The proposed construction of a 14-storey hotel at the heart of Ipoh Old Town has been met with opposition from stakeholders, who believe that it could seriously damage the surrounding heritage buildings, reported The Star.
The developer plans to build the hotel at a private land in Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, or within the zone gazetted under the Ipoh Heritage Tin City Special Area Plan 2020.
“This land was gazetted for a plot ratio of 1:3:5, but the developer has applied to the council to amend it to 1:6:0 and the building height to 14 storeys,” said the stakeholders’ spokesman Lim Yi Wen in a forum at Old Town prior to the presentation of a memorandum to the state government.
“The purpose of the amendment is to build a high-rise hotel with an underground basement carpark.”
Addressed to Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, the memorandum was received by state Tourism, Arts and Culture committee chairman Tan Kar Hing.
“By presenting this memorandum, we want to make it clear that we are not against development, but we strongly feel that heritage conservation and development must complement one another,” added Lim.
She noted that Ipoh has been promoted by the state government as a tourist destination, with Old Town as a popular heritage spot.
With this, new buildings within the area should correspond with the existing buildings in terms of size, height and design.
She revealed that the plot on which the high-rise hotel is to be built is “bordered by the Kinta River with surrounding buildings that are over 100 years old”.
“Most of the buildings were constructed using basic methods of construction, and if the amendment is approved, it could cause serious damage to the surrounding heritage buildings,” added Lim.
Meanwhile, Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said he will study the matter first and get a full report from Ipoh City Council before coming out with a decision.
He said the project would definitely not be allowed if the developer fails to follow the rules stipulated.
“However we can always discuss with the developer on finding a solution such as moving the development elsewhere,” added Ahmad Faizal.
Image source: The Star
This article was edited by the editorial team of PropertyGuru. To contact them about this or other stories email editorialteam@propertyguru.com.my
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