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Harminder Singh

Concern group Alliance for a Beautiful Hong Kong accused the Home Affairs Department of conducting a “false” public consultation on a land lease modification application at 28 Lugard Road on The Peak.
It also accused the Lands Department of being irresponsible, citing the department’s taking two months to reply to the alliance’s inquiries and confirm that the application was made.
The alliance said it assumed the application called for widening of the existing footpath for vehicular access to the property, based on questionnaires sent to nearby residents from the Home Affairs Department. It was unable to confirm the application’s contents as Lands Department officials had yet to release details to the public.
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Melanie Moore, an alliance governor, said her group deemed it important to object because it could have “a severe impact on Lugard Road”.
She said she was worried that granting the application would bring more vehicular traffic to the narrow road, affecting pedestrian right-of-way.
On March 23, an alliance member met with Hong Kong West and South District Land Office officials and was told no plan to widen the existing footpath was submitted.
However, the member was told last week by the Lands Department that a land lease modification application was indeed made and that the District Land Office was processing the application.
The alliance was also informed that the Home Affairs Department’s District Land Office conducted a two-week public consultation in October last year.
The only parties consulted were the Chung Wan and Mid-Levels Area Committee and nearby residents, although most of the houses along Lugard Road were vacant. No comments were reported as received in the consultation.
The Central and Western District Council was not informed about the application or the public consultation, including members who were also on the area committee. A council spokesperson said it would be “unfair to other candidates”.

Alliance coordinator Claudia Yuen Ka-sin said the consultation’s closeness to the election led the authorities not to consult district councillors. “They said it would be unfair because some of the candidates were not district councillors, and may not know about [the issue],” she said.
Moore called the rationale “pretty silly”. “Anybody who’s running for a district council seat is a matter of public record, and all of the candidates can be easily emailed,” she said.
The Home Affairs Department said its director suspended the operation of District Councils from October 2 to December 31 last year.
A department spokeswoman said: “During the suspensions period, should members express their views on district matters or government policies, they should do so in their personal capacity just like any other members of the public.”
The alliance is demanding the application details be released and the public consultation be relaunched, so that the application can be properly scrutinised by the public and various government departments.
But according to the department spokeswoman, because the Lands Department did not reach a conclusion on the application, Home Affairs urged the public to provide their views.
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The Lugard Road site was purchased by Uni-Dragon Holdings Limited for $196 million in 2011. Uni-Dragon is a subsidiary of Vantage International (Holdings) Limited.
Ip Kwok-him, a Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong legislator and executive council member, is a non-executive director of Vantage International.
The Post asked Ip to comment, but did not receive a reply.
The existing 292.8 square metre house was built in 1924, and holds grade-three historical status, meaning the owner can tear down the structure.
Vantage International said it intended to redevelop 28 Lugard Road into two detached two-storey villas for rent, with a total gross floor area of 864.1 square metres – nearly triple the size of the existing house.
The alliance also previously urged the Antiquities and Monuments Office and the Antiquities Advisory Board to grant Lugard Road a heritage grading.
Alliance governor Katty Law Ngar-ning said it deserved “a very good grading in terms of its historical importance and cultural importance”. She added: “If Lugard Road is graded ... the environment and surrounding [construction] will be under good planning controls.”
The area has been a site of contention between conservationists and developers in recent years, as developers look to turn the grade-one, 27 Lugard Road mansion into a luxury hotel.


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Hong Kong conservation group accuses officials of ‘false’ public consultation over land lease application

Claudia Yuen Ka-sin, Katty Law Ngar-ning and Melanie Moore of Alliance for a Beautiful Hong Kong at a press conference about 28 Lugard Road redevelopment in Wan Chai. Photo: Felix Wong

Katty Law; governor, attends a press conference about 28 Lugard Road redevelopment in Wan Chai. 31MAY16 SCMP/Felix Wong

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Area residents fear development could threaten Lugard Road site’s historical significance


Hong Kong conservation group accuses officials of ‘false’ public consultation over land lease application

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Area residents fear development could threaten Lugard Road site’s historical significance

Area residents fear development could threaten Lugard Road site’s historical significance