Latest news with #PeterWong
South China Morning Post
18-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
HSBC celebrates 60 years of nurturing future leaders
HSBC is committed to preparing a future-ready talent pool in Hong Kong and has for decades been providing students in the city with scholarships to help them achieve their full potential. Advertisement This year, the bank is celebrating two big milestones – HSBC's 160th anniversary and the 60th anniversary of the HSBC scholarship scheme. Through its philanthropic arm The Hongkong Bank Foundation, HSBC has helped more than 7,500 students pursue their dreams – in everything from finance to public service and the performing arts – through its scholarship offerings, namely the HSBC Global Scholarship, Innovation and Technology Scholarship, HSBC Hong Kong Scholarship, HSBC Social Work Scholarship and the HSBC Vocational Education Scholarship. 'Hong Kong is a home market for HSBC, and we want to ensure there is a future-ready talent pool for the city,' says Peter Wong, chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and The Hongkong Bank Foundation. 'We are proud to support local talent and create opportunities to help them succeed. It is how we will keep Hong Kong thriving as a welcoming, international city.' When launched in 1965, the first scholarships were for undergraduates studying social work, a relatively new field at the time and one where there was a clear need for more trained professionals. Subsequently, the number of awards steadily expanded to include more university-level programmes and vocational training courses to reflect the city's development. Advertisement Each scholarship provides financial support to awardees but is also an invitation to be part of a bigger community that is passionate about giving back to the city they call home – Hong Kong. A clear commitment to that ethos is among the selection criteria, along with an ambition to accept challenges and grow. Past recipients are enrolled into Hub for the Future, an alumni body that has a membership of more than 3,300. 'Seeing our amazingly diverse alumni make lasting contributions to the well-being of the wider community over time is the real payback,' Wong says.
Wales Online
11-07-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Fears Cardiff turning into 'concrete jungle' as huge new tower block plans unveiled
Fears Cardiff turning into 'concrete jungle' as huge new tower block plans unveiled Cardiff Council's planning committee praised the proposed location of the new blocks, which will replace Asset House in Penarth Road, at a meeting on Thursday, July 3 Asset House has been vacant for years (Image: Google Street View ) Wales Online readers have been discussing the news that an ageing warehouse in the heart of Cardiff is set to be demolished to make room for two co-living apartment blocks. The proposed site for the new structures, which will take the place of Asset House on Penarth Road, was commended by Cardiff Council's planning committee at a meeting held on Thursday, 3 July. However, concerns were raised regarding the planned size of the accommodation units, which fall short of the council's current planning guidance for minimum space standards for studio flats. Council planners clarified that co-living accommodation units are typically smaller than conventional flats, but this is offset by the provision of amenity space within the premises. Planning committee member, Cllr Peter Wong, praised the project as a "really nice, simple, inoffensive... design" and commended its efficient use of a brownfield site. Yet, he also highlighted shortcomings, such as the inadequate provision of cycle spaces, offering only 75% of what is required by the council's planning guidance, and took issue with the compact size of the living units. He remarked: "It is effectively in my eyes a high-rise HMO (house in multiple occupation)." The development will consist of two blocks, one reaching six storeys and the other 13, together providing 182 apartments. These structures, set to replace the long-vacant Asset House, are touted to be the inaugural purpose-built co-living accommodation blocks in Wales, as noted by a city planner. Cllr Emma Reid Jones expressed her approval, saying: "This is great use of space in an area that could really use some regeneration." Article continues below However, she also expressed reservations about whether the concept aligns with Welsh Government expectations and local planning guidelines, stating: "I really do have a concern that actually the concept will not match what the Welsh Government and... our local planning guidance says it should." Commenter Fleetfoot thinks: 'Easy solution, refuse planning permission until the details match the planning rules. In the meanwhile, start charging the owners business rates. Councils are charging double Council Tax for second homes. The Welsh Government could introduce Business Rates on empty office and factory buildings. That would gain the attention of empty property owners. It's not rocket science.' Jabhigh says: 'Developers are not there to provide an amenity, but to make money and the sooner councillors acknowledge that then the sooner they will understand that they are the last hope for maintaining standards and ensuring what's built is fit for purpose. Developers take their money and go.' Tobart writes: 'The local 'architects' must be rubbing their hands at the moment in Cardiff as there just seems to be a blueprint for apartments, apartments, apartments!! Blocks of apartments with zero character or imaginative design. Boring, bland and downright ugly monstrosities blighting the city skyline, blocking sunlight and creating awful wind funnels. As an example, try walking around Central Square these days!' StevieS999 points out: 'There is a dire need for accommodation, but making excuses to make them so small by calling it co-living is going to extremes. We have had enough 'student' tower flats going up that cannot be let (known beforehand) and so come back to the council for change of use thereby bypassing section106 (meaning more expenditure from our council tax caused by the new premises and unliveable spaces). Make them larger and self-contained; that is what is really needed.' Rhiannon M Jones is annoyed: 'It's been hell on this section of Penarth Rd with the development on the old brewery site and the old cheese warehouse site, it would be lovely to have some time without any more developments.' Mark Curtis wonders: 'So where is the council getting the money from? Between Cardiff Council and the Senedd, they are demolishing the old Cardiff, it is being turned into a concrete jungle.' Darren Lloyd agrees: 'That's the whole of Cardiff Central, the buildings that are constructed today and for the last 40 years are all eyesores.' Will you be happy to see this building replaced? What do you think the Cardiff of the future will look like? Have your say in our comments section. Article continues below
Wales Online
07-07-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Huge eyesore building in Cardiff city centre set to be demolished and transformed
Huge eyesore building in Cardiff city centre set to be demolished and transformed One council planning official said that the new buildings will be the first purpose built co-living apartment blocks in Wales Asset House on Penarth Road in Cardiff will be demolished and make way for two blocks of co-living apartments (Image: CW Architects ) An old warrehouse in Cardiff city centre will be demolished to make way for two blocks of co-living apartments. Cardiff Council's planning committee praised the proposed location of the new blocks, which will replace Asset House in Penarth Road, at a meeting on Thursday, July 3. However they also raised concerns about the proposed size of the accommodation units, which will not meet the minimum space standards for studio flats under the council's current planning guidance. Council planners explained that co-living accommodation units are usually smaller than traditional flats but added that this is compensated by amenity space on site. Never miss a Cardiff story and sign up to our newsletter here. Planning committee member, Cllr Peter Wong, described the proposal as a "really nice, simple, inoffensive... design" and said it made "really good use of a brownfield site". However he went on to criticise the number of proposed cycle spaces for the site, which will deliver 75% of the cycle parking required under the council's planning guidance, and criticised the size of the accommodation units. He added: "It is effectively in my eyes a high-rise HMO (house in multiple occupation)." Article continues below Both blocks, one six storeys in height and the other 13 storeys, will deliver 182 apartments. There will also be commercial space on the ground floor of one block and internal amenity areas, like a communal plaza area, co-working rooms, a fitness room, cinema, games room, dining spaces, and roof gardens. Asset House has been vacant for years (Image: Google Street View ) Individual private living spaces will range from 20.1sqm and 29.9sqm in size and include a living/dining area and a separate bathroom and bedroom. Cllr Sean Driscoll said the proposal was "really good" but added that he also had concerns about the amenity space. He said: "It does say in the report about internal kitchen and living space not being able to serve the number of residents on every floor. "I get it that amenity space is being created elsewhere but also in the report it has concerns about the amount of amenity space that's available... and I actually share that concern as well and I have doubts about whether it's going to be enough." The two buildings replacing Asset House, which has been vacant for at least four years, will be the first purpose built co-living accommodation blocks in Wales according to a city planner. The tallest block will be 13 storeys high and the smaller block will be six storeys high (Image: CW Architects ) Another co-living scheme is being developed in Cardiff but this involves the re-purposing of a former office block in the centre, Knox Court. Cardiff Council doesn't have any specific planning guidance on co-living apartments but standards adopted in London advocate for units that are between 22sqm and 27sqm. The council's planning guidance states that the minimum space standard for studio flats is 30sqm. Cllr Emma Reid Jones said: "This is great use of space in an area that could really use with some regeneration." However she went on to add: "I really do have a concern that actually the concept will not match what the Welsh Government and... our local planning guidance says it should." Council planning officer Alexandra Richards said: "Yes [co-living apartments] are smaller than a traditional flat and the guidelines in the [planning guidance] relate to traditional or build-to-rent... flats. Article continues below "This does differ. It's a flexible approach. "It's an all-in model and the increased amenity levels provided in comparison to a build to rent scheme... essentially offer the difference between the size of the flat in which people will be living in."
The Standard
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Standard
HSBC's Peter Wong, GEM, and Karen Mok seek luxury property deals in Hong Kong
The chairman of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Peter Wong Tung-shun. Picture provided by SING TAO.
The Standard
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Standard
Celebrity and Property Investors Seize Opportunity as Property Prices Decline
The chairman of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Peter Wong Tung-shun. Picture provided by SING TAO.
