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1.
Democrats demand reappraisal of hub
plan
1. Democrats demand reappraisal of hub plan
AMBROSE
LEUNG and CARRIE CHAN, SCMP 18 November 2004
The
Democratic Party yesterday urged the government to overhaul the
plan allowing developers to build a cultural hub and residential
buildings in West Kowloon.
The
party called for a fresh start to the project after a thorough public
consultation.
But
a government official said that during earlier consultation sessions,
no opposition had been voiced to the mammoth project.
However,
critics have raised grave doubts over the current plan, saying it
lacks public input. The government has shortlisted three leading
conglomerates to submit development plans.
Albert
Ho Chun-yan, vice-chairman of the Democratic Party, said a letter
had been sent to Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands Michael
Suen Ming-yeung asking for the project to be halted.
Mr
Ho said it should be restarted after statutory public consultation
to give people a greater say in how the area was developed.
"The
present plan lacks public participation and transparency, and the
government must start again from the beginning."
He
said the project had loopholes which would enable developers to
build high-density residential buildings which would damage the
image of the proposed cultural hub.
Mr
Ho said a group of experts formed by the Democrats would continue
to monitor the situation.
Vincent
Fung Hao-yin, principal assistant secretary at the Home Affairs
Bureau, said the government had carried out a public consultation
on the West Kowloon cultural district in 2002 but attendance was
poor.
"We
held about six consultative sessions at the Central Library. Only
a maximum of 10 people showed up. I was an assistant to [Secretary
for Home Affairs] Patrick Ho Chi-ping at that time. Dr Ho was having
a one-on-one conversation with those attending."
Mr
Fung said he had seen no criticism of the project.
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