1.1
Background
The Chief Executive (CE)’s 2007-2008 Policy Address
highlighted revitalization as the guiding principle of heritage conservation
and the Project was among one of the specific proposals put forward by the CE
in the same Policy Address. At the
meeting of the Executive Council (ExCo) on 15 July
2008, the ExCo advised and the CE ordered that
Government should enter into a partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club
(HKJC) in the form of an agreement (or agreements) to take forward the
conservation and revitalization of the Central Police Station (hereafter “the
Project”) based on various guiding parameters.
The Project comprises the conservation and
revitalisation of three Declared Monuments designated under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance in
1995. They are:
·
Central
Police Station;
·
Former
Central Magistracy; and
·
Victoria
Prison Compound.
They are collectively named the Central Police
Station (CPS).
ERM-Hong Kong Ltd (ERM) has been commissioned by the Jockey
Club
Since the issue of the EIA Study Brief, the HKJC has
informed the Director of the Environment that the name of the Project has
changed from “Central Police Station Compound Conservation and Revitalisation” to “Central Police Station Conservation and
Revitalisation Project” and the name of the Applicant
has changed from “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust” to “The Jockey
Club
This EIA Report addresses the nature and extent of the
potential environmental impacts associated with the construction and operation
of the Project.
1.2
Objective of the EIA Study
The Project is within a site of cultural heritage,
and therefore is classified as a designated project under Item Q.1 in Schedule
2 of the EIAO and therefore the construction and operation of the Project will
require an Environmental Permit.
The overall objectives of the EIA Study are to provide
information on the nature and extent of environmental impacts arising from the
construction and operation of the Project; to recommend appropriate mitigation
measures to control the potential environmental impacts so that it complies
with the requirements of the Technical
Memorandum on Environmental Impact Assessment Process of Environmental impact
Assessment Ordinance (EIAO-TM); and to confirm the environmental
acceptability of the Project.
The specific objectives of the EIA Study described in
the EIA Study Brief are listed below:
(i)
to describe the Project and associated works together with the
requirements for carrying out the Project;
(ii)
to identify and describe elements of community and environment likely to
be affected by the Project and/or likely to cause adverse impacts to the
Project, including natural and man-made environment and the associated
environmental constraints;
(iii)
to provide information on the consideration of alternatives to avoid and
minimize potential environmental impacts to the site of cultural heritage and
its environs; to compare the environmental benefits and dis-benefits
of each of the different options; to provide reasons for selecting the
preferred option(s) and to describe the part environmental factors played in
the selection of preferred option(s);
(iv)
to identify and evaluate any potential cultural heritage impacts and to
propose measures to mitigate these impacts;
(v)
to identify and evaluate any potential landscape and visual impacts from
the Project, particularly from any new structure to be erected, including glare
interference, and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts;
(vi)
to identify and evaluate noise, air and water pollution and waste generation
and determine the significance of impacts on sensitive receivers and potential
affected uses;
(vii)
to propose the provision of mitigation measures so as to minimize
pollution, environmental disturbance and nuisance during construction and
operation of the Project;
(viii)
to investigate the feasibility, practicability, effectiveness and
implications of the proposed mitigation measures;
(ix)
to identify, predict and evaluate the cumulative effects and the residual
environmental impacts (i.e. after practicable mitigation) expected to arise
during the construction and operation phases of the Project in relation to the
site of cultural heritage, the sensitive receivers and potential affected uses,
taking into account nearby concurrent project(s);
(x)
to identify, assess and specify methods, measures and standards, to be
included in the detailed design, construction and operation of the Project which
are necessary to mitigate these environmental impacts and cumulative effects
and reduce them to acceptable levels;
(xi)
to investigate the extent of the secondary environmental impacts that
may arise from the proposed mitigation measures and to identify constraints
associated with the mitigation measures recommended in the EIA study, as well
as the provision of any necessary modification; and
(xii)
to investigate, and where found necessary and justified,
design and specify environmental monitoring and audit requirements to ensure
the effective implementation of the recommended environmental protection and
pollution control measures.
As specified by the EIA Study Brief, the EIA Study will address the following key
environmental issues due to the construction and operation of the Project:
·
potential environmental impacts to the site of cultural heritage of the
Project during its construction and operation stages;
·
potential landscape and visual impacts, particularly from any new
structure to be erected, including glare interference, to nearby sensitive
receivers from the Project during its construction and operation stages;
·
potential construction dust, water quality and noise impacts to nearby
sensitive receivers as well as waste management implications from the Project;
and
·
potential operation water quality and other impacts to nearby
sensitive receivers from the Project.
A table summarizing the key assessment assumptions,
limitation of assessment methodologies and related prior agreement(s) with the
Director is contained in Annex D.
1.3
Organisation of the Report
The remainder of this report is organized as follows:
·
Section 2 presents a description of
the need of the Project, the alternative design and construction methods and
sequences of works considered and the key Project element;
·
Section 3 presents the cultural
heritage impact assessment;
·
Section 4 presents the landscape and
visual impact assessment:
·
Section 5 presents the noise impact
assessment
·
Section 6 presents the construction
air quality assessment
·
Section 7 presents the water quality
impact assessment
·
Section 8 presents the waste
management implications;
·
Section 9 describes the requirements
for environmental monitoring and audit; and
·
Section 10 summarizes the environmental
impact associated with the Project.