TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 976
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR AREAS OUTSIDE NEW TOWNS ******
AN AMBITIOUS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IS ABOUT TO START IN THE NEW TERRITORIES TO PROVIDE BETTER HOMES AND FACILITIES FOR SOME 350,000 PEOPLE IN THE RURAL AREAS OUTSIDE THE NEW TOWNS AT SHA TIN, TSUEN WAN AND TUEN MUN.
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT PLANNERS HAVE COMPLETED THE FIRST SET OF BLUEPRINTS FOR THE SCHEME AND WORK ON THE FIRST SITE FORMATION CONTRACT IS DUE TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY AFTER CHRISTMAS.
THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, WHICH COVERS 12 RURAL AREAS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND OUTLYING ISLANDS, PROVIDES FOR A SERIES OF PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES IN THE FOUR MARKET TOWNS AT TAI PO. SHEK WU HUI, FANLING AND YUEN LONG, AND EIGHT RURAL TOWNSHIPS AI SAI XUNG (TUI MIN HOI), MUI WO, CHEUNG CHAU, TẠI 0, PENG CHAU, LAU FAU SHAN, TAN KWAI TSUEN AND SHAM TSENG.
FEASIBILITY STUDIES, COMMISSIONED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, FOR THESE AREAS WERE SUBMITTED RECENTLY BY THE CONSULTING ENGINEERS AND DETAILED DESIGN FOR MUCH OF THE REQUIRED ENGINEERING AND BUILDING WORKS BY VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICES, INCLUDING THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, ARE EITHER IN HAND OR UNDERWAY.
THE PROGRAMME IS BEING CO-ORDINATED BY THE NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT BRANCH OF THE P.W.D.'S NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. THIS BRANCH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL DEVELOPMENT WORK ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC HOUSING IN THE FOUR MARKET TOWNS AND EIGHT RURAL TOWNSHIPS.
MR. KENNETH KWOK, GOVERNMENT ENGINEER (NEW TERRITORIES) OF THE N.T.D.D., SAID TODAY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW MARKET TOWNS WAS SIMILAR IN CONCEPT TO THE NEW TOWNS, BUT ON A SMALLER SCALE.
+AS IN THE NEW TOWNS, THE AIM IS TO PROVIDE BALANCED DEVELOPMENT WITH ALL BASIC FACILITIES AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES FOR THE RESIDENTS. APART FROM HOUSING, THESE WILL INCLUDE SCHOOLS, CLINICS, COMMUNITY HALLS, SHOPPING CENTRES AND RECREATIONAL AREAS. IN ADDITION, SITES WILL ALSO BE MADE AVA ILABLE FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS FOR COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL USE, HE SAID.
HE SAID FUNDS AMOUNTING TO SOME $371 MILLION HAD BEEN EARMARKED IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME FOR VARIOUS ENGINEERING PROJECTS IN THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS.
INITIALLY DEVELOPMENT WOULD CONCENTRATE AT TAI PO, SHEK WU HUI, FANLING, YUEN LONG, SAI KUNG, MUI WO, CHEUNG CHAU AND ΤΑΙ Ο.