Minutes of the 4Th Meeting of the Committee on Land Development, Housing and Works
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North District Council (2020-2023) Minutes of the 4th Meeting of the Committee on Land Development, Housing and Works Date : 21 September 2020 (Monday) Time : 9:35 a.m. Venue : North District Council Conference Room Present: Chairman Mr CHAN, Vincent Chi-fung* Vice Chairman Mr CHEUNG Chun-wai (9:41 a.m. – 12:04 p.m.) Members Mr LI Kwok-fung (9:35 a.m. – 10:46 a.m.) Ms LAM Shuk-ching* Mr CHOW Kam-ho* Mr HAU Chi-keung (9:35 a.m. – 11:11 a.m.) Mr HAU Fuk-tat, Simon* Mr YUEN Ho-lun (9:37 a.m. – 12:04 p.m.) Ms CHAN Yuet-ming (9:37 a.m. – 12:04 p.m.) Mr CHAN Wai-tat* Mr KWOK Long-fung (9:35 a.m. – 11:27 a.m.) Mr KO Wai-kei (9:43 a.m. – 12:04 p.m.) Mr CHEUNG Ching-ho, Franco* Mr WAN Wo-tat, Warwick* Ms WONG Hoi-ying* Mr LAU Ki-fung (10:14 a.m. – 12:04 p.m.) Mr CHIANG Man-ching (9:37 a.m. – 12:04 p.m.) Mr LAW Ting-tak* Action Secretary Miss LEE Justine Michelle Executive Officer (District Council)1, North District Office Remarks: * Members who attended the whole meeting ( ) Time of attendance of Members In Attendance: Ms KWONG Ting-lok, Maggie Assistant District Officer (North)1, Home Affairs Department Miss LAM Tsz-yan, Gloria Assistant District Officer (North)2, Home Affairs Department Miss AU Lok-yi, Chloe Executive Officer I (District Council)2, North District Office Mr CHAN Kim-wai, Wilson Senior Estate Surveyor/N2 (District Lands Office, North), Lands Department Mr FUNG Mo-yeung, Patrick Senior Town Planner/Fanling, Sheung Shui 1, Planning Department Ms HO Ming-yan Engineer/North 4, Drainage Services Department Mr CHEUNG Kwok-wai, William Engineer/3(North), Civil Engineering and Development Department Mrs CHIU TSE Shuk-yin Senior Housing Manager/TNS2, Housing Department Mr WONG Sau-tak, Michael Senior Structural Engineer/C5, Buildings Department Ms KONG Tsz-yan Engineer/NTE (Distribution 2), Water Supplies Department Ms IP Yuk-mei, Eunice Senior Liaison Officer (1), North District Office Mr CHAN Kai-shing Senior Inspector of Works (1), North District Office Mr LAU Sai-cheung Senior Inspector of Works (2), North District Office Item 4 2 Action Mr TSANG Chi-ming, Rick Senior Estate Surveyor/N3 (District Lands Office, North), Lands Department Item 5 Ms TSANG Chui-shan, Jocelyn Engineer/North 2, Transport Department Mr FUNG Tin-yin, Tim Senior Town Planner/North, Planning Department Absent: Mr LEE Koon-hung, MH Ms LAM Tsz-king Mr CHAN Yuk-ming Opening Remarks The Chairman welcomed Members and representatives of government departments to the 4th meeting of the Committee on Land Development, Housing and Works (“the Committee”) of the North District Council (“NDC”). 2. The Chairman said that the Secretariat received a notification from the Highways Department (“HyD”), which indicated that almost all the discussion items of the Committee meetings were not related to matters under the purview of the HyD and under normal circumstances, it would be more appropriate to discuss issues related to the HyD at meetings of the Committee on Traffic and Transport. Therefore, the HyD would no longer send representatives to the Committee as permanent departmental representatives and would only send representatives to meetings of the Committee where necessary. 3. The Committee noted the above arrangement. 4. The Chairman continued that two Members had applied for leave from this meeting. Mr LEE Koon-hung was unable to attend this meeting as he had to attend a meeting of the New Territories Heung Yee Kuk. Since his ground for absence conformed to the provisions of the NDC 3 Action Standing Orders (“Standing Orders”), the Committee approved his application for absence. Besides, Mr CHAN Yuk-ming was unable to attend this meeting as he had to attend a meeting of the Selection Panel (Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme and Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme) under the Transport and Housing Bureau. Since his ground for absence did not conform to the provisions of the Standing Orders, the Chairman recommended that the Committee should not approve his application for absence. 5. Mr CHAN Wai-tat questioned why approval was not given to Mr CHAN Yuk-ming’s application for absence as he attended the meeting concerned on behalf of the District Council (“DC”). 6. The Secretary said that the Secretariat would follow up with Mr CHAN Yuk-ming after the meeting to ascertain whether his ground for Secretariat absence conformed to the conditions specified in the Standing Orders. (Post-meeting note: The Secretariat followed up with Mr CHAN Yuk-ming after the meeting and was informed that he attended the meeting concerned on behalf of the NDC.) Item 1 - Confirmation of Minutes of the 3rd Meeting held on 18 May 2020 7. The Committee confirmed the minutes of the 3rd meeting. (Mr YUEN Ho-lun, Ms CHAN Yuet-ming and Mr CHIANG Man-ching joined the meeting at this juncture.) Item 2 - Proposal: Explore the Feasibility of Constructing an Elderly Centre/Car Park Complex at the Carpark Site in Ching Ho Estate (Paper No. 22/2020) 8. Mr YUEN Ho-lun presented Paper No. 22/2020. He suggested that relevant departments should construct a complex, including two storeys for a car park and a storey designated for an elderly centre, in the carpark site in Ching Ho Estate to make optimal use of land resources. 9. The Chairman said that the Housing Department (“HD”) had already submitted a written response to the Proposal. He asked whether the departmental representative had any additions. 4 Action 10. Mrs CHIU TSE Shuk-yin said that the permitted plot ratio of Ching Ho Estate was calculated based on the gross floor area (“GFA”) of the whole housing estate. Therefore, when considering the development project at Fanling Area 36 Phase 4, the department had already made optimal use of the permissible plot ratio of Ching Ho Estate while complying with the site restrictions. At this stage, there was not any additional GFA to construct the complex as proposed by Mr YUEN Ho-lun. (Mr CHEUNG Chun-wai joined the meeting at this juncture.) 11. Mr YUEN Ho-lun said that he was not clear about the initial design concept of Ching Ho Estate. Although the relevant departments claimed that Ching Ho Estate was designed with an environmentally friendly concept, he could not understand why the ancillary facilities in Tin Ping Estate were better than that in Ching Ho Estate. In Tin Ping Estate, there was space for the provision of kindergartens or community centres on the ground floor of each building. However, in respect of Ching Ho Estate, only the ground floors of two buildings provided space for such purposes. The community centre in Ching Ho Estate was unable to meet the needs of 4 000 elderly in the estate. Moreover, the design of the shopping centre was poor, coupled with a few food premises and inadequate ancillary facilities. He could not understand why ancillary facilities could not be constructed in the development at Phase 4. When he proposed to provide ancillary facilities at other sites, the relevant departments replied that it was impossible to do so. Currently, the elderly relied on the two elderly centres in Tin Ping Estate and Choi Yuen Estate. However, staff of these two elderly centres could not visit the elderly in Ching Ho Estate frequently whereas the elderly in Ching Ho Estate might not be able to visit these two elderly centres often. Under such circumstances, he wanted to know how these 4 000 elderly could be served where necessary. (Mr KO Wai-kei joined the meeting at this juncture.) 12. Mrs CHIU TSE Shuk-yin said that she understood the concerns of Mr YUEN Ho-lun. She said that the HD had already conducted relevant technical assessments when considering the development project at Fanling Area 36 Phase 4. The assessments showed that it was impossible to construct the proposed complex. Since there were similar facilities in Tin Ping Estate, Tai Ping Estate, Choi Yuen Estate and Cheung Lung Wai Estate, she believed that the elderly in Ching Ho Estate could make use of nearby ancillary facilities. 13. Mr Franco CHEUNG hoped to know when the technical assessments for the development project were completed and why amendments could not be made to the assessment results. 5 Action 14. Mrs CHIU TSE Shuk-yin responded that each development project would take five years or above to complete. When planning for the facilities in Ching Ho Estate, the department had already considered the overall situation of the surrounding environment. 15. Mr Franco CHEUNG understood that the relevant departments determined that it was impossible to construct the complex as proposed by Mr YUEN Ho-lun based on the assessment results. Nevertheless, he considered the number of elderly centres inadequate. If it was adequate, the Social Welfare Department would not have informed the DC that funding was required to purchase private facilities for the establishment of elderly centres. He said that since the department could not change its decision upon completion of the technical assessments, he would not support the public housing development project at Fanling Area 48 (“development project at Area 48”). Back then, the departmental representatives highlighted that the department could only provide assessment and design reports if funding was approved; however, he was now aware that amendments could not be made to the contents of the assessment and design reports. Therefore, he would not support the development project at Area 48 before alterations had been made to Ching Ho Estate.