A temporary pop-up shopping outlet is set to open by the end of 2016 at the border of Shenzhen after the Town Planning Board approved it amid a tourist and retail slump in Hong Kong.
The approval came with 18 conditions, which must be satisfied before the plan can go ahead. They include restriction on opening hours from 8am to 11pm, the provision of transport arrangements such as coaches and shuttle buses and submission of environmental assessment.
The plan will see a temporary retail complex of 208 shops selling a mix of consumer goods appear at a former car park site near the transport hub of Lok Ma Chau in San Tin, New Territories. It will run for three years.
READ MORE: Shopping mall over the border won't ease strain on Hong Kong
The developer, Topcycle Development, said its intention of setting up the mall was to “alleviate pressure in the traditional popular tourist shopping areas”.
The plan, masterminded by import and export sector lawmaker Wong Tin-kwong, received no objections from government departments. But for it to go ahead, the mall must satisfy 18 conditions, including a restriction on its opening hours and the provision of transport arrangements.
The Planning Department received 195 comments supporting the plan and 16 against it during public consultation. Those who were against the mall feared it will cause more congestion and nuisance.
Before the Town Planning Board meeting, about 20 members of a group called San Tin Village Stakeholders demonstrated against the plan to build the mall at the lobby of North Point Government Offices.
Leading the protest was Man Kwok-tong, village representative of Yan Sau Wai in San Tin. Man said: “We are not opposed to the developers. But, until they make satisfactory transport arrangements, our villagers opposed the plan.”
Protests against parallel-goods trading flared up again this month, after a six-month lull. Photo: David Wong
Earlier this month, a protest against anti-parallel trading flared up in the border town of Sheung Shui after the movement had gone quiet for half a year. The protestors were criticised by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, who called their behaviour “unhelpful” to the city’s tourism industry, while other officialsslammed them as “irresponsible”.
In recent years, the influx of parallel traders to border towns in the New Territories had sparked unrest in Hong Kong. The traders, who buy goods in Hong Kong that they can resell in mainland China, were accused by some local residents of pushing up the prices of daily necessities and causing a nuisance.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1859246/pop-mall-proposal-hong-kong-border-town-lok-ma-chau-approved
