The possibility of the approval of Urban Conditions Plans (PCU) for several land plots where the land use has not been clearly stated, has sparked debate during yesterday’s plenary meeting of the Urban Planning Committee (CPU).
During the discussion of the conditions for several plots, some of the members noted that there was more than one purpose allowed for the same land plot. In some cases, the land could be used for as many as four purposes.
The matter raised eyebrows with members declaring that the committee should assess the conditions of each land plot taking into consideration a specific purpose only.
After a heated exchange of ideas on the matter among several members, the deputy director of the DSSCU, Mak Tat Io, intervened to clarify the matter.
“We need to take into account the fact that Macau has historically had land plots with mixed purposes and we need to continue this as we are aiming to create a diverse area with a mix of residential, commercial, and other purposes,” Mak said. He explained that the Urban Master Plan has defined eight zones based on the main purpose of the land but does not limit given plots of land to one purpose only, allowing secondary and tertiary usages as long as in compliance with the law.
“According to the [urban] master plan a land plot can have, besides its main purpose, a secondary purpose. This is valid as long as at least 51% of the [total usage area] is used for the main purpose, allowing that the remaining 49% be used for other purposes as long as they are allowed by the law,” Mak reaffirmed, noting that only the main purpose needs to be defined when approving the development.
“This is what we call integration of the land purposes, as according to what the experts in this field say, we must adopt a flexible approach and cannot simply approve one land plot to have a single use. We all know that most residential buildings also have commercial shops within the premises as well as schools and other services: this happens everywhere,” he concluded.
The discussion of a land plot located between the Travessa do Colégio and the Rua de Penha in Macau initially generated the debate.
The land, which was formerly known as “Mato do Bom Jesus,” was acquired by the Order of Discalced Carmelites around 1948 to build a convent which was demolished in the 1970s after only a little over 20 years of use.
After that, the land plot was used for many years as a sports facility that paid support to educational institutions operating under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Macau.
At issue was the fact that the PCU stated several possible uses for the plot including housing, commercial, tourist, and entertainment.
Committee member Chan Chui I was the first to criticize what she considered a high number of potential uses for the land, expressing particular concern for the last of the three, asking whether the land could be used for gaming venues.
In response, a representative from the DSSCU said that the multiple classifications are allowed according to the Master Plan as well as the Administrative Regulations which support it.
As for the potential use of the purpose of “tourist and entertainment” for a casino or a gaming venue, the same official said, “If it allows or forbids use for gaming, this depends on the evaluation from the service that has this responsibility to judge. We only define the general purposes of the land.”
One thing is certain, the electric power sub-station that is built on the land would not be affected by any of the developments on the plot of land, the director of DSSCU, Lai Weng Leong guaranteed.
