The government has drafted a new plan that proposes stricter construction height limits on still undeveloped plots surrounding Guia Hill, with the aim of ensuring the protection of the view of Guia Lighthouse in compliance with the requirements of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) in Paris.
The new plan proposes height limits on certain plots in the area lower than the current official requirements for the area promulgated in 2008.
The government has underlined that the newly announced plan is just a provisional one that will be subject to possible further amendments, adding that it will be submitted to the UNESCO WHC for review before the local government finalises it.
For instance, the newly announced plan proposes a height limit of 60 metres on a still undeveloped plot in Zape earmarked for a residential project, which is located near the headquarters of the Central People’s Government Liaison Office, a change from the official permit that currently still allows a limit of 90 metres on the plot’s southern section and 60 metres on the plot’s northern section.
Officials from the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and the Lands and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) announced the new plan during a press conference on Friday.
The plan is available on the DSSCU urban planning special website, but currently only in its Chinese version: https://urbanplanning.dsscu.gov.mo/cn/download/rodriguesrpt_ch.pdf
The Macau government had decided to draft the new plan in compliance with the requirements decided by the WHC 44th session in 2021 concerning stronger protection of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Historic Centre of Macau. The local government had hired a consultancy to draft the plan, officially known as an assessment on the impact of urban constructions on the heritage protection of areas around Avenida do Dr Rodrigo Rodrigues, which was announced during Friday’s press conference.
The assessment covers most parts of Zape and Nape. Avenida do Dr Rodrigo Rodrigues, which runs between Hotel Lisboa and the Jai Alai Oceanus casino complex, is a major avenue running along northern Zape, near the bottom of Guia Hill.
A chief executive order, which was promulgated in 2008, requires various construction height limits for different areas around Guia Hill.
According to the 2008 executive order, which is still valid, buildings on four plots near the bottom of Guia Hill, officially known as Plots 133, 134, 135 and 136, cannot exceed 90 metres.
Plot 136 is where the Liaison Office headquarters is located, while Plot 135 is where a new residential building is located. The new residential building completed in 2020, is Xin Zhu Building which is next to the Liaison Office headquarters.
Plots 133 and 134 are still undeveloped plots located between Santa Rosa de Lima English Secondary School and Xin Zhu Building.
Xin Zhu Building on Plot 135 was constructed in compliance with an official development permit that allowed a height limit of 90 metres on the plot’s southern section and 60 metres on the plot’s northern section.
Plots 133 and 134 are also earmarked for residential projects. The current official development permit for Plot 133, which is located next to Santa Rosa de Lima English Secondary School, was issued in 2019, while the current development permit for Plot 134, which is located next to Xin Zhu Building, was issued in 2020. Both permits allow a height limit of 90 metres in the south and 60 metres in the north.
The new plan announced on Friday proposes a height limit of 90 metres on the southern section of Plot 133 and 60 metres on the northern section, unchanged from the currently valid official development permit for the plot.
However, the new plan proposes a height limit of 60 metres on the whole Plot 134, a stricter requirement to the current development permit for the plot.
The current headquarters of the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), which came into use in 2020 and is located east of the Liaison Office headquarters, was constructed in compliance with an official height limit of 32 metres.
The new plan also proposes height limits on a still undeveloped plot that is located east of the MP headquarters. The new plan proposes three height limits, on three sections of the plot, namely 15 metres in the south, 22 metres in the middle, and 28 metres in the north.
DSSCU and IC officials pointed out during Friday’s press conference that before the new protection plan is finalised, the government will suspend issuing construction permits for the affected undeveloped plots even though their official development permits have been issued. The officials also noted that the affected plots’ development permits would need to be revised accordingly in compliance with the new protection plan’s final version.
This photo taken yesterday shows a new residential building, Xin Zhu Building, and two still undeveloped plots (left of the building), on Avenida do Dr Rodrigo Rodrigues in Zape, near the bottom of Guia Hill. – Photo: Tony Wong
