| News
Stories: |
 |
Click-on
these handy "jump links" to quickly access the news item
you're
looking for.
1.Developer
questions consultation on hub
1. Developer questions consultation on hub
PATSY MOY, SCMP 3 October 2005
One
of the bidders for the West Kowloon Cultural District has questioned
the credibility of the government consultation on the project, the
result of which is due to be announced this week.
A
spokeswoman for developer Henderson Land said it was "optional"
for participants in the consultation to declare whether they were
connected to bidders for the project.
"Also,
we are aware that some corporations used buses to send some `related'
people to the West Kowloon Cultural District project exhibition
halls and those visitors had also filled out the consultation forms,"
the spokeswoman said.
"So,
we really question the neutrality of the public consultation."
The
government conducted a six-month public consultation on the cultural
district project. It also held exhibitions on the three shortlisted
bids to enable the public to comment on them.
More
than 215,000 visits were recorded at the exhibitions at City Hall,
the Science Museum and the Heritage Museum since December last year.
Visitors were asked to give their opinions by filling in a questionnaire.
The
results of the six-month public consultation are expected to be
announced on Friday at a meeting of the Legislative Council's House
Committee.
The
South China Morning Post reported last month that Henderson Land
- one of the three bidders for the project through its subsidiary,
World City Cultural Park - had the lowest plot ratio of the contenders
and was prepared to reduce it further.
Plot
ratio defines the total floor area of buildings allowed to be built
on a site and is calculated by dividing the net floor area of all
buildings by the net site area.
But
the spokeswoman said that the developer did not have plans to take
further action despite its discontent with the way the consultation
was carried out.
"We
just want to express our view," she added. | 
