Urban planning committee approves Portuguese School land plan

The Urban Planning Committee has approved draft plans for the land plot of the Macau Portuguese School, according to the vote at yesterday’s plenary meeting.
The land plot has an area of 7,357 square meters. According to the plan, the land will continue being used as school facilities. This is the second draft plan for the school’s expansion.
The height of the buildings on the land is divided into four categories. Zone A must keep its existing architecture, Zone B must continue to be an open space, Zone C has a maximum building height of 50 meters, and Zone D cannot have walls more than 3 meters tall.
Before constructing anything, the land concessionaire must submit a report to the government to evaluate ventilation capacity.
The gap between all buildings must be no less than one-sixth of the tower height. The maximum external width of the façade must be 70 meters.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau gave its opinions on the plans. The bureau proposed that buildings in Zone C should keep at a “specific distance” to allow the architectural view of Zone A to be observable.
In October, the committee members said that the school’s first expansion plan draft would lead to poor lighting conditions on campus after considering the previous proposal.
The Land, Public Affairs and Transport Bureau said it would to conduct further studies and revise the plan.
The school’s expansion has been wanted for a long time. During his visit to Macau last year, the Portuguese president said that the expansion would go ahead in 2019.
Besides the school’s expansion plan, the committee approved another two drafts related to two school land plots.
One of the land plots is situated at the Largo Governador Tamagnini Barbosa in Taipa. This plot has an area of 2,313 square meters.
The maximum building height allowed is 11.2 meters, and the incline roof must be plastered with Chinese-style tiles. The angle of the incline should be 22 degrees.
The other land plot is Rua do Asilo No.35-79 and Travessa das Pedrinas No.38, where Escola Primária Luso-Chinesa do Bairro Norte is situated.
The plot has an area of 1,731 square meters and should be used for educational purposes. The maximum building height allowed is 50 meters.

DSSOPT investigates national security ad
The Land, Public Affairs and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) is investigating a case of unapproved national security advertising.
Earlier this month, a billboard advertisement was displayed on the façade of a building located on Avenida da Praia Grande.
The advertisement, created by the Macau Culture Communication Association, commended the new national security law in Hong Kong.
On the sidelines of yesterday’s committee meeting, DSSOPT director Chan Pou Ha said that her department is currently investigating the case.

Defunct bookstore to stay protected
The land near the Hong Kung Miu Temple prompted a discussion regarding heritage protection during the Urban Planning Committee meeting.
An historical bookstore, which is considered to be culturally valuable, is located on Avenida do Coronel Mesquita, near to the Hong Kung Miu Temple.
Committee member Lui Chak Keong, questioned the reason for the lack of development in the area, suggesting that the vacant space could be used to repair or reconstruct the old building.
A representative from Cultural Affairs Bureau said that the open space can provide a better view of the defunct bookstore. The representative stressed that issues involving cultural heritage must be resolved by reference to the Cultural Heritage Protection Law.
Under the plan, the land was separated into three-parts, Zone A, B, and C. The bookstore is located in Zone A. Zone B will remain the open space and some buildings on Zone C will be redesigned.
The draft plan was successfully passed although there were several concerns raised regarding the heritage protection issue.