Opinion | After Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp election win, a Town Planning Board case heralds signs of change

The overwhelming victory by pro-democracy candidates in the recent district council elections is already having an effect – in fact, even before they begin their work in earnest. There seems to be a realisation within parts of the administration that there has been a significant change that cannot be ignored. 

In July 2019, I wrote in the Post about the need for all of the administration to listen to the public, not just Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. My reference was the Town Planning Board, which has a statutory obligation to engage with the public and to adopt relevant views.

Up until recently, the board was pressured into taking the government line and ignoring thousands of submissions, including those from district councillors. From July until now, public dissatisfaction with the administration has continued to grow. But a clear mandate for change was given in the district council elections, where the pro-administration incumbents were overwhelmingly thrown out.

The board had imposed a building height restriction of 135m above principal datum on that part of the site and 80m on the upper part of the site facing Upper Albert Road. The 135m “restriction” was not meant to control the hospital development but to allow it to proceed.