FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1979
PROPERTY OWNERS REASSURED OVER M.T.R. RESUMPTIONS
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THE GOVERNMENT TODAY (FRIDAY) REASSURED ANXIOUS PROPERTY OWNERS THAT THE RESUMPTION OF EIGHT AREAS OF LAND IN KOWLOON FOR MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY PURPOSES ANNOUNCED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE ON AUGUST 31 WOULD NOT RESULT IN THE DEMOLITION OF THE IR PROPERTIES.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID ALTHOUGH MANY PEOPLE ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WHOLESALE DEMOLITION OF BUILDINGS IS TO BE UNDERTAKEN IN THE NEAR FUTURE THIS IS NOT THE CASE AND NOBODY WILL BE EVICTED.+
TWO OF THE BUILDINGS AFFECTED ARE THE FOOK YIU BUILDING AT 6-8 TAI PO ROAD AND THE KEUNG FU BUILDING IN SAI YEUNG CHOI STREET WHICH ARE VERY SUBSTANTIAL, MODERN MULTI-STOREY BLOCKS OF FLATS.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID IN THESE TWO CASES, THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION HAS CONSTRUCTED TUNNELS BENEATH THE REAR YARDS OF THE BUILDINGS. THIS ORIGINALLY NECESSITATED THE DEMOLITION OF SOME OUTBUILDINGS BUT THIS WAS CARRIED OUT WITH THE CONSENT OF THE OWNERS. NOW THAT THE CONSTRUCTION WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED THESE OUTBUILDINGS HAVE BEEN REBUILT.+
+WHAT IS NOW BEING RESUMED BY GOVERNMENT IS A STRATUM OF LAND MANY FEET BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND THROUGH WHICH THE TUNNELS ACTUALLY PASS. THIS WILL NOT AFFECT THE OCCUPIERS OF THE FLATS ABOVE IN ANY WAY.+
OTHER PROPERTIES AFFECTED ARE THE MING YIN COLLEGE, THE HONG KONG SETTLERS HOUSING. SOCIETY IN WOH CHAI STREET AND PEONY HOUSE IN KWUN TONG ROAD TOGETHER WITH THREE PRIVATE PROPERTIES IN SUFFOLK ROAD.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID IN THESE CASES STATION ENTRANCES OR SIMILAR WORKS HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED ON VERY SMALL PARTS OF THE LOTS. AGAIN WHAT IS NOW BEING RESUMED BY GOVERNMENT IS THE PART OF THE LOT ACTUALLY OCCUPIED BY THE STRUCTURES WHICH IN MOST CASES ARE BELOW GROUND.
*ONLY VERY SMALL GROUND LEVEL PIECES OF THE LAND WILL BE RESUMED AND THESE ARE WHERE MASS TRANSIT STRUCTURES PROJECT ABOVE THE SURFACE.
+THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS IS AN AREA OF LAND AT NGAU CHI WAN OWNED BY THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR BENEATH WHICH PARTS OF CHOI HUNG STATION HAS BEEN BUILT.
+NEGOTIATIONS HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME WITH THE ORDER AND IT IS HOPED THAT AGREEMENT WILL SOON BE REACHED. AGAIN NO CLEARANCE WILL BE NECESSARY.
THE SPOKESMAN FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT AS THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY WAS SHORTLY TO COME INTO OPERATION, IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT THE CORPORATION HAD A LEGAL INTEREST IN THE LAND THROUGH WHICH THE RAILWAY RAN AND THAT IN VIEW OF THE LARGE NUMBERS OF OWNERS AFFECTED RESUMPTION APPEARED TO BE THE EASIEST SOLUTION.
/ER SAID: