1
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1977
BAN ON MID-LEVELS BUILDING DEVELOPMENT TO BE LIFTED MAY 1, 1978
***
THE STATUTORY BAN ON BUILDING DEVELOPMENT IN MID-LEVELS WILL BE LIFTED FROM MAY 1, NEXT YEAR.
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON, DAVID MCDONALD, TODAY MOVED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT THE STATUTORY RESTRICTIONS BE EXTENDED UNTIL APRIL 30, 1978.
YEAR.
THE PRESENT RESTRICTIONS ARE DUE TO EXPIRE ON JULY 31, THIS
MR. MCDONALD SAID +ALTHOUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE RESTRICTIONS ON LEASE MODIFICATIONS AND NEW LAND SALES FOR BOTH MID-LEVELS AND POK FU LAM WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT, I CAN CONFIRM THAT NO FURTHER EXTENSIONS OF THE STATUTORY RESTRICTIONS ON BUILDING DEVELOPMENT WILL BE REQUIRED AFTER APRIL 30, 1978.+
MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT A FURTHER EXTENSION OF THE BAN WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE SEVERAL OF THE ESSENTIAL HIGHWAY WORKS ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY ADVANCED TO ALLOW FOR COINCIDENTAL COMPLETION WITH NEW PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS.
MR. MCDONALD RECALLED THAT LAST TIME, HE HAD SAID THAT TO LIFT THE RESTRICTIONS BAN WOULD MEAN UNDER EXISTING LEASE CONDITIONS AND PLANNING CONTROLS BUILDING DEVELOPMENT COULD TAKE PLACE WHICH WOULD RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN POPULATION IN MID-LEVELS TO ABOUT 55,000, OR NEARLY DOUBLE THE 1973 FIGURE.
+REMOVAL OF THE STATUTORY RESTRICTIONS IN POK FU LAM AREA AT THE END OF 1974 COULD BRING THE POPULATION THERE TO AROUND 75,000. A MORE RECENT ASSESSMENT OF THE POK FU LAM DEVELOPMENTAL POTENTIAL UNDER THESE CONDITIONS SHOWS THAT THE POPULATION COULD INCREASE TO MORE THAN 110,000,+
+THE LIFTING OF ADMINISTRATIVE RESTRICTIONS ON LEASE MODIFICATIONS AND NEW LAND SALES WOULD MEAN A POSSIBLE FURTHER INCREASE IN POPULATION OF ABOUT 7,000 IN MID-LEVELS AND NEARLY 92,000 IN POK FU LAM, HE SAID.
MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT EASING OF THE RESTRICTIONS DEPENDED ON PROGRESS MADE ON ESSENTIAL HIGHWAY WORKS BEING SUFFICIENTLY ADVANCED SO THAT THE COMPLETION AND OCCUPATION OF NEW DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WOULD COINCIDE APPROXIMATELY WITH THE COMPLETION OF HIGHWAY WORKS.
+ALTHOUGH SEVERAL OF THESE HIGHWAY SCHEMES ARE PROGRESSING WELL, A FEW OF THE MOST CRITICAL PROJECTS ARE STILL INSUFFICIENTLY FAR ADVANCED TO ALLOW FOR COINCIDENTAL COMPLETION WITH PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT. +
MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT IT WAS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO DEFER THE ACCEPTANCE OF BUILDING PLANS FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES IN MID-LEVELS FOR A FURTHER PERIOD OF NINE MONTHS.
/DR. THE HON.