By Emily Hung
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) plans to reduce the size of a development project by 15 per cent following a public backlash, leaving most of a Pok Fu Lam green belt untouched, the Post has learned.
A source said on Monday that the university was considering building on a residential plot nearby.
The revised proposal for HKU鈥檚 Global Innovation Centre will be discussed at a town planning board meeting on Friday, after the university gathers feedback from the community.
HKU originally planned to build the academic and scientific research facility on 4.72 hectares (11.66 acres) of land along Pok Fu Lam Road, primarily on a government-owned green belt. The project would have required the removal of more than 2,000 trees.
Last year, more than 3,000 Southern district residents expressed strong opposition, urging the university to either relocate or downsize the project by 60 per cent due to concerns about the impact on the environment and traffic impacts. They even threatened legal action, leading HKU to agree to rework its plan.
Under the revision seen by the Post, the site area would be scaled down by 7,000 square metres (75,000 square feet), a 15 per cent reduction compared with the original plan. The reduction is equivalent to 16 to 17 basketball courts.
The move would leave the project site measuring 40,000 square metres.
More than 75 per cent of the green belt area would be left untouched, with HKU planning to build on a plot designated for low-rise, low-density residential developments nearby, adopting a suggestion from the community and district council members.
The site would be more than 100 metres (330 feet) from Upper Baguio Villa on Victoria Road.
Members of the public would also be able to access some green space at the centre and on Pok Fu Lam Road.
But the source said the revised plan was still subject to amendments, and there was no timeline for construction.
鈥淭he university has listened to opinions from residents during the consultation and decided to amend the plan to ease the community concerns,鈥 he said.
鈥淭he revised plan is not a final proposal, and HKU will conduct a new round of technical assessment and collect feedback from the community.鈥
He said HKU had reviewed other potential sites in the area but determined that the current location was the most suitable.
The university had also met residents, lawmakers and district council members in the past few months to explain the plan to them. The source said the district council welcomed the revised plan.
The insider added that government approval was yet to be granted for HKU鈥檚 use of the residential plot and the university was only exploring the option.
Lawmaker and government adviser Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee said she had taken part in a couple of meetings with HKU officials and residents, and more would be arranged if necessary.
鈥淚 think [the revised plan] has already substantially reduced and mitigated the problems arising from using the green belt, and the university has made major concessions,鈥 said Ip, who is the convenor of the key decision-making Executive Council.
HKU earlier said the centre would help develop Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology hub as envisioned in the latest national five-year plan and consolidate the city鈥檚 leading position in basic research.
It will include space for teaching, conferences, offices, staff quarters, catering and support facilities, as well as landscaped areas open to the public.
Construction was originally set to start in phases from 2027, subject to statutory procedures and approval.