Advisory panel backs public housing development on Hong Kong’s oldest golf course, but raises concerns
- Advisory Council on Environment also raises concerns over discrepancies in ecological surveys carried out by government and Hong Kong Golf Club
- Proposed development will take up about 32 hectares, approximately one-fifth of course in Fanling, and create 12,000 public flats
Environmental advisers have backed a controversial public housing development at part of Hong Kong’s oldest golf course, but requested authorities revise the layout to preserve an area of woodland.
Despite giving the green light at a meeting on Wednesday, the Advisory Council on the Environment raised concerns over discrepancies between the findings of additional surveys on the development plans carried out by the government and the Hong Kong Golf Club.
“Among the eight additional pieces of information requested by the council, members have unanimously agreed that six of them have satisfied the requirements,” said Professor John Chai Yat-chiu, the council chairman. Fifteen of the council’s 20 members attended Wednesday’s meeting.
The council said it hoped to add a condition to the development, which involved changing the layout of the proposed housing estates to preserve a woodland of 0.39 hectares (0.94 acres) inside the residential area, where a total of 186 trees were found growing.
They included 19 incense trees, which are considered vulnerable internationally.
Authorities had suggested the area was only of low to medium ecological value.
The club expressed its regret over the council putting forward the environmental report, as its content – and additional information – failed to address comments from members.