ENG-2010 — Page 285

Infrastructure Development and Heritage Conservation 235

of the historic sites/buildings and the appropriate forms of economic incentives where necessary;

(b) CHO approved nine applications from private owners of graded historic

buildings for financial assistance to maintain their buildings; and

(c) CHO reached agreement with the owner on a preservation-cum- redevelopment proposal where the front portion of a Grade 3 historic building at 179 Prince Edward Road West would be preserved and the rear portion demolished for commercial redevelopment as originally planned by the owner. The Town Planning Board approved a minor relaxation of the plot ratio taking into account the loss of the floor area for preservation while the owner undertook to revitalise part of the preserved area to display the history of the building at his own initiative.

Public Engagement and Publicity

The bureau ran a series of programmes to reach out to the community through listening to public views and working with stakeholders to enhance interaction between the Government and the community.

In 2010, the bureau organised a series of publicity and public education. activities, including:

(a) Free guided heritage tours in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui for 500 low-income families from April to November 2010, with a total attendance of over 2 000;

(b) Barrier-free guided heritage tours for the disabled from November 2010 to

March 2011;

(c) Tai Tam Waterworks heritage tours (Part II) for schools from December

2010 to April 2011;

(d) A teaching kit on heritage conservation targeting secondary school teachers of Liberal Studies was produced and distributed for free to all secondary schools in Hong Kong in November 2010;

(e) A heritage tourism expo from December 2010 to mid-2011 featuring six heritage tour routes in Hong Kong. A booklet was also published for distribution at the event; and

(f)

A symposium on the heritage tourism organised in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong in December 2010 to coincide with the heritage tourism expo.

The dedicated government website on heritage conservation (www.heritage. gov.hk) launched in January 2008 has received more than 900 000 visits. Since June 2008, the bureau also published a bimonthly newsletter L@Heritage' featuring topics of public concern and explaining the work of the Commissioner for Heritage's Office. Over 150 000 printed copies had been distributed by the end of 2010.

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