Efforts to preserve woodland and meet flat supply target may spark changes to planning rules at public housing site on Hong Kong golf course, experts say

Housing experts have suggested that efforts to preserve a patch of woodland may trigger changes to planning rules at a controversial public housing development on Hong Kong’s oldest golf course, while proposing solutions to meet the target of building 12,000 flats.

The government could tailor-make the residential blocks or apply to increase their height limit, but one top surveyor warned that building the towers higher would affect the visual impact of the site.

Veteran planning and surveying specialists shared their views with the Post a day after the Advisory Council on the Environment backed the ecological impact assessment report of the nine-hectare (22-acre) housing plan at Fanling golf course. But the council also asked to add a condition that would preserve a 0.39-hectare woodland by revising the development’s layout.

“The government will not want to cut the number of flats given the tight housing supply,” said experienced town planner Thomas Lee Kin-wah, adding that the layout plan was still preliminary and the effect on the number of units to be built was not yet clear.

“Planning is about give and take. As the council has stressed the importance of the woodland, the government should try its best to incorporate the feedback ... They can use some creative designs to accommodate,” he said.

The Hong Kong Golf Club leases 172 hectares of land in Fanling. About one-fifth of the course, 32 hectares, has been earmarked for building 12,000 public flats and a recreational area. The number of homes on the site accounts for about half of the city’s annual public housing production.

The flats are expected to be completed by 2029.

The woodland is in the heart of the housing area, in a section designated for one of the residential blocks. That section will also contain a podium garden with commercial developments and parking spaces, part of a public transport interchange and a section of a building that will house community facilities.

The final decision on approving the environmental report, with the council’s recommended change, lies with the director of environmental protection.

The redevelopment project still needs approval from the Town Planning Board and the Legislative Council.

Lee said the government could explore the possibilities of building an underground car park, as well as scaling down the size of the transport terminal and community facilities, provided that infrastructure in the district could meet the demand.

“As long as the layout does not contravene the planning standards on distances between buildings and their effect on natural lighting, authorities can consider putting buildings closer to one another, or increasing building height,” Lee added.

According to the paper submitted to the Town Planning Board by authorities, the proposed building height limit of the area is 170 metres (557.7 feet) and 127 to 170 metres for residential blocks.

Authorities can apply for relaxing the height restrictions if necessary, he said, adding they would need to follow statutory procedures.

He said he believed the government hoped to place the podium garden in the middle of the area, where the woodland is located, to serve the whole estate. But the garden could be relocated, he said.

Advisory panel backs public housing development on Hong Kong’s oldest golf course

Lau Chun-kong, chairman of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors’ land policy panel, said the possible change to the layout should not impact the supply of flats from the development.

“The construction site is big enough to move the buildings around. It does not involve a reduction in developable space at all,” said Lau, suggesting the residential blocks could be moved closer to the periphery.

But he said increasing the height of the buildings would be difficult as it would create an adverse visual impact.

Benny Chan Chak-bun, president of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, said the government could also tailor-make housing blocks, instead of using the standard design from the preliminary layout, to meet the flat supply target while preserving the woodland.

Anthony Chiu Kwok-wai, executive director of the Federation of Public Housing Estates, said he supported modifying the layout to strike a balance between housing supply and environmental conservation.

“If the whole plan is rejected, we will lose a total of 12,000 flats,” said Chiu, pointing out the number was about half of the city’s annual public housing production.

Hong Kong Golf Club housing plan to cut ecological vote in rare move

“It’s definitely not desirable if the plan is cut to a few thousand flats only.”

Chiu said the government could also explore whether the housing plan could have fewer commercial facilities, depending on the ability of malls and markets in nearby estates to meet the needs of residents.

The Development Bureau said earlier that it would not comment before the director of environmental protection announced his decision.