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may have on various aspects of Hong Kong's natural scenic beauty:———
(a) Stone quarrying and excavation.
(b) The building of unsightly, multi-storey buildings which obscure the scenery from the road and which look equally ugly and out of place from the sea.
(c) The excavating and dredging of sand from some of the beaches or close to the beaches?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS replied as follows:-
I can assure the Council that before any permission is given to quarry stone in the urban areas, very careful consideration is given to the deleterious effect such works may have on natural scenic beauty. Wherever possible, workings are sited so as to be screened from nearby roads and this has been achieved with the two new quarry sites on Hong Kong Island at Chung Hom Kok and Shek O Road. It is, however, not always possible to screen the workings from both land and sea and, in such circumstances, it seems preferable to preserve the view from the land. In the area surrounding Kowloon, it has not been possible to locate all quarries out of sight, but these have generally been sited close together in selected areas which restricts the overall effect on amenities. I might add that with the ever-increasing programme of private building and of public works, there is a constant demand for stone quarries which Government is obliged to meet if construction is to proceed.
Earthwork scars on hillsides from site formation works are generally temporary, since tipped embankments are usually turfed or planted on completion in order to protect them from erosion, and cutting slopes and quarry faces tend to blend into the hillsides as they age.
In so far as the construction of multi-storey buildings is concerned one has to reconcile the desirability of limiting or even refusing development in certain areas with the ever-present demand for living accommodation. However, every endeavour is made to preserve views in areas of special scenic amenity such as Tai Po Road, Repulse Bay Road, and the skyline of Hong Kong Island, wherever the conditions of Crown Leases confer the necessary powers or where new leases are being granted. Where lots held under leases granted many years ago come to be redeveloped, it is often found that the Lease Conditions do not permit of any special control over the height, disposition and design of the new buildings. The Buildings Ordinance does not give the Building Authority any powers of aesthetic or amenity control.
The Sand Monopoly is controlled by the Government Stores Department and I can assure the Council that care is taken to see that sand workings should not interfere with the natural beauty of beaches nor the enjoyment of designated bathing beaches.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Does not Section, I think it is Section 9(1)(f), of the Buildings Ordinance give the Building Authority effective control by allowing him to reject plans which do not conform with the buildings of a similar height in the neighbourhood?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-It is Section 9B(1)(f), which is engraved on my heart. (Laughter). The wording is that he may refuse plans if they differ in character with buildings in the vicinity, but it is, one might say, rather vague. Whether or not it should or can be used, I have no doubt that the intention of that Section of the Ordinance was not to give the Building Authority powers over aesthetics or amenity.
MR. SALES-Sir, may I, through you, draw the attention of the Director of Public Works to the development which is taking place along Lung Cheung Road in Kowloon (Foothills Road) where evidently it is desirable to preserve some sort of amenity. One building in question has well exceeded the height of the road and I am wondering whether that is in character with the general development of the area, as it has been my understanding all along that it would be developed as a scenic area for Kowloon.
MR. FUNG HON-CHU:--Mr. Chairman, I also would like to point out that there is a multi-storey building coming up from Bowen Road which is higher than the road level of Magazine Gap Road. I think this is something which should be avoided and I would like to know whether the Director of Public Works has any intention to amend this Ordinance.
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-Mr. Chairman, I can see myself having to talk for the next 15 minutes or half an hour if I am going to answer all these questions. (Laughter). In connexion with Lung Cheung Road, I had no idea that it was ever intended that Lung Cheung Road should be a scenic road. I think there will be some areas of Lung Cheung Road which will remain open for viewing, and certainly where there are viewing platforms or seats, I think we should try hard to maintain a few of them, but I should inform you, Sir, that I am hoping that within 3 or 4 years' time there will be a vast resettlement estate rising on the south side of Lung Cheung Road. I hope that nobody in this Council is going to attack me about this, but I hope to get about 150,000 people sited there. Tenders have just been called
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Page 279 of 312
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Page 279 of 312
532
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
may have on various aspects of Hong Kong's natural scenic beauty:———
(a) Stone quarrying and excavation.
(b) The building of unsightly, multi-storey buildings
which obscure the scenery from the road and which look equally ugly and out of place from the sea. (c) The excavating and dredging of sand from some of
the beaches or close to the beaches?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS replied as follows:-
I can assure the Council that before any permission is given to quarry stone in the urban areas, very careful considera- tion is given to the deleterious effect such works may have on natural scenic beauty. Wherever possible, workings are sited so as to be screened from nearby roads and this has been achieved with the two new quarry sites on Hong Kong Island at Chung Hom Kok and Shek O Road. It is, however, not always possible to screen the workings from both land and sea and, in such circumstances, it seems preferable to preserve the view from the land. In the area surrounding Kowloon, it has not been possible to locate all quarries out of sight, but these have generally been sited close together in selected areas which restricts the overall effect on amenities. I might add that with the ever-increasing programme of private building and of public works, there is a constant demand for stone quarries which Government is obliged to meet if construc- tion is to proceed.
Earthwork scars on hillsides from site formation works are generally temporary, since tipped embankments are usually turfed or planted on completion in order to protect them from erosion, and cutting slopes and quarry faces tend to blend into the hillsides as they age.
In so far as the construction of multi-storey buildings is con- cerned one has to reconcile the desirability of limiting or even refusing development in certain areas with the ever- present demand for living accommodation. However, every endeavour is made to preserve views in areas of special scenic amenity such as Tai Po Road, Repulse Bay Road, and the skyline of Hong Kong Island, wherever the conditions of Crown Leases confer the necessary powers or where new leases are being granted. Where lots held under leases granted many years ago come to be redeveloped, it is often found that the Lease Conditions do not permit of any special control over the height,
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
533
disposition and design of the new buildings. The Build- ings Ordinance does not give the Building Authority any powers of aesthetic or amenity control.
The Sand Monopoly is controlled by the Government Stores Department and I can assure the Council that care is taken to see that sand workings should not interfere with the natural beauty of beaches nor the enjoyment of designated bathing beaches.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Does not Section, I think it is Section 9(1)(f), of the Buildings Ordinance give the Building Authority effective con- trol by allowing him to reject plans which do not conform with the buildings of a similar height in the neighbourhood?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-It is Section 9B(1)(f), which is engraved on my heart. (Laughter). The wording is that he may refuse plans if they differ in character with buildings in the vicinity, but it is, one might say, rather vague. Whether or not it should or can be used, I have no doubt that the intention of that Section of the Ordinance was not to give the Building Authority powers over aesthetics or amenity.
MR. SALES-Sir, may I, through you, draw the attention of the Director of Public Works to the development which is taking place along Lung Cheung Road in Kowloon (Foothills Road) where evidently it is desirable to preserve some sort of amenity. One building in question has well exceeded the height of the road and I am wondering whether that is in character with the general development of the area, as it has been my understanding all along that it would be developed as a scenic area for Kowloon.
MR. FUNG HON-CHU: --Mr. Chairman, I also would like to point out that there is a multi-storey building coming up from Bowen Road which is higher than the road level of Magazine Gap Road. I think this is something which should be avoided and I would like to know whether the Director of Public Works has any intention to amend this Ordinance.
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: -Mr. Chairman, I can see myself having to talk for the next 15 minutes or half an hour if I am going to answer all these questions. (Laughter). In connexion with Lung Cheung Road, I had no idea that it was ever intended that Lung Cheung Road should be a scenic road. I think there will be some areas of Lung Cheung Road which will remain open for viewing, and certainly where there are viewing platforms or seats, I think we should try hard to maintain a few of them, but I should inform you, Sir, that I am hoping that within 3 or 4 years' time there will be a vast resettle- ment estate rising on the south side of Lung Cheung Road. I hope that nobody in this Council is going to attack me about this, but I hope to get about 150,000 people sited there. Tenders have just been called
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