1 Greens renew attack on Tsuen Wan 'wall'
Dennis Chong, SCMP 14 July 2008
An environmental group has criticised the government for not heeding its calls to reduce building densities at Tsuen Wan West's developments.
Green Sense said the quality of life for about 70,000 Tsuen Wan residents could be at stake if 22 residential buildings and hotels were built along the waterfront, creating a wall 1km long blocking airflow.
Group chairman Roy Tam Hoi-pong said the Town Planning Board had agreed to the master layout plan of the project near Tsuen Wan West station, which included 20 residential buildings and two hotels.
The group wants the authorities to scale down the development projects by nine tower blocks, a move that Mr Tam said would create an 80-metre corridor for ventilation.
While he could not estimate the decrease in value of the plots that would result from the reduction, he said the move would bring long-term benefits for people's well-being.
"I think the health of the citizens is more important. When the government has such a surplus, it is important to consider carefully projects that could bring permanent damage to the community," he said.
The group also plans to apply for the rezoning of a hotel project at Lot 393 Yeung Uk Road to open space. He said a high-rise hotel would add to the so-called wall effect created by the row of buildings being planned along the coast.
The group has opposed the construction of high-rises packed in rows, a style often used so that buildings share the best view, saying the long-time approach to the city's development would harm the city in the long run by pushing up temperatures and decreasing ventilation.
Mr Tam said the government had ignored the group's call for scaling down the Tsuen Wan West project while having agreed to reduce density in other railway property projects in Yuen Long and Nam Cheong.
He said it was necessary for the authorities to review the development plan, even though it had been approved by the Town Planning Board, because the plan was approved when the consequences of wall effects was not well known.
