Ever since The Lands Department posted notices about a 47 small house development on former Green Belt in Tan Cheung Upper Village above Sai Kung Town in 2007 (the notices were torn down by “unknown persons” to prevent objections but recovered later from the undergrowth), the village Mutual Aid Committee and local residents have been on the case.
An attempt in 2014 in the Town Planning Board to have the popular walkers’ lane linking the village to Kap Pin Long village and a 10m buffer strip of bamboo and trees above it re-zoned back to Green Belt failed – although the Lands Department promised on the record to ensure that the lowest level of houses would be kept away from the lane and that Tan Cheung Road and the lane itself would not be used by the contractors.
Village residents and MAC members, some of whom are on NT small house waiting lists but not included in this project (which is only for two other Sai Kung villages further up the hill), are naturally concerned about construction air and noise pollution and Po Lo Che Road congestion and damage, sewage provision, landslide potential on the very steep slope, illegal parking etcetera, etcetera.
They are now in the process of drafting a letter for to the Directors of Lands and Planning and the Chair of the Town Planning Board requesting a thorough examination of the project applicant list and the genuine need for the project itself in the light of the recent judicial review judgement which revealed that the vetting process was seriously flawed (HCAL 28/2015).
(Thank you Chairs of Friends of Sai Kung and Hoi Ha).
So, is this Leafy Lane doomed or not? Only time will tell…
Guy Shirra
Tan Cheung Upper Village
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Small House Development – 47 small houses on Government Land in D.D. 215, D.D. 221 and D.D. 222 in Tan Cheung, Sai Kung (for Mau Ping New Village and Wong Chuk Shan New Village, Sai Kung)
We are writing to you as a Tan Cheung householders and residents and members of the Tan Cheung Upper Village Mutual Aid Committee following the recent High Court Judgment in respect of small house provision in NT village enclaves.
The judgment for the Judicial Revuue HCAL 28/2015 is here:
http://legalref.judiciary.hk/lrs/common/ju/ju_frame.jsp?DIS=112400&currpage=T
In the light of this judgment, and given that the TPB’s findings were apparently based upon Lands and Planning Departmental information, I would be grateful if you would ensure that:
(a) proper inquiry is now made into the identity, qualification and genuine
needs of each applicant villager and
(b) there was a real justification for the re-zoning of the original Green Belt into the V Zone at all