Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheng Weng Chon announced last week that the government has decided to cancel its plan to build a temporary tyre park in an area comprising a number of idle plots in central Taipa, and that the area’s future use will be determined by the Lands and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) in line with the city’s urban master plan.
Cheong made the remarks during Friday’s Executive Council press conference when asked by reporters about the government’s latest plan announced early last week proposing the area to be earmarked for residential projects.
Cheong underlined on Friday that when the government announced its then plan in 2020 to convert the area into a tyre park, it clearly indicated at that time that the tyre park would only operate for a period of time on a temporary basis before the area’s permanent use was to be finally determined.
Cheong first told lawmakers in November last year that the government had decided to suspend its plan for the temporary tyre park project, before Cheong finally announced on Friday that the government had now decided to cancel the plan for good.
The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) announced in August 2020 that it planned to convert four idle plots of land located next to each other, covering an area of about 19,000 square metres in total, in central Taipa into a temporary tyre park with a budget of 30 million patacas, with the aim of enabling residents to enjoy a new leisure space as soon as possible by making good use of the idle plots of land before determining the area’s permanent use in line with the city’s urban master plan.
The area initially slated for the temporary tyre park project abuts Avenida de Kwong Tung and Grand Dragon Hotel, as well as the Nova Taipa Garden, Nam San Garden and Hipódromo Garden residential estates.
The area initially comprised four plots, officially known as BT8, BT9, BT11, BT12. Plots BT8 and BT9 had been undeveloped, while a row of long-abandoned textile factory buildings was located on plots BT11 and BT12, which abut Nam San Garden. Most of the row of dilapidated factory buildings on the two plots had been demolished in 2020.
According to the city’s urban master plan, which took effect early this year after its promulgation in the Official Gazette (BO), the area initially planned for the temporary tyre park project will be earmarked for residential projects.
In November last year, Cheong told legislators that since the announcement of the tyre park proposal in August 2020, different opinions had been raised in civil society, such as the view that it would be a waste of public money to build a tyre park only slated to operate temporarily. Consequently, Cheong said in November last year, the government had decided to suspend the tyre park plan.
Reorganisation of plots
According to a chief executive order published in the Official Gazette (BO) on Monday last week, the government has reorganised the undeveloped plots BT8 and BT9 into three plots, namely BT8, BT9 and BT9a.
On the same day, the Lands and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) published proposed legal development conditions for the three plots, BT8, BT9 and BT9a, on its website for residents to submit opinions and suggestions.
The legal development conditions for the three plots propose that the three plots will be earmarked for residential projects. The government proposes a maximum height of 90 metres for the residential projects.
Cheong reaffirmed on Friday that the government has finally decided to cancel its plan to build a temporary tyre park in the area after considering civil society’s different opinions about it.
The government has still not announced any legal development conditions for plots BT11 and BT12.
Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon addresses Friday’s Executive Council press conference at Government Headquarters.
– Courtesy: TDM
