2010-08-14 南華早報 CITY CITY1
Cheung Chi-Fai 報導 新界東北發展關注組譯
新世界指責村民在綠帶土地上傾倒
新世界拒絕承認它旗下的公司涉及一宗於粉嶺北村落的填泥事件，並說這其實當地村民才是需要負責任的人。
這拒絕源自於石湖新村當地居民的投訴，指有一塊50,000平方米的土地，被一間由新世界間接控制的公司除去了林木植被，並填上了近一米高的土礫。
這片處於「綠色地帶」規劃的土地由一間叫Starry LandDevelopment 在1997年買下，已經丟空多年，已經長滿了草及灌木。
公司內七位執行董事，包括了新世界的主要人物鄭家純及梁志堅。
新世界相信為這一片土地的持有者，規劃署正在這地帶進行一個改頭換面的分區規劃研究，建議在新界東北打造一個新市鎮。
新世界發言人關則輝指，公司與現時在粉嶺的工程沒有任何關係，亦沒有即時發展的計劃。
「工程其實是由石湖新村的村民幹的，他們怕雨季期間出現水浸。」他更指出，「他們掘起旁邊一條渠的廢料，然後丟在此地。」
關續稱，村民並沒有知會公司有關傾倒的事，亦沒有取得准許。
村民已經向我們道歉，我們已經要求他們除去廢料，並將這個地方盡快回復原狀。他並沒有指出那個村民的姓名。
政府職員來到此地並無發現與規劃及環境法規相違的狀況。
一名住在土地旁邊的石湖新村居民，指他並沒有為意有任何渠道工程在村裡發生。他也質疑新世界指現時傾倒的泥土是從其他地方來的，因為他看到泥頭車進入地盤，並且在此地方平整土地。
「泥頭車先將林木推倒，然後平整土地，將植物全埋在土地下。我並沒有看到任何土地從外間運入。」村民更稱現時村內有傳這個地方將會被做為停車場。
一個附近村落的村民指，昨天工程已令一整個養羊場的吃草環境破壞。
「村民日常都會在引領羊群到附近的水塘之前，到此地吃草。」
她十分害怕工程會令村落的水浸危機更加嚴重，因為土地當中的小型水渠已被覆蓋。
環保署昨日到場視察，發言人指他們並沒有發現有任何工程及清拆的廢料。「我們會繼續密切監察這片地方。」
規劃署則指工程雖然是在分區規劃被劃作綠化地帶，此地亦是沒有納入在發展審批大綱圖裡。
規劃署職員指，如果沒有這大綱圖，署方並沒有對任何疑似違規的發展具有執行權力，例如非法傾倒。
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New World blames villagers for dumping on green-belt site
New World Development has rejected suggestions that an associated company was responsible for dumping fill on land it owns in a Fanling village - saying that in fact local villagers were responsible.
The denial came after residents of Shek Wu San Tsuen complained that a 50,000 sq ft site owned by a company indirectly controlled by New World had been cleared of vegetation and covered by debris up to a metre deep.
The green-belt-zoned site, owned by Starry Land Development, which bought it in 1997, has lain idle for years behind broken fences and under dense grass and shrubs.
The company's seven directors include leading New World figures Henry Cheng Kar-shun and Stewart Leung Chi-kin.
New World is believed to be a major landowner in the area, which is due for a facelift under a land use zoning study for proposed new towns in the northern New Territories being carried out by the Planning Department.
New World spokesman Kwan Chuk-fai said the company had nothing to do with the work on the Fanling site and had no immediate plans for its development.
"The work was actually done by the villagers in Shek Wu who were scared of flooding during the recent rainstorms," he said. "They excavated a nearby drainage channel and then dumped the waste on our site."
Kwan said the villagers did not notify the company about the dumping or seek permission.
"The villagers have already confessed to us, and we have asked them to remove the waste and reinstate the site as quickly as possible," he said, without naming the villagers.
No breach of planning or environmental regulations has been found by government officers who inspected the site.
A Shek Wu San Tsuen resident, who lives close to the work site, said he was not aware of any drainage work in or near the village. He also disputed New World's claim that the soil on the site came from other places, as he had seen excavators enter the site and dig up the land.
"The diggers felled the trees and shrubs first and then dug up the soil and buried the vegetation under the soil. I have never seen soil transported from outside," the villager said, adding that there had been rumours that the site would be turned into a car park.
A resident of a nearby village said yesterday the work had destroyed a feeding ground for a sheep farm opposite.
"The sheep farmer leads his flock to the site to feed on the grass there every day before moving on to a nearby pond," she said.
She also feared the work would worsen the flood risk facing the village, because small drainage channels at the site had also been buried.
After an inspection of the site yesterday, the Environmental Protection Department said it had not found any sign of construction or demolition waste on the site. "We will continue to monitor the site closely," a spokesman said.
The Planning Department said that while the work site was covered by an outline zoning plan and zoned as green belt, it was not covered by a development permission area plan.
Without such a plan, the department would have no enforcement power over suspected unauthorised development, such as illegal dumping, a planning official said.
