The Government has issued a non-binding letter of intent to Gammon-Hip Hing Joint Venture, which has obtained the highest combined technical and price scores, for the Tamar Development Project's design-and-build contract.

The project's special selection board, chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, has completed marking the four tenders received for the project against a comprehensive list of criteria set out in the tender document. The quality considerations take up 60% of the overall score and price considerations take up the remaining 40%.

The issue of the letter of intent does not necessarily mean that Gammon-Hip Hing will eventually be awarded the contract, as it is subject to the special selection board's final decision.

Planning permission

Under the approved Central (Extension) Outline Zoning Plan about two hectares of the site is designated as open space while 2.2 hectares is zoned for government, institution or community purposes.

To allow the tenderers to maximise their design creativity, the tender document provides that tenderers can propose a design that has part of the Central Government Complex or Legislative Council Complex encroaching upon the open space area. The prerequisite is that the provision of at least two hectares of public open space must not be compromised.

Since Gammon-Hip Hing's design involves encroachment of part of the complex onto the open space, it has to obtain permission from the Town Planning Board within seven months from the date of the letter of intent.