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HONG KONG: FUTURE CONSULATE GENERAL
RECORD OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE (WORKING GROUP) MEETING HELD ON 6 NOVEMBER 1992
1. Mr Hum reminded those present of the main aim of the meeting - to decide whether to approve the building design scheme on the basis of Farrell's latest preliminary sketch plans (PSPs), incorporating the various changes suggested in Hong Kong and by members of the Steering Committee.
PRELIMINARY SKETCH PLANS
2. Mr Whittle (OED) explained the major design changes incorporated since the competition stage. The most significant was the separation of access to the new buildings in order to avoid congestion (of particular note was the entirely separate public access to passport and visa sections, with provision for sheltered queuing outside the building). Mr Whittle confirmed that the sketch plans took account of requirements registered by the BTC and the British Council (through the Hong Kong Coordinating Committee). He noted the new addition of an executive dining area in what would otherwise have been dead space. The only issue still unresolved in the PSPS was the VIP waiting area, (some design work still remained to be done on this).
3. Mr Whittle confirmed that the Mr Day's consultative committee were content with the revised design. Mr Pugh
(British Council) confirmed that the British Council were happy with the reworking of their space.
EXTRA CAR PARKING SPACES
4.
Mr Hum asked OED representatives to review the arguments concerning the request (from the Hong Kong Coordinating Committee) for 30 extra parking places. Mr Newey (OED) explained that further excavation would be needed to provide these places (stacking machines were already being used to provide the present 70 places). A rough estimate suggested that this would cost in excess of £500,000 possibly considerably more. Consultants had advised that the norm for provision of parking spaces in Hong Kong was about one parking space to every five employees. The parking already envisaged was a good deal more generous than this. Most people working in Hong Kong expected to use public transport and the new building would be very well served by Admiralty MTR station and the buses and trams on Hennesy Road. Mr Morris (HKD) reported the view of the consultative committee that extra parking would enable junior staff to live further away in cheaper accommodation thus offering a potential saving.
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