Information Paper for Council

Public Columbarium Facilities to be Constructed at Two Sites at the Eastern & Western Ends of Sham Shui Kok Drive in Food and Environmental Hygiene Department

Purpose

This paper aims to provide information on the Government’s plan to construct columbarium facilities at the two sites located at the east and west of Sham Shui Kok Drive in Tsuen Wan.

Background

2. With a growing and ageing population in , the numbers of deaths and cremations have been rising gradually year by year:

Number of deaths Number of cremations 2015 46 757 42 737 2024 (forecast) 54 700 51 965 2035 (forecast) 68 500 65 075

It is the current common practice for the public to deposit cremated ashes of the deceased in columbarium facilities, and the public demand for niches is earnest. However, only a small number of niches in the eight public columbaria managed by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) are currently available for allocation.

3. The Government has all along been committed to increasing the supply of public niches. It has taken forward the district-based columbarium development scheme under which the 18 districts in the territory would collectively share the responsibility of developing columbarium facilities. Different sectors of society generally support the district-based columbarium development scheme which aims to meet the needs of the community. We have announced that under the scheme, 24 potential sites across the 18 districts have been identified, including the sites at Sham Shui Kok Drive in Tsuen Wan District.

Proposed Construction of Columbarium Facilities

4. The subject sites, one at the east and the other at the west of Sham Shui Kok Drive (the eastern site and the western site), are separated by and adjacent to vehicle depots and the North Lantau Refuse Transfer Station respectively. There is a walking distance of about 300 metres between them when travelling along Sham Shui Kok Drive. The eastern site with an area of 2 450 square metres can provide about 10 300 niches while the western site with an area of 5 100 square metres can provide about 15 700 niches. A location plan of the two subject sites is at Annex 1.

5. When designing the proposed columbarium facilities, FEHD will take full advantage of the natural landscape and environmental characteristics of the sites. The appearance of the columbarium facilities will blend in with the surroundings through landscape and building design. Also, plants and trees will be used as barriers for visual enhancement of the facilities.

6. FEHD has been making efforts to promote green worshipping practices. Certain floors of the proposed columbarium at Sham Shui Kok Drive will be designated as smoke-free areas where visitors are encouraged to pay tribute to the deceased by offering flowers. As for other floors, only communal incense burning zones will be available. The project will provide eco-friendly joss paper burners with the adoption of a proper air change rate and the use of water scrubber devices and electrostatic precipitators, which will purify the air effectively.

7. The Government understood the concerns of the community over the traffic conditions during the Ching Ming and Chung Yeung festive periods. FEHD therefore appointed a traffic engineering consultant to conduct a traffic impact assessment study for the proposed columbarium facilities. The study examined the impact of the facilities on the adjacent road networks, pedestrian networks, public transport arrangements as well as pedestrian and traffic volumes during weekdays, and Saturday, Sunday and public holidays in the Ching Ming and Chung Yeung festive periods. The consultant also

- 2 - conducted a traffic impact assessment study on two major road junctions (i.e. (1) Cheung Tung Road/Sham Shui Kok Drive junction and (2) Cheung Tung Road/Sunny Bay Road junction) as well as the pedestrian walkways in the vicinity of the subject sites.

8. After analysing and evaluating the data collected, the consultant proposed some traffic mitigation measures, including implementing special traffic management measures along Sham Shui Kok Drive during the festive periods (allowing the exclusive use of the road by special shuttle buses running between MTR and the two subject sites), and allowing visitors arriving by taxi to get off at the designated taxi drop-off area at Sham Fung Road during the festive periods before walking to the subject sites (separate drop-off points for Lantau and urban taxis will be set up). The consultant also proposed providing bus bays and assigning queueing areas for the special shuttle buses at MTR Sunny Bay Station and the two subject sites, as well as improving the related pedestrian facilities. The plans showing the shuttle bus route and the traffic mitigation measures are at Annex 2 and 3 respectively. The consultant held initial consultations with the and the Transport Department and both departments found the relevant proposals feasible.

Food and Health Bureau Food and Environmental Hygiene Department November 2016

- 3 - Annex 1

Two Columbarium Development Sites at Tsuen Wan District East and Westof Sham Shui Kok Drive

Western site

Eastern site Traffic Mitigation Measures Annex 2

Tsuen Wan District Sites

Provision of special shuttle bus services running between MTR Sunny Bay Station and the two subject sites during Ching Ming and Chung Yeung Festive periods Proposed special shuttle bus services and Annex 3(a) PDA arrangement at MTR Sunny Bay Station Temporary traffic arrangement at MTR Sunny Bay Special Shuttle bus Station during festive periods - provision of 5 nos. of pick-up bay pick-up and 5 nos. of drop-off locations and 770 sq.m. queuing area at PTI of MTR Sunny Bay Station for special shuttle bus services running between MTR Sunny Bay Station and the two subject sites

Road line modifications

Covered walkway

770 sq. m. queuing area

Road line modifications

Special Shuttle bus drop-off bay Covered walkway

Special Shuttle bus drop-off bay Existing bus service routes DB03P, DB03R Planting area

Planting area

Planting area Special shuttle bus 穿梭巴士上車處boarding bay

Visitors boarding Visitors 現有巴士服務Existing bus service

Special shuttle bus 穿梭巴士落車處drop-off bay Annex 3(b) Traffic improvement measures and proposed DPA at Tsuen Wan District Sites

Pick-up area at western site

Managed pedestrian crossing

Drop-off area at western site

Drop-off area at eastern site

Pick-up area at eastern site

Temporary traffic management – restriction to vehicles except special shuttle bus, emergency vehicles and vehicles serving the existing facilities Managed pedestrian crossing Designated 3 drop-off and pick-up bays for Lantau taxi

Designated 2 drop-off and pick-up Provision of 加設行人路及行人過 bays for Urban taxi pavement & 路處 pedestrian crossing Proposed columbarium sites A designated drop-off and pick-up Pedestrian route bay for private car 修改現有行人路走線Modification and 及擴widening濶 of the Improvement works to existing pavement pavement