The Development Bureau expresses its appreciation to the Council for Sustainable Development for its recommendations to the Government submitted today (June 25) based on an extensive public engagement exercise entitled "Building Design to Foster a Quality and Sustainable Built Environment" completed in October last year.
"I wish to express my deep gratitude to Mr Bernard Chan, Chairman of the Council, and his fellow members as well as experts participating in a support group for carrying out the four-month public engagement exercise from June to October 2009. It stimulated public interest concerning sustainable building design and a quality built environment in Hong Kong and attracted many useful comments," the Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, said.
"As reflected in the recommendations of the report, the exercise has pointed to a clear need for putting in place new arrangements to encourage building setback, building separation and more green coverage in buildings and changes to the current practices of granting concessions in gross floor area in buildings.
"We will carefully study the recommendations of the Council in mapping out the way forward," Mrs Lam said.
In devising policy responses to the Council's recommendations, a Development Bureau spokesman said that the Bureau will adopt the following principles:
(1) to achieve the objectives in terms of energy efficiency, building maintenance, environmental conservation and provision of amenities;
(2) to strike a balance between the interest of individual building occupants vis-a-vis that of the neighbourhood and wider community;
(3) to review and adjust regulatory controls and practices to allow freedom in design yet maintaining checks and balances; and
(4) to nurture flexibility, creativity and innovation in building development to foster a diversified built environment.
Ends/Friday, June 25, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:58
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