The university’s stance was shared in a report submitted on Tuesday to the Town Planning Board about a revised development plan for HKU’s global innovation centre.
An initial proposal had suggested that the centre be built on a government-owned green belt along Pok Fu Lam Road, but the move faced strong opposition from residents last year due to concerns about traffic, the environmental impact and a lack of consultation.
The plan was later revised to preserve more than 75 per cent of the green belt, with most of the innovation hub to be built on a nearby residential plot, while maintaining a distance of more than 100 metres (328 feet) from Upper Baguio Villa.
The revised plan involves a site area of 40,000 square metres (430,000 sq ft) and a gross floor area of 190,000 square metres, with both representing a 15 per cent reduction from the previous proposal.
