Minutes of the 20th Meeting of the

Date : 10 September 2015 (Thursday) Time : 2:30 pm Venue : Eastern District Council Conference Room

Present Time of Arrival Time of Departure (pm) (pm) Mr TING Kong-ho, Eddie 2:30 end of meeting Mr KONG Chack-ho, Alex, MH 3:45 end of meeting Mr HO Ngai-kam, Stanley 2:30 end of meeting Mr LEE Man-lung, Joey 2:30 end of meeting Mr LEE Yu-tai, Desmond, MH 2:30 3:10 Ms LI Chun-chau 2:30 end of meeting Mr LI Hon-shing, Michael, BBS, JP 3:00 end of meeting Mr LEE Chun-keung 2:30 end of meeting Mr TO Boon-man, Daniel 2:30 end of meeting Dr CHOW Kit-bing, Jennifer, BBS, MH 2:30 end of meeting Ms LAM Chui-lin, Alice, MH 2:40 end of meeting Mr SHIU Ka-fai 2:30 end of meeting Mr HUNG Lin-cham 2:45 end of meeting Mr CHEUNG Kwok-cheong, Howard 2:30 end of meeting Mr LEUNG Siu-sun, Patrick 2:30 end of meeting Mr LEUNG Chi-kong 2:30 end of meeting Mr LEUNG Kwok-hung 2:30 end of meeting Mr HUI Lam-hing 2:30 4:25 Mr HUI Ka-hoo, BBS, MH 2:30 end of meeting Mr KWOK Wai-keung, Aron 2:30 end of meeting Ms CHAN Hang 2:30 end of meeting Mr CHAN Kai-yuen 2:30 end of meeting Ms CHAN Oi-kwan, MH 2:30 3:35 Mr FU Yuen-cheung, Alexander 2:30 5:00 Ms LO Tip-chun, MH 2:30 end of meeting Ms FONG Choi-peng, MH 2:30 end of meeting Mr WONG Kin-pan, MH, JP (Chairman) 2:30 end of meeting Mr WONG Kin-hing 2:30 end of meeting Mr CHIU Ka-yin, Andrew 2:30 end of meeting Mr CHIU Chi-keung 2:30 end of meeting Mr LAU Hing-yeung 2:45 end of meeting

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Ms CHOY So-yuk, BBS, JP 2:40 5:15 Mr CHENG Chi-sing 2:30 end of meeting Mr LAI Chi-keong, Joseph 2:40 end of meeting Mr TSE Tsz-kei, Marcus 2:30 end of meeting Mr Shu-kun, 2:30 4:00 Christopher, BBS, MH, JP Mr NGAN Chun-lim, MH 2:30 end of meeting Mr LO Wing-kwan, Frankie, MH 3:10 end of meeting Mr KWAN Shui-lung 2:30 end of meeting Mr KUNG Pak-cheung, MH 2:30 end of meeting (Vice-chairman)

Absent with Apologies

Mr HUI Ching-on Mr YEUNG Wai-sing, MH Dr CHENG Shing-fung, Baldwin (absent with consent)

In Regular Attendance (Government Representatives)

Ms TENG Yu-yan, Anne, JP District Officer (Eastern), Eastern District Office Ms AU Tsz-kwan, Fiona Assistant District Officer (Eastern) 1, Eastern District Office Mr LAI Ho-chun, Samuel Assistant District Officer (Eastern) 2, Eastern District Office Ms MAK Mei-kuen, Rebecca Senior Executive Officer (District Management), Eastern District Office Ms TANG Yuet-kum, Rosanna Senior Liaison Officer (1), Eastern District Office Mr LAU Wai-lun, Eddie Senior Liaison Officer (2), Eastern District Office Mr LAM Kang-fuk District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Eastern), Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Mr WONG Yuet-chung Senior Housing Manager/KWH3, Housing Department Mr Nelson CHAN Chief Transport Officer/ Island, Transport Department Mr LIU Wai-shing, Simon Chief Leisure Manager (Hong Kong East), Leisure and Cultural Services Department Ms LOK Mee-mee, Mimi District Leisure Manager (Eastern), Leisure and Cultural Services Department

2 Mr Graham MITCHELMORE District Commander (Eastern District), Hong Kong Police Force Mr KU Siu-fai Police Community Relations Officer (Eastern District), Hong Kong Police Force

In Attendance by Invitation (Representatives from the Government and Organisations)

Mr LING Kar-kan, JP Director of Planning, Planning Department Ms KIANG Kam-yin, Ginger District Planning Officer/Hong Kong, Planning Department Ms LAI Wai-shan, Irene Senior Town Planner/Hong Kong 2, Planning Department Mr TONG Ka-hung, Edwin, JP Director of Drainage Services, Drainage Services Department Mr TSANG Kwok-leung, Anthony Chief Engineer/Harbour Area Treatment Scheme, Drainage Services Department Mr LI Kwong-ho, John Chief Engineer/Hong Kong and Islands, Drainage Services Department

Secretary

Ms CHAN Bun, Vivien Senior Executive Officer (District Council), Eastern District Office

Opening Remarks

The Chairman welcomed all Councillors and government representatives, in particular Mr LING Kar-kan, JP, Director of Planning; Ms Ginger KIANG, District Planning Officer/Hong Kong; and Ms Irene LAI, Senior Town Planner/Hong Kong 2 to the meeting.

I. Confirmation of Minutes of the Nineteenth Eastern District Council Meeting

2. The minutes were confirmed without amendment.

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II. Director of Planning to Meet Eastern District Council Members

3. The Chairman welcomed Mr LING Ka-kan, JP, Director of Planning; Ms Ginger KIANG, District Planning Officer/Hong Kong; and Ms Irene LAI, Senior Town Planner/Hong Kong 2 to the meeting.

4. Mr LING Ka-kan, JP, Director of Planning, briefed the Councillors about the work of the Planning Department (PD).

5. 25 Councillors expressed their views and raised questions as follows:

(a) Mr Eddie TING said that a reconstructed commercial building in Quarry Bay was too tall, and worried that the same situation would arise and the air circulation of the area would be affected when another factory building was rebuilt in the future. He hoped that the PD would promise to protect the ridgelines of the area and limit the height of reconstructed buildings to not more than 100 metres. Regarding the provision of open space for residents in the reconstruction of Taikoo Place as mentioned by the PD, he said that no relevant planning had been carried out yet and hoped that the PD would monitor the developer’s performance in carrying out the promise.

(b) Mr Stanley HO said that the application for converting a warehouse building in into a columbarium had been withdrawn recently due to opposition by many residents, but the applicant clearly stated that a new application would be submitted after the scale of development had been reduced. Although according to the existing mechanism, only the owners’ corporations or committees of a small number of affected buildings in the vicinity had to be consulted, the residents expressed great concern as the application would also affect Chai Wan. He hoped that the PD would inform the residents as soon as possible after receiving the application so as to collect their views.

(c) Ms LI Chun-chau said that there was relatively less public green space in Chai Wan and suggested that consultation should be carried out to find out the needs of nearby residents and the impact on traffic and environment should also be taken into account if there was a need to change the use of green land in the future. In addition, according to her, it was understood that the public had demand for niches, but the

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opinions of nearby residents were also very important. If the impact was great, the PD should seriously consider the application, particularly the impact on environment, traffic and so on.

(d) Mr Daniel TO said that the Victoria Park constituency would be transferred to Wan Chai District and hoped that the PD would relax planning standards and build a public swimming pool in Aldrich Bay according to the needs of the residents in Eastern District. He also said that there was less and less temporary land for parking, but had huge demand for parking spaces for large vehicles. He hoped that the PD would provide car parks in newly-constructed buildings. He said that every resident in a city could enjoy 1.5m2 of green space currently and hoped that the space could be increased to 2m2 in the future. He also hoped that the Government could preserve green areas as buffers for country parks and would not use the land for building development.

(e) Ms Alice LAM said that a lot of land in Shek O could be used for construction of buildings and hoped that the PD would conduct a study on construction of a Mass Transit Railway (MTR) extension in that area via Siu Sai Wan. She said that many government departments were using the temporary land in Eastern District and hoped that the PD would assist those departments in identifying permanent land as soon as possible, so there was no need for them to move frequently. Besides, she hoped that the PD would consider providing appropriate number of car parks in its future planning. She pointed out that around 24% of the residents of Eastern District worked in the district. She hoped that a similar proportion of residents of Eastern District could benefit from the provision of niches in Eastern District.

(f) Mr SHIU Ka-fai agreed that town planning was very important and the PD should reflect objective opinions; for example, the traffic congestion at Braemar Hill, Jardine’s Lookout or Southern District was totally caused by schools in the areas. He asked whether the PD had given objective opinions during the approval of the development of the schools concerned, particularly the impact of development on the traffic at the areas. He noted that the Government intended to use three sites at Braemar Hill for construction of residential buildings and hoped that the PD could provide objective and professional advice. On identifying land for construction of residential buildings, he said

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that options as reclamation or development of Lantau Island should be considered.

(g) Mr HUNG Lin-cham said that since there was a prolonged lack of public space and open space in , the residents had high expectation of the harbourfront development of that area. The Government had started to conduct a planning study on the harbourfront of Eastern District a few years before and public engagement exercises had been conducted to listen to public views and find out public needs in the current year. He asked why the works had not been carried out and when the residents could use harbourfront facilities, and hoped that the PD could expedite the progress.

(h) Mr Patrick LEUNG asked when the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) would be amended, when the latest amendment had been made, whether only the number of residents would be considered and whether factors as age or ageing population would be considered. He said that construction of a swimming pool in Eastern District should be expedited due to ageing population, and hoped that the planning standards could change with the times. He said that though the population growth of Eastern District was not great, the residents wanted to enjoy more space. In addition, he asked about the details of the cases in which applications were made for using residential land in Eastern District to build commercial buildings or hotels. He hoped that the PD would consider such applications seriously to ensure provision of sufficient land to build residential flats in Hong Kong.

(i) Mr David LEUNG expressed concern about the conversion of a warehouse building in Chai Wan into a columbarium. He hoped that the PD would consider the application seriously and give priority to tackling environmental and traffic problems which were of the utmost concern to the residents of Siu Sai Wan. He also said that there was a prolonged lack of car parks in Siu Sai Wan which resulted in extremely serious illegal parking, and that the problem might be caused by insufficient planning of ancillary facilities. He hoped that the PD would consider solutions seriously.

(j) Mr Aron KWOK said that the transfer of Tin Hau and Victoria Park constituencies to Wan Chai District would reduce the open space of

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Eastern District and hoped that the PD would seek ways to provide more open space for residents. According to him, many owners of large vehicles hoped that their vehicles could be parked near their residential flats, so he hoped that the PD would discuss with the Transport Department (TD) to consider providing parking spaces for medium or large vehicles at the planning stage. He asked whether modern elements would be incorporated into North Point Ferry Pier to attract people after the completion of the private development project at the site of former North Point Estate.

(k) Mr HUI Ka-hoo said that the problem of illegal parking in Eastern District was serious. In particular, the close of temporary car parks had a very great impact on large vehicles and newly-constructed buildings were only required to provide appropriate number of parking spaces for private cars, the demand of parking spaces for large vehicles were not catered for, so he hoped that the PD would take into account the provision of ancillary facilities for large vehicles when considering district development. Since such problem started to arise in other districts, he hoped that the PD would conduct a comprehensive review on the car park policy.

(l) Mr CHEUNG Kwok-cheong remarked that the HKPSG was the basis for city design and planning in Hong Kong. Yet there was no information indicating whether a swimming pool could be built in Eastern District after the transfer of Tin Hau and Victoria Park constituencies to Wan Chai District in the next district council (DC) term. He enquired about the detailed procedures for the amendment of the HKPSG, past public consultation (if any), the targets of consultation, the procedures of initiating amendments as well as the ways criteria or amendments were worked out.

(m) Ms CHAN Hang said that the residents knew little about the scope of the Road Redevelopment Project. She pointed out that three schools would be built along Pak Fuk Road and most of the buildings in the vicinity were government and public facilities of two to three storeys in height, such as health centre, library, clinic, etc. She wondered whether that area could be re-planned and a multi-functional complex redeveloped to house the library, community hall, car park, etc. for use of the public.

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(n) Mr CHAN Kai-yuen said that the plot ratio for buildings on had long been higher than those for and the . However, the Government still sought to find land in Eastern District for the development of “pencil buildings”. As agricultural land which had been used for other purposes and land reserved for building “small houses” in the New Territories abounded, the land supply problem could be solved in short order if those land lots could be used effectively and the restriction on the number of storeys to be built be relaxed. He asked whether the PD had any plan to review how those land lots could be used for housing developments or building leisure facilities.

(o) Mr Alexander FU said that Shau Kei Wan had witnessed rapid development in recent years; with its population and number of redevelopment projects both increased greatly. Despite the fact that the quality of life of local residents had been improved, there was still no private hospital in Eastern District to provide service for them. He realised that there was a planning application for the construction of a private hospital in Eastern District and would like to know about the application progress. He hoped that the hospital concerned could come into operation as soon as possible.

(p) Mr WONG Kin-hing said that the residents of Siu Sai Wan understood the urgent need for Hong Kong to build more niches, yet Chai Wan had already hosted so many graveyards and niches that the approval of converting a warehouse building at Chai Wan into a columbarium would gravely affect the traffic of Chai Wan. Local residents had deep misgivings about that. He said that the public consultation procedures, which were unfair to the public, had been skewed toward developers. He hoped the PD would review the regulations, reject applications for change of land use of Chai Wan industrial area as well as upholding the policy to revitalise industrial buildings and cease granting approval for developers to change the use of industrial buildings at will.

(q) Mr Andrew CHIU deemed the HKPSG obsolete and hoped the PD would review and revise it as soon as possible to address the current needs of residents, for example, to build a swimming pool in Eastern District. He then mentioned the background information of developing the Quarry Bay Promenade at Hoi Yu Street as the

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advanced works for a waterfront promenade and asked when the PD would join hands with other government departments in promoting the development of the waterfront of Quarry Bay. He said that the buildings at the commercial area of Quarry Bay were 20% higher than the ridgelines and hoped the department would avoid granting approval to applications which would block the views to the ridgelines on Hong Kong Island. As the PD had mentioned that developers would be required to provide more public space in redevelopment projects, he asked how the requirement would be implemented.

(r) Mr CHIU Chi-keung opined that the problem of insufficient parking spaces might be due to improper planning in the past. He hoped the PD would improve the planning standards by requiring developers to provide sufficient parking spaces in future developments. He pointed out that illegal parking was rampant at present and most of the vehicles involved were large ones. He urged the PD to discuss with the TD ways to solve the problem.

(s) Ms CHOY So-yuk praised the efforts of the PD in town planning over the years. In view of the shortage of open space in Eastern District, she hoped that the PD would approve the application for constructing a footbridge connecting Tsat Tsz Mui Road and Braemar Hill to allow public access to the open space at Braemar Hill. She considered it a waste of land resources for the space underneath the flyovers of Eastern District being used for placing rubbish bins only, and hoped to model on the practice of other districts by providing the space underneath the flyovers for use of non-profit making organisations. She said that conserved sites could not be used for housing development and hoped the Government would consider transferring the plot ratio of those sites to housing land so as to increase the plot ratio.

(t) Mr CHENG Chi-sing held that it was undisputable for the PD to identify land for residential development to solve the current housing problem. However, the construction of a “pencil building” at a mini soccer pitch and basketball court in North Point was undesirable for the site was small and the original site of a full-sized football pitch had already been developed into a major government building. Although the Government had once undertaken to build a swimming pool in North Point, it backpedalled and said that the proposal would not be

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implemented because the population of the district had fallen short of the requirement of the planning standards. He urged the PD to seriously consider providing swimming pools and soccer pitches in Eastern District.

(u) Mr Joseph LAI said that there were a scrap metal recovery factory, paper recyclers, a refuse transfer station as well as four cemeteries in Chai Wan. Residents hoped the PD would fairly allocate such facilities to various districts during the planning stage. He opined that the application for converting a warehouse in Chai Wan into a columbarium was unreasonable and requested the PD to offer professional advice to the Town Planning Board (TPB) for consideration. In addition, he reflected that the frequent movements of mixer trucks in Chai Wan had caused nuisance.

(v) Mr opined that as there were already some obnoxious facilities, such as a refuse transfer station in the populous Chai Wan area, it could not further accommodate a columbarium. He hoped that the PD would carefully consider the planning of the area and relocate those facilities to remote areas. He was discontented that in spite of residents’ opposition, approval was granted to the construction of buildings on the site of an abandoned bus depot which would affect traffic and the lives of residents. He opined that the designation of Quarry Bay as a commercial district by the PD had affected the lives of local residents since a large number of pedestrians would use the roads connecting to the MTR station during commuting hours. He suggested that developers should provide another passage to the MTR station.

(w) Mr NGAN Chun-lim did not object to the Government’s effort in identifying sites for housing development to solve the housing problem of the grassroots. However, he opposed to the construction of “screen-like buildings” and “pencil buildings” which would curtail open space and adversely affect ventilation, access to natural light and even visual aspects. He indicated that a site of over 10 000 square metres in Aldrich Bay had been left vacant for a long time and proposed to build an indoor swimming pool or a health and fitness complex with a swimming pool and an underground car park therein so as to fully utilise land resources.

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(x) Mr KWAN Shui-lung enquired whether it would be easy to get approval for the application for converting a warehouse in Chai Wan industrial area into a columbarium; and what arrangements would be made to enhance transport and pedestrian facilities in the light of the narrow streets in Chai Wan. He said that the roads in Chai Wan were already very congested during the two grave sweeping festivals, and the problem would be accentuated if a columbarium was built. He urged the PD to consider the needs of residents in Chai Wan and assess the application stringently.

(y) The Chairman indicated that the MTR Quarry Bay Station had reached its full capacity after the redevelopment of Quarry Bay into a commercial area. He hoped the PD would discuss in detail with developers on matters such as alleviation of traffic congestion when planning for the redevelopment of the area in the future. He also mentioned that there was a lack of open space for residents in Eastern District as two sites zoned as “Open Space” had been developed into two major government buildings while the other sites had also been used for hotel and residential developments. He urged the PD to study carefully and reserve space for residents, and work out solutions to the problem of parking spaces for large vehicles and private cars in future planning.

6. Mr LING Kar-kan, JP, Director of Planning, gave a consolidated response to Councillors’ views and enquiries as follows:

(a) The HKPSG was jointly formulated by several government departments. For instance, the standard for parking spaces was mainly drawn up by the TD with reference to the study and considerations on the demand for parking spaces throughout the territory. The PD had constantly collaborated with the relevant departments to keep in view the planning standards, which should be applied flexibly. In the case of adjustment of the district administration boundaries for the next term of DC, residents of the Eastern District could still use Victoria Park.

(b) The PD noted the Eastern District Council’s request for provision of an additional swimming pool in Eastern District, and the LCSD was following up the proposal. The site in Aldrich Bay mentioned by Councillors was now zoned as “open space” and application could be

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made to the TPB for provision of recreational and sport facilities there if the department concerned deemed the site suitable.

(c) There had been a sharp increase in the number of private cars over the past few years. In view of this, the planning standards governing the provision of parking spaces should be observed in future development projects. Meanwhile, it would not be appropriate to provide car parks for heavy vehicles in residential areas. If the TD requested for provision of parking facilities for heavy vehicles, the PD would proactively co-operate with the TD.

(d) The PD would take into account various factors when identifying potential housing sites and collaborate with the relevant departments to conduct feasibility studies. The PD would submit to the TPB proposals to change land use only after it had made sure that residential developments would not cause unbearable impacts to local communities; adequate community facilities would be provided; and full consultation with the DCs and the public had been conducted.

(e) Since housing land was in short supply, the TPB had not approved any applications for change of land use from residential purpose to hotel purpose over the past one or two years, and consideration was only given to special cases such as the applications for amendment of plans regarding approved hotel developments.

(f) It was inappropriate for the Director of Planning, the Chairman of the Metro Planning Committee under the TPB, to comment on the planning applications for individual columbaria. If an applicant who had recently withdrawn an application for a columbarium re-submitted it later to the TPB, the TPB had to publish the details for public consultation under the requirements of the Town Planning Ordinance. It was believed that the Council would also express its views to the TPB. The PD was aware of the residents’ concerns about the application. Similar applications in other districts were also subject to the TPB’s strict assessment, for example, whether the proposed columbarium was compatible to the land use in the vicinity, the visitor flow during the two grave sweeping festivals, the potential traffic impact caused and the views of relevant government departments and the public on the applications. The TPB would analyse these issues in detail and give objective consideration to them.

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(g) The PD had always attached importance to the zoning of open space. Under the master layout plan approved by the TPB, the redevelopment project at Taikoo Place would provide a public open space of 6 400 square metres to be managed by the developer. For the waterfront area, the developer was required to provide an open space of 1.5 hectares under the ex-North Point Estate development for use of the public.

(h) Regarding the application for construction of a private hospital in A Kung Ngam, Shau Kei Wan, the applicant was currently dealing with issues as transport facilities. Medical service could be provided to the residents if the project was endorsed.

(i) Though the waterfront was an important recreational and sport resource, its development was subject to many restrictions. Some public utilities such as gas transmission pipelines and ventilation facilities of the cross harbour tunnel had to be installed near the waterfront. We had to take them into consideration when carrying out construction or revitalisation works. As a result, works could only be implemented in phases. In the long run, we planned to construct a continuous promenade to provide important waterfront passive facilities for Eastern District (especially North Point, Quarry Bay and Shau Kei Wan).

(j) The PD supported the proposal to provide an escalator at Braemar Hill. According to the government’s initial proposal, there were two feasible routes which would pass through Fortress Hill and Tanner Hill respectively. The priority of implementation would be subject to the availability of government resources. Besides, the traffic conditions at Braemar Hill had to be considered for the new development there.

7. The Chairman thanked Mr LING Kar-kan, JP, Director of Planning and his colleagues for attending the meeting, and requested them to take note of Councillors’ views.

III. Director of Drainage Services to Meet Eastern District Council Members (EDC Paper No. 52/15)

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8. The Chairman welcomed Mr Edwin TONG, JP, Director of Drainage Services; Mr Anthony TSANG, Chief Engineer/Harbour Area Treatment Scheme of the Drainage Services Department (DSD) and Mr John LI, Chief Engineer/HK & Islands of the DSD to the meeting.

9. Mr Edwin TONG, JP, Director of Drainage Services, briefed the Councillors about the work of the DSD.

10. Mr Andrew CHIU declared that he was one of the representatives of the owners of and the member of the Taikoo Shing Management Liaison Council.

11. 19 Councillors expressed their views and raised questions as follows:

(a) Mr Frankie LO praised the DSD for its excellent performance, particularly in reducing the bad smell from Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter significantly through the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS). He also asked whether rainwater would be difficult to be carried away promptly after rainstorms due to ageing, cracked or narrow drains. He said that most drains would release bad smell, especially those in areas with many restaurants, and that maintaining environmental cleanliness could not solve the problem completely, so the DSD should explore other improvement methods.

(b) Mr NGAN Chun-lim said that Aldrich Bay Typhoon Shelter had released bad smell intermittently in recent years, the problem had become more serious in summers. He asked whether the bad smell was released by polluted sea water due to misconnection of sewers to storm water drains. He hoped that the DSD would pay attention to the problem so as to make the harbour cleaner.

(c) Mr Joseph LAI praised the DSD for implementing large-scale projects as the sewage conveyance system connecting to the Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works. He said that there were always cases where the drain covers on roads and the road surfaces were not on the same level, and hoped that the DSD would carry out regular inspections or ask public bodies to carry out repair work. He also pointed out that bad smell was always released from manholes, and asked the DSD whether the depth of manholes

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could be increased.

(d) Mr CHENG Chi-sing said that the drain of a park with a basketball court at Pak Fuk Road would turn into a waterfall during rainy days and affect the residents of the nearby housing estate in using the pedestrian crossing, but the problem had not been completely solved. He asked whether rainwater would be difficult to be carried away due to narrow drains and hoped that the DSD would explore solutions. He said that some manholes and underground cables at King’s Road had been polluted by excreta the previous year, and hoped that the DSD would follow up and check whether the drains around King’s Road were broken or cracked.

(e) Mr LAU Hing-yeung said that he appreciated the HATS very much, and that there were relatively more slopes in Chai Wan and rain would pour down along hills and affect the residents of nearby public housing estates because a large amount of rainwater could not be carried away promptly during rainy seasons. He hoped that the DSD and other departments as the Housing Department would explore solutions together.

(f) Ms LO Tip-chun praised the DSD for its performance. She said that bad smell might be released from old areas with many restaurants or street markets as Shau Kei Wan Main Street East and Kam Wa Street due to blockage of underground drains, and hoped that the DSD would pay attention to the problem and explore ways to clear the drains at lanes and alleys. She also praised the DSD for improving the flooding situation in Shau Kei Wan. She hoped that the DSD could pay more attention to the problem of bad smell from Aldrich Bay Typhoon Shelter.

(g) Mr Andrew CHIU said that there had been leakage of sewage in the water pump room of his area earlier, which had affected the nearby facilities. He wanted to know how similar incidents were handled. He also said that there was a drain intake/outfall from the Island Eastern Corridor to and there had been a large pool of stagnant water due to blockage of the drain, and that if vehicles were driving past, passers-by would be seriously affected. He hoped that the DSD would pay attention to the problem caused by the drain.

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(h) Mr CHIU Chi-keung highly praised the large-scale project for improving the water quality of the Victoria Harbour. He said that the drains at the hillsides around Yiu Hing Road in Shau Kei Wan would also be blocked by leaves and other waste and rain would pour down along the hills. He hoped that the DSD would arrange for the drains to be cleared before rainy seasons. He said that the method for connecting old-style drain covers would make road surfaces uneven and was very unsatisfactory. He hoped that the DSD would improve the design of old-style drain covers.

(i) Mr Patrick LEUNG praised that the project arrangements for the HATS were very satisfactory and had only affected the daily life of residents slightly with significant improvement of the water quality of the harbour. He also said that though the storm water drains of Quarry Bay operated effectively, those at the hills could not carry away rainwater effectively due to blockage by leaves and the stagnant water would breed mosquitoes. He wanted to know whether the DSD had cleared those drains frequently. He also said that backflow always occurred at the sewers in North Point near Kai Yuen Terrace, resulting in foul smell or excreta on roads. He hoped that the DSD would deal with backflow of sewage as soon as possible.

(j) Mr David LEUNG said that there were many manholes along Leaping Dragon Walk in Siu Sai Wan and most of them did not have covers or numbers and were not managed by any government departments. He hoped that the DSD would find out how to deal with the problems caused by blockage of drains and clarify whether management work was under its purview.

(k) Mr Aron KWOK thanked the DSD for handling sewage discharge successfully and asked whether the second phase of the HATS would be implemented to improve the water quality of the harbour, the environmental hygiene and view along the coast in the long term. He hoped that the DSD would provide assistance as far as possible. He said that housing estates had been built along the coast in North Point and there had been occasions where sewage could not be discharged because the sewers had been affected by the sea level. He further asked whether new requirements or

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criteria had been set out for the sewerage systems of similar housing units built along the coast in early years to improve the problem.

(l) Mr Eddie TING said that Quarry Bay was always affected by the bad smell released by storm water drains, and that the problem had worsened in recent months and had not been solved yet though the DSD had provided assistance immediately. He asked the DSD about the criteria for arranging regular inspections, whether the problem would worsen due to heavy rain in summers and whether other measures should be taken, and hoped that the DSD would solve the problem of bad smell from roadside storm water drains with specific methods.

(m) Mr Alex KONG praised the DSD for its performance and the HATS for significant improvement of the water quality of the harbour, but pointed out that the scheme could not benefit Aldrich Bay Typhoon Shelter. He said that the source was currently known to be located between Holy Cross Path and Tai Cheong Street in where many drains had been misconnected, and hoped that the DSD would assist in following that up. Also, he said that the mortar of a construction site at Shau Kei Wan Road had been poured into public storm water drains, which caused rainwater backflow to nearby buildings, then the DSD had to contact other relevant government departments to find out the cause of the incident. He hoped that the DSD would maintain close contact with departments to solve problems promptly.

(n) Mr Joey LEE said that rain would pour down along the hills from parts of Tai Hang Road in Tin Hau during rainy days and pedestrian crossings would be affected, and that the drains at Moreton Terrace, Tai Hang near King’s Road had always been blocked. He said that such situations had arisen during the rainstorms one odd months before and the situations had been reported to the Government via the hotline. He hoped that the DSD would explore how to improve and settle the problems.

(o) According to Ms LI Chun-chau, her constituency was close to hillsides, and the drains next to hillsides, roads and pavements had always been blocked by waste and rainwater was difficult to be

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carried away, but management of drains was under the purview of different government departments, so she hoped that the DSD could assist in handling problems of drains centrally. She also said that drains would be blocked repeatedly due to various reasons and hoped that the DSD would clear drains regularly.

(p) Mr Daniel TO considered that sewage discharge was a heavy and long-term responsibility of the DSD. He said that the old-style drains around Shau Kei Wan and Shau Kei Wan Main Street East were overloaded due to development and asked whether the DSD had any improvement methods. He also asked how the DSD would handle cases in which the storm water drains at the slopes of roads were blocked by sand, stones or leaves. In addition, he also said that the pollution of the water of Aldrich Bay Typhoon Shelter by sewage was probably due to illegal connection or misconnection of sewers and storm water drains, and asked what thorough solutions the DSD had.

(q) Dr highly praised the DSD for the effectiveness of sewage discharge. She hoped that the DSD would step up inspection of the ageing drains of the Victoria Park constituency and arrange repairs to reduce bad smell. She said that the Victoria Park constituency had also been affected by flooding and the drainage works carried out in the constituency had not achieved effectiveness yet. She hoped that the DSD would review the works progress seriously and introduce advanced facilities to identify the problems and facilitate repairs. Also, she said that the problem would worsen every time after drains had been repaired, and hoped that the DSD would monitor the performance of contractors.

(r) Ms Alice LAM praised the DSD for underground sewage discharge and hoped that the DSD would review and explore how to prevent misconnection of drains. She also asked which departments were responsible for drainage work and whether the DSD would consider setting up a central filing system to record drain numbers for referring cases to relevant departments for follow-up action if necessary.

(s) The Chairman thanked the DSD for assisting in providing more

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storm water drains in Mount Parker constituency the previous year, and said that there had been no flooding in Quarry Bay during two recent typhoons. He also said that the drains at Yau Man Street could not carry rainwater away promptly during rainstorms, which caused rainwater to flow to King’s Road and affect pedestrian crossings. He hoped that the DSD would settle the problem thoroughly.

12. Mr Edwin TONG, JP, Director of Drainage Services, gave a consolidated response to Councillors’ views and enquiries as follows:

(a) The DSD noted that Aldrich Bay Typhoon Shelter released bad smell intermittently. Currently, the DSD collected sewage from different districts in the territory for conveyance to sewage treatment works for treatment and discharge into the sea. The main cause of bad smell from drains was blockage or misconnection of drains, the DSD would clear drains frequently. Misconnection of drains was more common in old districts, such situation was more serious in districts with more subdivided units (SDUs), but other situations were easier to detect and correct.

(b) The DSD, in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Department, had identified 10 odd areas of drain misconnection in the upstream area of Aldrich Bay in the past four years. Improvement works had been carried out or cases involving private buildings had been referred to the Buildings Department for follow-up action. For identifying misconnected drains, dye should be added to each collection point to get accurate results. The DSD would continue such work to reduce cases of drain misconnection.

(c) Some residents or restaurants poured waste water into storm water drains at back alleys directly just out of convenience, the DSD would refer such cases to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department for follow-up action. If no improvement was made, the DSD would consider installing flap valves when designing manholes or drain intakes to prevent backflow of smell, but larger underground space would be needed for such design.

(d) The DSD would continue to follow up the problem of bad smell from drains in the district, such as the case involving drain misconnection in

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the upstream area of Aldrich Bay, and hoped to make improvement at source as far as possible.

(e) The DSD noted the Council’s views about the design of manholes and drain covers, and would maintain close co-operation with the Highways Department and implement improvement measures as necessary.

(f) The DSD noted that rainwater would flow back or rain would pour down as a waterfall during rainstorms in some areas as slopes, but such situations were probably not caused by insufficient drains, but by blockage of drains or gullies by waste. In addition to a 24-hour hotline, the DSD would activate the Emergency and Storm Damage Organisation during rainstorms to send officers to clear blocked drains at flooding areas to alleviate the situations. Also, the DSD would arrange drain clearance before rainy seasons to ensure normal operation of drains during rainy seasons.

(g) The DSD was carrying out Drainage Master Plan Review Study for Hong Kong Island North to review the drainage capacity of drains in that area (including ramps) to deal with the impact of urban development. Though there had been no flooding blackspots in Eastern District for many years, the DSD still hoped to conduct a review on places where drainage capacity should be improved.

(h) The DSD noted the problems as flooding or rainwater backflow in areas as Estate and constituency in Chai Wan; Bedford Gardens and Full Wealth Gardens in North Point; Shau Kei Wan Main Street East; Hoi An Street and Holy Cross Path; Shau Kei Wan; Tin Hau; Yau Man Street and Mount Parker in Quarry Bay; and drains at hillsides. Besides, for cases as leakage in the water pump rooms of private housing estates as Taikoo Shing, help might be needed from the property management offices of the buildings, the DSD could assist in providing professional advice.

(i) The DSD had discussed the problem about the manholes along Leaping Dragon Walk in Chai Wan many times. Since the manholes had been there for a long time, it was difficult to identify the responsible departments. However, if the manholes were related to rainwater collection, the DSD would assist in clarifying

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responsibilities and improving the problems as far as possible during emergencies.

(j) The bad smell released near Sunway Gardens in Quarry Bay might not be related to summers because although the amount of rain increased in summers, the drainage situation was similar to that in winters.

(k) The DSD noted the problem of mosquitoes and would step up anti-mosquito measures as sprinkling larvicidal oil at locations with high Ovitrap Index for Aedes albopictus.

(l) At present, there were many ageing drains and the DSD hoped to conduct a detailed study as soon as possible to improve the problem proactively. The DSD would collect information, focus more resources on dealing with ageing drains in various districts and replace them as necessary.

13. The Chairman thanked Mr Edwin TONG, JP, Director of Drainage Services and his colleagues for attending the meeting, and invited them to note the views of the Councillors.

IV. Information Items

Chairman’s Report on the Discussion Items of the Regular Meeting

14. The Chairman reported that the items for June and July 2015 had been set out in the report of the Chairman/Vice-chairman. The regular meeting in September 2015 would be held on 17 September. Councillors could send their enquiries or views to the Chairman or Vice-chairman for relaying them at the regular meeting in September. No regular meetings would be held during the suspension of operation of district councils.

V. Financial Position of Eastern District Council Funds (EDC Paper No. 53/15)

15. The Councillors noted the financial position.

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VI. Report on the Tenth Meeting of District Facilities Management Committee (EDC Paper No. 54/15)

VII. Funding Application for Leisure and Cultural Services Department-led District Minor Works (DMW) Projects with a Cost of $600,000 or Below for the Year of 2015/16 (Fourth Batch) (EDC Paper No. 72/15)

16. Since the two captioned papers were about district minor works projects, the Chairman suggested and the Councillors agreed that the two items should be discussed together.

17. Mr LEUNG Chi-kong of the District Minor Works Working Group briefed the meeting on the report and the removal of the welcome sign of Eastern District. Ms Mimi LOK, District Leisure Manager of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) introduced the Paper No. 72/15.

18. 4 Councillors expressed their views and raised questions as follows:

(a) Mr Frankie LO said that the welcome sign of Eastern District was the winning entry of the then design competition, and suggested that it should be moved to the future starting point of Eastern District in Fortress Hill.

(b) Mr CHIU Chi-keung suggested that the welcome sign of Eastern District should only be removed on 31 December 2015.

(c) Ms Alice LAM said that the welcome sign of Eastern District had been used for many years and temporary storage was not an ideal option. She suggested that it should be moved to the future boundary of Eastern District in Fortress Hill or Siu Sai Wan.

(d) Mr David LEUNG said that only one set of compressors would be replaced in the improvement project of the heat pump compressors of Siu Sai Wan Swimming Pool, and asked whether the two sets of compressors operated alternately during the opening hours of the swimming pool.

19. In response to the Councillor’s enquiry, Ms Mimi LOK of the LCSD said that

22 the two sets of compressors operated alternately and the set of compressors proposed to be improved was the primary one.

20. The Chairman said that since the Victoria Park and Tin Hau constituencies would be transferred to Wan Chai District after the implementation of the change of constituency boundary in January 2016, the welcome sign of Eastern District in Victoria Park should be removed for temporary storage in a proper place for future handling by the coming term of Eastern District Council.

21. After discussion, the Councillors noted the report on the meeting of the committee and approved the funding applications under Items V, VIII and IX of the Paper No. 54/15. They also approved the removal of the welcome sign in the Victoria Park constituency area before 1 January 2016 for temporary storage in a proper place. In addition, the Councillors also approved the 4 funding applications for a total of $1,970,000 in relation to the district minor works projects listed in the Paper No. 72/15.

VIII. Reports on the Ninth and Tenth Meetings of Community Building and Services Committee (EDC Papers No. 55/15 and 56/15)

22. The Councillors noted the above two reports.

IX. Report on the Tenth Meeting of Economic and Cultural Affairs Committee (EDC Paper No. 57/15)

23. The Councillors noted the above report.

X. Reports on the Ninth and Tenth Meetings of Traffic and Transport Committee (EDC Papers No. 58/15 and 59/15)

24. The Councillors noted the above two reports.

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XI. Report on the Tenth Meeting of Food, Environment and Hygiene Committee (EDC Paper No. 60/15)

25. The Councillors noted the above report.

26. The Councillors also noted that the environmental hygiene of the back alley at 62-193 Sai Wan Ho Street (between Tai Cheong Street and Hoi Lee Street) and that of the back alley and side alley of Chun Yeung Street (between Tong Shui Road and North Point Road) had been improved, so the two locations would be removed from the list of “Spots for Intensive Cleaning” followed up by the committee.

XII. Reports on the Ninth and Tenth Meetings of Planning, Works and Housing Committee (EDC Papers No. 61/15 and 62/15)

27. The Councillors noted the above two reports.

XIII. Reports on the Ninth and Tenth Meetings of Vetting Committee (EDC Papers No. 63/15 and 64/15)

28. The Councillors noted the above two reports.

XIV. Reports on the Nineteenth and Twentieth Meetings of Task Group on Festival Celebrations (EDC Papers No. 65/15 and 66/15)

29. The Councillors noted the above two reports and approved the funding application for “Lighting Decoration for the Footbridge Near Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre for Lunar New Year 2016 by the Eastern District Council” in Paper No. 66/15.

30. The Councillors also noted that the decoration lights for Lunar New Year 2016 would be put up and the switch-on ceremony would be held by the EDC in Aldrich Bay Park instead of Victoria Park, and that footbridges in Eastern District would be decorated with lights for Lunar New Year for the first time.

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XV. Reports on the Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Nineteenth Meetings of Task Group on Publicity about the Work of Eastern District Council (EDC Papers No. 67/15, 68/15 and 69/15)

31. The Councillors noted the above three reports.

XVI. Report on the Eighth Meeting of Steering Group on the Signature Project of Eastern District (EDC Paper No. 70/15)

32. The Councillors noted the above report and approved the detailed design and future management arrangements of Eastern Cultural Square and the EDC to be the supporting organisation of two events to be held after the suspension of operation of district councils.

XVII. Report on the 212th Meeting of the Eastern District Management Committee (EDC Paper No. 71/15)

33. The Councillors noted the above report.

XVIII. Any Other Business

34. The Councillors noted that the Tin Hau and Victoria Park constituencies would be transferred to Wan Chai District after the implementation of the change of constituency boundary in January 2016. The committees and working groups under the EDC would hand over the matters about the two constituencies to Wan Chai District Council to follow up from 2016.

35. The Chairman concluded that the meeting was the last meeting of the current term of the EDC. He thanked all the Councillors, co-opted members, government representatives, District Officer (Eastern), Assistant District Officer (Eastern) and staff of the secretariat for their contribution and efforts during the current term of the EDC.

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XIX. Date of Next Meeting

36. The meeting ended at 5:30 pm. The date of the coming EDC meeting would be fixed by the next term of the EDC.

Eastern District Council Secretariat December 2015

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