For information
NAOSTRY NO. 3 MAY 1977
NICK 3601
7
- 2
RESTRICTED
NOTE FOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
SHA TIN AREA SQUATTERS
XCRI(77)4
Copy No.29
分
At the meeting of the Executive Council on 22nd March 1977, concern was expressed that there had been a build up of squatters in the last few weeks and that Stage II development of Sha Tin in the head of the valley might be impeded.
2
An influx into Sha Tin, particularly of car breaking yards and dyeing works, started in 1973/74 when many undertakings of this kind were cleared from Ngau Tau Kok and Clearwater Bay Road for the Mass Transit Depot and Shun Lee Tsuen Housing Estate respectively. They chose Sha Tin because of its proximity to the urban area.
At the end of 1974 the Secretary for the New Territories decided to legalise the position of as many of these undertakings as possible by allowing short-term tenancies or waivers of lease conditions in order:
3
C.S. 84
(a)
(b)
to bring them under control;
to prevent indiscriminate squatting of other kinds which might increase the commitment on public housing;
to facilitate their eventual clearance; and
(c)
흐흐
(d)
to realise revenue from the occupation of the land.
4
Regarding (c) in paragraph 3, under the terms of short- term tenancies or waivers operators are obliged to deliver up vacant possession of the land upon cancellation of their tenancy or waiver, without compensation. As a safeguard, a cash bond is required so that the Crown can arrange clearance at the operator's expense, if the latter fails to do so.
5
Since 1974, within areas not required until the later phases of Sha Tin development, applications have been approved for basically open storage uses. These uses are land intensive and may give an impression of more extensive use of land for industrial undertakings.
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