by small factories, workshops, shops, illegal cultivation, pigbreeders and so on. When an area of this sort is required for development the Resettlement Department is responsible for clearing it of all structures and cultivation and resettling all eligible persons, as well as shops, workshops and factories,
47. When a clearance application is received (either from the Superintendent of Crown Lands in the urban area or from the District Officer in the New Territories) a discreet check is made of the situa- tion in the area to be cleared. From this check the size of the clearance problem is determined and its priority and timing fixed. In making this decision the following points are important:
(i) the purpose for which the land is required
The highest priority is land required for resettlement estates or other low-cost housing schemes, partly on social grounds and partly because other forms of land development would be impossible if there were no resettlement estates in which to rehouse the squatters occupying the land. Water schemes, schools, hospitals and other public buildings or works are the next priority. Provision is also made for private commercial, residential and industrial development in accordance with approved town plans.
(ii) date for clearance
Before the land can be cleared any private land involved must be resumed, any valid permits cancelled and compensation assessed. Moving house is a considerable upheaval and ample time must be allowed for sorting out such personal problems as finding new jobs and schools. Development of the site must start immediately after clearance in order to avoid leaving the land idle, which might attract new squatting.
(iii) accommodation
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Sufficient accommodation in a suitable estate must be avail- able for each clearance. As land in the central urban areas is now almost fully developed sites for new resettlement estates can usually be found only in the more outlying areas. In general, squatters are moved to the nearest available estate but quite often the estate is, of necessity, quite a considerable distance from the site to be cleared. The number of shops provided in estates has decreased in relation to the resident population
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