Penang stays on World Heritage list

Written by Regina William

Thursday, 16 July 2009 14:38

GEORGE TOWN: Unesco has commended the Penang state government for maintaining the integrity of the George Town World Heritage Site during its recent session in Seville, Spain, which decided on the fate of the joint listing of George Town and Melaka.

The world body has requested the state government to submit a report to the World Heritage Centre by Feb 1, 2011 on the progress made on several recommendations.

Penang's listing had been in jeopardy when the approval of four projects within the core and buffer zones after the submission of the dossier to Unesco was questioned by the world body.

The four projects under scrutiny were the Boustead Holdings Sdn Bhd project in Weld Quay and the project by Asia Global Business in the core zone while in the buffer zone projects were the E&O Hotel expansion and Bintang Holdings projects.

All four were approved before Penang was declared a Unesco World Heritage site on July 7 last year, three by the previous state government and one by this administration.

The recommendations made by the joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS mission for the state government are:

— develop the special area plans for the inscribed property and its buffer zone, based on a careful analysis of important views, typologies and the composition of the social fabric of George Town, and submit these to the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS by Feb 1, 2011 for review;

— introduce new legal provisions in the protection and management system for the World Heritage property that would enable the central authorities at the level of the federal government to review and, if necessary veto proposals for major development projects, draft special area plans and other relevant planning controls and policies both for George Town and Melaka.

However, the world body also expressed regret that adequate information on the development proposals and the status of their approval, as well as the modification of the protective regulations, was not provided by the state government in the nomination file and during the evaluation process.

This process was undertaken by the previous Barisan Nasional state government.

The full text of the resolution on George Town passed unanimously by Unesco was released by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

It went on to commend the current state government for its efforts to negotiate with the developers to identify alternative solutions to the approved projects and reduce their adverse effect, including by commissioning heritage impact studies, as well as for the spirit of genuine concern and cooperation manifested in its attempts to clarify the issues with the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS.

The resolution stated it was satisfied with the official letter dated June 15, 2009 and oral statement by the state government informing the committee that:

— The height of the two proposed development projects within the inscribed area, Bousted and AGB, will be reduced to 18 metres;

— the impact of the two projects in the Buffer Zone, E&O and Bintang, has been reduced through the implementation of the modifications negotiated between the Council and the developers;

— the provision allowing building higher than 18 metres within the inscribed property under certain circumstances in George Town has been abolished;

— the existing "Guidelines for Conservation Areas & Heritage Buildings" will be renamed "Regulations for Conservation Areas & Heritage Buildings";

— Special Area Plans for the inscribed property and its buffer zone that would provide planning controls and guidance at a more detailed level, will be prepared;

— there will be no approval given for developments higher that 18 metres in the buffer zone until such time as the Special Area Plans are adopted;

— a Technical Review Committee will be established, including a representative of the federal government (Department of National Heritage) to review all major development proposals and proposed planning controls and policies that could impact adversely on the Outstanding Universal Value;

Three other measures to support the conservation of George Town have been taken, including the creation of a World Heritage Office, the strengthening of the Heritage Deaprtment within the city council of Penang, and the creation of a World Heritage Day in Penang.

Lim said the state government's successful effort to rescue George Town from being inscribed as a Heritage Site in Danger list demonstrates the commitment to preserve, protect and promote heritage conservation.

"Further, the deletion of Germany’s Dresden city from Unesco World Heritage List only emphasises how far the new state government has succeeded in convincing Unesco of the difference in commitment to heritage conservation after the change of government," he added.

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