Development Bureau's statement on Former Marine Police Headquarters site

In response to media enquiries on the development of the former Marine Police Headquarters (FMPHQ) site, the Development Bureau clarifies that the case does not involve the developer obtaining additional gross floor area (GFA) without payment of the premium required.

The planning intent for the site is to preserve, restore and convert the compound of the FMPHQ into a tourism-themed commercial development.

The site is zoned "Comprehensive Development Area". Planning permission has been granted by the Town Planning Board (TPB) for its current development.

Before the site was put out to public tender, the Planning Department commissioned a consultancy study called "Study on the Development Opportunities of the Former Marine Police Headquarters Site in Tsim Sha Tsui", which was completed in mid-2001. As there were no building plans for the historical buildings on the site, the consultant estimated their GFA to be about 4,300 square metres. No on-site measurement was carried out. To take account of this limitation, the Planning Brief supporting the tender described the GFA of the historical buildings to be about 4,300 square metres subject to detailed survey, and the potential additional GFA to be 7,900 square metres.

After the tender was awarded, the successful tenderer carried a detailed survey on site together with the Buildings Department and the Lands Department, and verified the GFA of the historical buildings to be about 5,610 square metres. Subsequently, the TPB adopted this verified figure as the GFA for the historical buildings. This was a technical amendment based on a detailed survey, reflecting the actual GFA of those historical buildings. There is no question of the developer being given GFA increase in substance and no additional premium could be levied on such a technical rectification.

As for the subsequent change to the additional GFA, i.e. from 7,213 square metres increased by 200 square metres to 7,413 square metres in accordance with the latest Master Layout Plan (MLP) approved by the TPB, the Lands Department had processed the variations of the MLP in accordance with the established policy and a premium of 94.53 million dollars was collected to reflect the enhancement in value arising from the variations.

Ends/Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Issued at HKT 20:43

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