GEORGE TOWN – The proposed development and approval for earthworks to a site adjacent to the historic Campbell Street Market here has brought into focus the questionable processes for applications to develop historic sites and their vicinities.
The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) as the landowner had submitted an application for a proposed development to itself while seemingly ignoring procedures it is responsible for formulating and enforcing.
The application for the proposed development of a five-storey block of shop offices, car park, and studio room on nine lots adjacent to the Campbell Street Market was submitted on March 31 without feedback from the World Heritage Centre and the absence of a gazetted revised George Town Special Area Plan (GTSAP).
These are crucial requirements due to George Town’s Unesco heritage status.
Heritage structures and features such as the market uphold George Town’s outstanding universal values (OUVs). Otherwise, it risks losing its Unesco status.
The market and other old buildings there are listed as Category II structures in the current GTSAP, which applies to buildings, objects and sites of special interest in the George Town Unesco world heritage core and buffer zones, and warrant every effort to have them preserved.
A revision to the 2016 GTSAP, however, proposed revising these Category II buildings in the outer area of the Campbell Street Market to “infill” buildings. This revision has however yet to be gazetted.
This thus raises questions on how approvals for earthworks at the site were given on September 1, 2022 – almost a month before the revised GTSAP went on display for public feedback on September 28, 2022.
The reasons for the revision, as cited in the draft GTSAP, are that these structures are “supporting structures” to the main market building and not a part of the market itself, hence the structures do not possess any heritage features of significant value to be categorised as heritage buildings.
George Town Heritage Action (GTHA) co-founder Mark Lay however disagrees, pointing out that the structures added on to the main market in 1910 display some unique heritage qualities in terms of designs that uphold the OUV of George Town. This includes ornamental cast iron frames for the jack roof and within the interior.
The Campbell Street Market was built in 1900 on the site of an old Muslim burial ground, which is why it is known among the locals as hutan mayat, or forest of corpses.
A spokesman for MBPP told The Vibes that the council’s technical review panel (TRP) had in 2022 consented to the development, and restoration and conservation works on lots facing Claimant Place, bordering Campbell Market.
The National Heritage Department, which is part of the TRP, subsequently referred this development proposal to the Unesco World Heritage Centre, which is the coordinator and reference point for all matters related to world heritage and Unesco world heritage sites.
“MBPP is awaiting feedback from the centre before further consideration is given to the proposed development,” the spokesman added.
Questions are however being raised as to why MBPP submitted the application for the development – albeit to itself – despite the absence of feedback from the World Heritage Centre and the absence of a gazetted revised GTSAP.
Lay said that as a non-governmental organisation, GTHA is open to any feedback from the World Heritage Centre and National Heritage Department.
“If they say this building does not warrant Category II status and should be revised or replaced, we are willing to accept their technical feedback and recommendations.
“Our main aim here is that we want to ensure that the due processes are respected and MBPP as a council should be leading by example,” said Lay.
“What message are you sending out to everyone else if you yourselves are not following the process?”
‘Any plans for Campbell Street Market must abide by GTSAP’
When contacted, George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) general manager Ang Ming Chee said the 2016 GTSAP is still in force and any plans or decisions must abide by its contents.
GTWHI’s role in George Town is to safeguard and protect the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the George Town Unesco World Heritage Site, including buildings, objects, places, and the interest of the local community.
“If there were any objections to the delisting of the Category II building, it should have been raised during the objection period,” she said.
However, Ang said she was unsure if there was any feedback on this particular change from Category II to infill.
GTSAP, which outlines local planning guidelines and regulations for developments within the George Town World Heritage site, is reviewed every five years. The original GTSAP was gazetted on September 1, 2016.
In accordance with Section 13 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, reviews of the plan were put up for scrutiny, suggestions, and objections by stakeholders in October 2022.
‘It’s a living city, not an archaeological site’
Penang’s heritage commissioner Rosli Nor meanwhile said the matter has been discussed by MBPP’s TRP and following a recent site visit, suggestions had been made for tangible heritage structures from the outer Campbell Market structure to be transferred to the Sia Boey Urban Archaeological Park or Hin Bus Depot.
“There was consultation with the vendors in the main market pertaining to this development and the ones in the extension have long moved out,” he told The Vibes.
Despite the unique architectural features at the site, it has been abandoned, dilapidated, and become a haunt for vagrants.
“One must understand that Penang is a living world heritage site. It is a living city and therefore is allowed to evolve for the community. It is not an archaeological site, a dead site that has to be frozen in time,” said Rosli, adding that community consultation and participation are however crucial towards moving ahead in living sites. – The Vibes, April 6, 2023
The writer is a heritage management consultant and contributes to The Vibes
