WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1978
18
COMPENSATION TO SAI LAU KOK BUILDING OWNERS
******
THE GOVERNMENT HOPES TO BE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH A SOLUTION TO THE COMPENSATION PROBLEMS FACED BY OWNER-OCCUPIERS OF SEVEN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS AT SAI LAU KOK, TSUEN WAN, WHICH ARE TO BE DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY EXTENSION.
THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE HON, DAVID AKERS-JONES. TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT REALISES THE AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION BEING BASED ON THE VALUE OF THEIR EXISTING PROPERTY MAY BE INSUFFICIENT TO ALLOW OWNER-OCCUPIERS TO PURCHASE ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN TSUEN WAN AND THAT THEY MAY NOT WISH TO MOVE TO PUBLIC HOUSING.
+THIS PROBLEM IS BEING CONSIDERED AND I HOPE THAT A SOLUTION CAN BE ANNOUNCED BEFORE THE END OF THIS MONTH, HE SAID REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. CHARLES YEUNG.
MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THAT ABOUT 3,000 PEOPLE IN SAI LAU KOK WILL BE DISPLACED BY THE MTR DEVELOPMENT WITH 231 OF THE RESIDENTIAL UNITS AND 11 OF THE SHOPS INVOLVED OWNER-OCCUPIERS.
THE OWNERS OF PROPERTY IN THE BUILDINGS WERE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION ACCORDING TO AN INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT OF THE VALUE OF THEIR PROPERTY, HE SAID.
OWNER-OCCUPIERS AND TENANTS OF THE RESIDENTIAL UNITS WERE ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLIC HOUSING. +THEY AND THE OPERATORS OF COMMERCIAL UNITS WITHIN THE BLOCKS ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR EX-GRATIA DISTURBANCE ALLOWANCES, + MR. AKERS-JONES ADDED.
*THE ACTUAL AMOUNTS TO BE OFFERED TO THE OWNERS ARE NOT YET KNOWN, OWING TO THEIR RELUCTANCE TO ALLOW GOVERNMENT STAFF ACCESS TO THEIR UNITS FOR ASSESSMENT.
+THE AMOUNTS WILL, HOWEVER, BE ASSESSED AT FREE MARKET VALUE, AND THE OWNERS WILL HAVE THE RIGHT OF APPEAL TO THE LANDS TRIBUNAL.+
/19
Page 20Page 21