GEORGE TOWN – Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has sought to placate concerns over the proposed development plans for Burmah Square after heritage conservationists demanded the state to call off the project.
The project, which sits just next to the George Town World Heritage Site buffer zone, has yet to be approved as the state government is reviewing the plans mooted by the state-owned Penang Development Corporation (PDC).
He assured yesterday that PDC’s proposal followed a set of guidelines to conform with the requirements of all parties.
“There is no need for alarm. If at all the project kicks off, it will be in 2024 or 2025. Currently, the project has yet to be approved.
“PDC has submitted an application for planning permission to the Penang Island City Council. One of the by-law requirements is that the neighbouring units must be informed,” Chow said after witnessing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between PDC and Alibaba Group Holding Limited affiliate Cainiao Smart Logistics Network Limited.
However, he admitted that the planning process was disrupted due to a civil suit taken by a couple against the state government, PDC and him.
He has instructed PDC’s legal team to prepare for the case while the state legal advisor will be presenting the government and him.
Recently, owners of a heritage bungalow in Jalan Chow Thye filed a suit over concerns that the Burmah Square development would pose serious risk to their house and others along the road.
The affected 1.5ha area owned by PDC, which is surrounded by Jalan Burmah, Jalan Chow Thye, Jalan Irrawaddy and Jalan Servis, houses pre-war government quarters since the 1920s. If approved, Penangites will also see two 40-storey tower blocks in the area.
According to Chow, the redevelopment proposal wants to keep the facade of the houses and development will only affect the back of the buildings.
On the absence of the two local plans – for the island and Seberang Prai – giving the state government carte blanche to develop the state, Chow refuted the notion, saying there is a structure plan that guides how development is carried out.
“There are still controls put in place such as density, plot ratio and other requirements.”
Earlier, Penang Heritage Trust (PHT) president Lim Gaik Siang said a similar development mistake had destroyed the heritage significance along the iconic Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah and Jalan Macalister.
“The proposed mega-development on Burmah Square will have a domino effect on the surrounding buildings, putting pressure on future developments in the area.
“PHT reiterates the call to the Penang state government to revisit the development plans of Burmah Square and seek a win-win solution that balances brown-fill redevelopment, especially in heritage-sensitive areas.”
From an artistic and architectural perspective, Burmah Square and the surrounding areas sit within a single, mostly intact, Art Deco-style enclave found in the country, she added. – The Vibes, April 15, 2022
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