GEORGE TOWN – The Penang government is redoing the special area plan (SAP) for the Unesco-listed George Town World Heritage Site (WHS), citing changes to the inner-city area due to the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change.
Jagdeep Singh Deo, the state executive councillor for local government, said that the state administration will seek public feedback for the review.
"New lines are going to be drawn on the SAP," he said. “Our priority is the general health and safety of the public.”
Gazetted in 2016, the SAP is the conservation management plan for the site. It is required to be updated every five years.
The process of reviewing it has already begun and will be completed by 2021, Jagdeep said at a press conference on the state-level celebration of the 100th World Town Planning Day, which falls on November 8.
Ang Ming Chee, general manager of George Town World Heritage Inc (GTWHI), said that the review process would enable data in the original SAP to be updated.
“We are going to make it (the plan) lighter and easier to use. It is not just about conservation and preservation of buildings, but also the economical and social aspects of town planning,” she said.
GTWHI is the state agency overseeing the conservation and protection of the George Town WHS as per the requirements set by Unesco.
She said that a particular focus of the new SAP is on how the physical premises are to be used. “We want the town to be alive,” she said.
Robi Desa, state director of the Town and Country Planning Department (PLANMalaysia), said that the review will encompass improvements in the inner city’s management, conservation, preservation and sustainability.
“In terms of city management, we will be looking at how to manage in the pandemic era as well as climate change. After the pandemic is over, climate change is an issue that will still persist,” he said.
To kick-start public participation, PLANMalaysia organised a George Town Heritage Trail programme from October 17 to 25 that saw participants scouring around the streets of George Town to come up with feedback on how various locations there can be improved for the benefit of the local community and tourists.
Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Daniel Gooi, whose constituency is part of the WHS, described the upcoming document from the review as one that will be “living” for reference by town planners. - The Vibes, November 3, 2020.
