No vacancy: Stanley residents oppose plans for hotel that could threaten town’s character
Approval for the ‘boutique’ accommodation could prompt other large-scale developments in the seaside area
Stanley residents are rallying against plans for a new hotel, saying the eight-storey building could make traffic congestion worse and even change the culture of the area.
If approved by the Town Planning Board, the proposed 30-room hotel will be built in the heart of the seaside town on Stanley Market Road towards Stanley Main Street.
Planning designs submitted by Toco Planning Consultants Limited on behalf of Rostar Company Limited, a subsidiary of Eton Properties, show a hotel with retail shops and cafes in the 538 square metre area.
When built, the applicant claimed the boutique hotel would meet Stanley’s “growing demand [for] hotel accommodation and shop and services”.
Toco also said in its application that the hotel developement was “in line” with the government’s policy to promote tourism in Hong Kong, and will “enhance Stanley as a popular sub-urban tourist town”.
Town Planning Board has to decide if they want to keep Stanley as it is, or if the whole area can be redeveloped, and decide what style redevelopment they want.
However, Maxine Yao Jie-ning, a member of the Stanley Residents Concern Group, has started rallying support against the proposed development, citing multiple concerns over a large, modern structure being built in the low-density town.