2600224
C.S. 84
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XCR(70)303
At the same time, when the Board's recommendation was acted upon, it was also felt wise for the same reason to defer Stage III of Kwai Fong Estate, the only other Government Low-cost Housing project at Kwai Chung, after tenders had been received. This deferment involves 12, 850 units of accommodation, 2 estate schools, 2 kindergartens, 4 vegetable markets, and related works. Stage I and II of the Estate are already under construction, involving the balance of 29, 500 units of accommodation, 2 estate schools, 1 kindergarten, 1 vegetable market, one sub post office and administration accommodation.
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The Housing Board and the Director of Fublic Works have since made representations that Stage III for which piling has already been completed should go ahead as before. The Board itself did not recommend the defer- ment of Stage III because it felt that this estate, which is near the main in- dustrial area where private development is starting, would be popular and is an essential concomitant to the growth of new industry. The Director of Fublic Works is also concerned with the fact that (a) without Stage III, the balanced development of the whole Estate is prejudiced, both as regards schools and markets, an undue preponderance of which are included fortuit- iously in Stage III because the deferment had not, of course, been foreseen at planning stage; and (b) the original estimate of cost for Stage III is already out of date and will need to be increased substantially if it is to go ahead now.
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In these circumstances it is recommended that work on Stage III of Kwai Fong Estate should be allowed to proceed now without further delay, subject to the provision of the necessary additional funds by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council.
I.
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New Building Frogrammes for resettlement and Government Low-cost Housing
The Board recommends building programmes over the 6-year period 1969-1975 on the basis of 300,000, individual units of Resettlement accommodation and 290,000 units of Government Low-cost Housing in addition to the deferred building at Kwai Chung, amounting to 110, 000 units. This recommendation is made in the light of the fact that the number of units al- ready included in Categories A and B of the Public Works Frogramme, not counting those items deferred at Kwai Chung, that can be developed within the 6-year period provide 288, 000 units of Resettlement and 269,000 units of Government Low-cost Housing. This gives a shortfall of only 12,000 units of resettlement accommodation and 21,000 units of Government Low-cost Housing. Whether or not the shortfall, in respect of both programmes, can be made up will largely depend upon the solution of various problems affecting the search for new resettlement sites at Kennedy Town, Ap Lei Chau, and Shun Lee Chuen and the progress with the Government Low-cost Housing estate at Ngau Chi Wan and the estate at Sha Tin which has been approved in principle. At the same time, in correspondence with the Secretariat, the Housing Board has clarified its recommendations on the Government Low-cost Housing building programme, in that (a) its recommendation on the deferment of about 100,000 units at Kwai Chung (110, 000 units if Kwai Fong is included) is not to be regarded as a reduction in the housing programme; (b) it is the Board's opinion that the sites for the deferred estates should still be reserved for housing and (c) if other more centrally located sites become available in the
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