the past two years, the so-called amphitheatre has been hired out only four times.

But the problem with the amphitheatre is not a shortage of community and cultural groups wishing to use it. The stumbling block is the byzantine process of getting permission.

“It’s too much hassle to get approval to use the area. There are just too many different government systems to go through,” says Pawan Rai, owner of nearby bar Baby B. “I’ve known a few people who applied to use the area, went through the entire confusing process, but they were still rejected – and no clear reason is ever given why they should be.”

According to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the government body that supervises the space, two main factors are considered for an applicant’s approval: 1) the nature and duration of the event, and 2) whether it will be beneficial to the public.

But that’s not all. This is then followed by a roundtable discussion with “relevant government departments” for comments. Once that has all been settled, a list of stipulations are provided to which the applicant must agree to, including controlling noise levels, arranging suitable crowd control and security measures, keeping the venue clean at all times, and providing adequate insurance to cover public liability.

“And if you can be bothered to go through all of that, and agree with all their demands, there’s still no assurance that you’ll even be approved,” says Rai.