The University of Hong Kong (HKU) plans to reduce the size of a development project by 15 per cent following a public backlash, leaving most of a Pok Fu Lam green belt untouched, the Post has learned.
A source said on Monday that the university was considering building on a residential plot nearby.
The revised proposal for HKU’s Global Innovation Centre will be discussed at a town planning board meeting on Friday, after the university gathers feedback from the community.
HKU originally planned to build the academic and scientific research facility on 4.72 hectares (11.66 acres) of land along Pok Fu Lam Road, primarily on a government-owned green belt. The project would have required the removal of more than 2,000 trees.
Last year, more than 3,000 Southern district residents expressed strong opposition, urging the university to either relocate or downsize the project by 60 per cent due to concerns about the impact on the environment and traffic. They even threatened legal action, leading HKU to agree to rework its plan.
Under the revision seen by the Post, the site area would be scaled down by 7,000 square metres (75,000 sq ft), a 15 per cent reduction compared with the original plan. The reduction is equivalent to 16 to 17 basketball courts.
