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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1974.
MORE THAN 34,000 TO GET BETTER HOMES
WORK ON NEW N.T. ESTATE TO START IN NOVEMBER
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ANOTHER PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE, WHICH WILL PROVIDE BETTER HOMES FOR SOME 34,000 PEOPLE, WILL BE BUILT IN SHA TIN NEXT TO THE LEK YUEN ESTATE.
KNOWN AS NO CHE ESTATE, THE NEW HOUSING COMPLEX HAS BEEN PLANNED TO FORM A NEIGHBOURHOOD UNIT WITH LEK YUEN ESTATE WHICH WILL HAVE A POPULATION OF 23.000.
WO CHE ESTATE FORMS PART OF THE SHA TIN NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT SCHEME AND MARKS ANOTHER STEP FORWARD IN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S 10-YEAR HOUSING PROGRAMME.
THE ESTATE WILL BE BUILT IN TWO STAGES, WITH PILING WORK FOR THE FIRST STAGE DUE TO START IN NOVEMBER. WORK ON PHASE ONE SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN 1977.
BUILDING
THE WHOLE PROJECT, COMPRISING SIX TWIN-TOWER BLOCKS AND THREE SLAB BLOCKS TOGETHER WITH A HUGE COMMERCIAL COMPLEX AND SIX SCHOOL BUILDINGS, WILL BE FINISHED IN 1979. MORE THAN 16 ACRES OF LAND WILL BE RESERVED AS OPEN SPACE AND ADEQUATE WELFARE FACILITIES WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED.
PHASE ONE INVOLVES THE BUILDING OF THREE TWIN-TOWER BLOCKS WHICH WILL HOUSE ABOUT 15.000 PEOPLE.
THESE FLATS, SIMILAR TO OF MAN ESTATE WILL ALL BE SELF-CONTAINED COMPLETE WITH A PRIVATE BALCONY, KITCHEN, AND TOILET AND SHOWER, WITH LIVING/SLEEPING AREAS RANGING FROM 245 SQUARE FEET TO 315 SQUARE FEET.
ALSO TO BE CONSTRUCTED UNDER THIS PHASE WILL BE THREE SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND HALF OF THE COMMERCIAL COMPLEX WHICH WILL ACCOMMODATE SHOPS, TWO CAFES, A RESTAURANT, A WELFARE HALL, A CHILDREN/YOUTH CENTRE, TWO BANKS, A POST OFFICE AND AN ESTATE OFFICE. ABOUT 400 PARKING SPACES WILL BE PROVIDED ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE BUILDING.
THE SECOND AND LAST PHASE OF THE ESTATE, COMPRISES THE BUILDING OF THREE MORE TWIN-TOWER BLOCKS, THREE SLAB BLOCKS, THREE SCHOOL PREMISES, AND THE OTHER HALF OF THE COMMERCIAL COMPLEX. WORK ON THIS PHASE WILL BEGIN LATE NEXT YEAR AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN 1979.
THE SLAB BLOCKS WILL PROVIDE TWO BEDROOM UNITS EACH WITH A LIVING AREA OF 450 SQ. FT.
ALL THE +WET+ TRADES, INCLUDING MARKET STALLS AND GROCERY STORES, WILL OCCUPY THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE COMMERCIAL COMPLEX, WHILE SHOPS, SUPERMARKETS, COOKED FOODSTALLS AND A SECOND RESTAURANT WILL OCCUPY THE UPPER FLOORS.
THE WHOLE COMMERCIAL COMPLEX WILL BE READY .FOR USE BY THE TIME THE FIRST TENANTS MOVE INTO THEIR NEW HOMES IN 1977.
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