Officials seeking to redevelop the Yau Ma Tei Theatre came under fire yesterday for proposing to keep a rubbish collection point next to a street sleepers' shelter when the two are moved.
But lawmakers, describing the plan as inhumane and unacceptable, voted down a request from the Home Affairs Bureau to pass the plan to the Legislative Council's works and finance subcommittees for discussion.
Undersecretary for Home Affairs Florence Hui Hiu-fai, said it was a "historical coincidence" that the shelter and the rubbish point were put together.
Questioned by education constituency lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen, Hui acknowledged the difficulty in finding an alternate site for the street sleepers.
She also said removing the two facilities would help "create a better cultural ambience" for the theatre - a remark that brought on swift criticism.