Hong Kong’s government has abandoned its plan to build 12,000 public housing units on the city’s oldest golf course, following a court ruling that deemed the environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval process unlawful. The decision marks the end of a lengthy legal dispute initiated by the Hong Kong Golf Club, which challenged the government’s 2019 proposal to develop 32 hectares of the Fanling golf course.
The Court of Appeal upheld findings from a 2024 judgment by the Court of First Instance, which identified numerous procedural flaws and legal breaches in how the EIA report was prepared and approved. The courts criticized the government for inadequate environmental and heritage assessments and found the public consultation process to be insufficient. Key assessments related to the site’s ecology and cultural value were either incomplete or added only after the consultation period, limiting meaningful public input.
The contested development would have affected eight holes of the Old Course, established in 1911, making it the oldest golf course in China and a site of significant historical and cultural importance. The court described the course as one of Asia’s “finest and most scenic” and the only venue in Hong Kong capable of hosting top-tier international golf tournaments. The project’s potential to destroy this heritage, as well as its ecological impact, were central to the legal challenge.
Among the environmental concerns highlighted in the ruling was the insufficient assessment of endangered flora and fauna, including trees, moths, and bats. Notably, the course is home to the critically endangered Chinese Swamp Cypress, a species of global conservation importance. The court noted that around 15% of the species’ worldwide population is found at the site, with 29 trees over 100 years old. The government’s EIA was deemed to have failed in properly evaluating the “devastating and irreversible” impact the housing development could cause to these sensitive trees.
The ruling also addressed discrepancies between the EIA report and the legal requirements outlined in the technical memorandum and study brief, underscoring the seriousness of the government’s procedural lapses. Conditions placed on the EIA approval would have required a redesign of the housing project, potentially changing its scope significantly from what was presented during public consultations.
The government has stated that addressing Hong Kong’s housing shortage remains a top priority but that the pace of site acquisition has slowed. The Fanling golf course lies within the boundaries of the Northern Metropolis development plan, which aims to provide 150,000 new homes and envisions the golf course area as a “green corridor” at the heart of the project.
With the court’s ruling and the government’s withdrawal of its appeal, the housing development plan as originally proposed appears unlikely to proceed. Observers note that preserving the Fanling golf course aligns with Hong Kong’s ambitions to host international sporting events and maintain environmental and cultural assets amidst ongoing urban development.