Chief Executive Carrie Lam released her last "Policy Address" in October last year, proposing a development strategy for the construction of the "Northern Metropolis", including the formulation and implementation of active conservation, such as the government's recovery of private wetlands and fish ponds, and the construction of three wetlands. Land Conservation Parks, including Nam Sang Wai, Sam Po Shue and Ho Hok Wai Wetland Conservation Parks.
However, this plan has not yet been "launched", and there are immediate uncertainties - the Nan Sang Wai "Twin Harmony" development plan that Henderson Land and Fu Laorong's family were rejected by the Town Planning Board in 2015 has recently been upheld. The development project covers The scope of Nam Sang Wai Wetland Conservation Park.
This situation means that there will be more changes in the ecological development of the "Northern Metropolitan Area". If the government does not speed up the land resumption process, it may become an "empty promise" that cannot be fully realized.
Henderson Land and the Fu Laorong family hold at least 95 hectares of land in Nam Sang Wai, which was originally held by "Nam Sang Wai Construction Co., Ltd.", and they have been striving for development since 1965.
In 2015, the developer proposed a "twin-life co-integration" development plan, which was expected to build 2,500 units. It was rejected by the Town Planning Board in 2015 and 2016, until it was ruled by the Town Planning Board's Appeal Committee on December 31 last year that it was conditional To be successful, 15 technical conditions must be met, including ecological assessment, environmental impact assessment, and traffic impact assessment.
The Town Planning Board's ruling pointed out that the planning objectives were clear and aimed at "conserving and enhancing the ecological value and the functions of existing fish ponds or wetlands", and the development scope was only low-density residential, occupying only 5% to 10% of the site.
The award also pointed out that the proponent will submit a long-term maintenance and management plan, and there are feasible ways to avoid, reduce and compensate for potential impacts such as ecology and vision.
"Twin Harmony" spokesperson Wen Wenyi said that the approval of the plan is to help the government implement the plan of the "Northern Metropolis" ahead of schedule, and the developer will fully bear the expenses for wetland conservation, which can conserve 154.4 hectares of wetlands. It can also save the billions of dollars in land premiums paid to them.
The reed bed habitat occupies 40% of the total area of Nam Sang Wai and is the largest reed bed in Hong Kong. The residential development of the project will be built on the reed bed.
(Photo by Zheng Zifeng)
It is difficult to have an effect without a net loss
However, the plan may not be as flawless as the developers say, and it may even pose a threat to the Nam Sang Wai wetlands.
The five-member Appeal Committee passed the appeal decision by a vote of 3 to 2, which shows that the plan is still controversial.
In fact, society has reservations about the outcome of the ruling.
For example, the panel of appeals considered that the ecological sensitivity of the development project is relatively low, but Nam Sang Wai has always been a place for a large number of migratory birds to feed, and the project is also adjacent to the Shan Bei River where a large number of water birds live. It is so suitable, it may even become another "Long Mei Beach".
The environmental protection group Changchun Society expressly opposes the plan, arguing that the reed bed habitat accounts for 40% of the total area of Nam Sang Wai and is the largest reed bed in Hong Kong. If it is developed into a residential project, it will affect the birds that inhabit the area.
In addition, the developer emphasizes that habitat compensation will be made on the edge of the fish pond, so that the "twin harmony" can achieve "no net-loss"; however, the effect of habitat compensation in Hong Kong has never been satisfactory, even at the edge of the pond. Replanting the reed bed will also make it difficult to ensure that the reed bed can be formed, and the developer needs to invest resources for long-term maintenance and research.
The Changchun Society also pointed out that the developer's habitat compensation plan could not make up for the humanistic and landscape value of the native reed beds.
In addition, the developer claims that the government can conserve 154.4 hectares of wetlands, but this "sounding" reason has been "speaking out" by the Hong Kong Wetland Conservation Association - they estimate that if the project is approved for development, there will be about 11.6 hectares in the area Wetland loss, affecting the integrity of Deep Bay.
Most of the tourists will take outings in Nanshengwei during holidays to appreciate its landscape. Changchun Society believes that the developer's habitat compensation plan cannot make up for the humanistic and landscape value of the original reed beds.
(Photo by Liang Mingkang)
It is worth mentioning that the developer submitted a planning application to the Town Planning Board in December 2012, proposing to use 49.21 hectares of land to build 960 village houses and 5 buildings for 4,480 people to live in, but was rejected by the Town Planning Board. Negative; the developer subsequently submitted a planning application in 2015 to change the usable area to 11.6 hectares for the construction of 140 village houses and 29 buildings, which can accommodate 6,500 people, and then reduced by 10 units and 1 building after revision Building, the capacity remains unchanged.
The problem is that although the area used by developers has decreased, the floor area has not decreased, and the population density has increased. This kind of "numbers game" can't help but worry about the sincerity of developers in conservation, because as more people live, it will affect the surrounding environment. will be bigger.
land consolidation plan as soon as possible
What is more noteworthy is that such individual development projects not only affect the integrity of wetlands, but also affect the overall planning of the "Northern Metropolis".
At present, the problems of insufficient community facilities and separation of work and residence in Hong Kong are partly caused by the "pin-in" development projects of the government and developers.
According to the "Northern Metropolitan Area Development Strategy", the "Overall Principles and Objectives" have "Four New Spirits", one of which focuses on "Policy Innovation" - which means jumping out of the traditional framework of "project-led" and "government-led, community-building" The way of thinking and operation enables the entire northern New Territories to carry out complete planning, so that the economic and social development of the area will be more balanced.
In all fairness, this planning concept is indeed an "out-of-the-ordinary" attempt, and it is also a planning model that the government should implement. It is expected to make urban planning more balanced, and citizens can live in healthier communities with sufficient job opportunities.
Individual developments such as Fu's affect not only the integrity of the wetlands, but also the overall planning of the "Northern Metropolis".
(Photo by Lu Yiming)
However, if the government adopts a "tacit approval" attitude towards the Fu Shi Nan Sheng Wai project, it may reflect the government's failure to adhere to the concept of "master planning" and return the "northern metropolitan area" to a "project-led" model.
According to the "Twin Harmony" plan and the wetland park map of the "Northern Metropolitan Area", the developer's land occupies 25% of the originally planned area of the Nan Sang Wai Wetland Park, and the developer will build buildings in the middle of the conservation area, that is, the current area. There may not be enough community facilities and job opportunities nearby, and based on the principle of conservation, it is difficult for the government to set up large-scale transportation infrastructure, which will lead to inconvenience for residents to enter and exit.
Furthermore, when the government allows the construction of such projects, it is equivalent to "giving the green light" to other developers, and other developers have the opportunity to submit land rezoning applications to the Town Planning Board before the government reclaims the land, adding more features to the development of the "Northern Metropolis". How many uncertainties.
If the Government wants the "Northern Metropolitan Area" to succeed, it should not allow developers to continue implementing such "pin-in" projects, but should take back the land as soon as possible for overall planning.
As for Fu's land in Nam Sang Wai, the government should take back the land before the land use is rezoned, so as to reduce the cost of land premium.
If conservation is required, the entire piece of land should be preserved “in good condition”; if development is required, part of the land can be handed over to the developer to build housing after the planning is completed.
The "Northern Metropolitan Region" is the beautiful vision that the citizens have longed for, and it is also the best opportunity to balance "development and conservation".