Enthusiastic response to redevelopment of Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront muddies reason for cancelling plan
Consultation report shows that 92pc of public backed the plan; activist says decision to scrap redevelopment has more to do with judicial reviews brought by developers
The reason for the government to make a rare move last month to scrap a plan to redevelop an extension to the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront became unclear on Wednesday after it unveiled a consultation report that showed “over 92 per cent of the general public” liked the original design proposal.
The findings, based on views collected from public engagement exercises conducted from October to November last year, varied significantly from the explanation given by the administration last month when it announced the project to transform the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade into a dining, film and performance boulevard would be cancelled, with the nearby Avenue of Stars to remain closed for three years until the end of 2018 for renovation.
READ MORE: Controversial Avenue of Stars upgrade scrapped but Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront to remain closed
Back then, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) said the decision was a response to feedback from the public, who “wished to have fewer structures to be built on the promenade so that people can stroll on a more spacious area and enjoy unobstructed views of Victoria Harbour”.
Paul Zimmerman, a member of the Harbourfront Commission, said LCSD representatives did not respond to questions on why there was such a discrepancy when they presented the report findings at a meeting of the commission on Wednesday.
“The public engagement shows, according to the report, everybody wants to have everything fixed and changed,” said Zimmerman. “But I don’t see this coming through very clearly from the results.”