TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1986
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DURING A WALK THROUGH THE AREA WITH THE DISTRICT BOARD CHAIRMAN, MR MICHAEL CHENG, AND THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE DISTRICT'S SQUATTER AREA COMMITTEE, MÁS LEE YUK-SIN, HE WAS BRIEFED BY THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR NICHOLAS YEK, ON CONDITIONS IN THE AREA.
SIR WILLIAM WAS TOLD THAT THE SITUATION HAD IMPROVED IN RECENT YEARS WITH BETTER WATER SUPPLIES, THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE BREAKS AND DRAINS, THE INSTALLATION OF TOILETS AND REFUSE COLLECTION POINTS AND THE RESURFACING OF FOOTPATHS.
HOWEVER, A LAYOUT PLAN HAD BEEN PREPARED FOR A COMPREHENSIVE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA AND IT WAS EXPECTED THAT ALL SQUATTERS WOULD BE REHOUSED BY THE EARLY 1990'S.
THE PLAN INCLUDES THE CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND APPROACH ROADS TO THE PROPOSED TATE'S CAIRN TUNNEL WHICH WILL BE A MAJOR ROAD LINK BETWEEN SHA TIN AND KOWLOON.
THE PARTY THEN TOURED THE MARK I AND II OLD STYLE BLOCKS AT LOK FU ESTATE BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THE ROOF OF A NEWLY CONSTRUCTED BUILDING IN LOK FU CENTRE FOR A BRIEFING ON REDEVELOPMENT OF KOWLOON CENTRAL ESTATES BY A SENIOR ARCHITECT OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, WHICH BEGAN IN 1979, INCLUDES LOWER WONG TAI SIN, TUNG TAU, WANG TAU HOM AND LOK FU, WHICH COLLECTIVELY HAS A POPULATION OF 116 700 AND COMPRISES OLD STYLE BLOCKS CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN 1958 AND 1964.
SIR WILLIAM WAS TOLD THAT ALL THE MARK I AND II BLOCKS WOULD BE CLEARED BY 1990 AND THE $2 000 MILLION REDEVELOPMENT SCHEME WOULD BE THE LARGEST AND MOST AMBITIOUS PROJECT OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD.
DURING RECENT YEARS, A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF NEW BLOCKS HAVE ALREADY BEEN BUILT AND SIR WILLIAM NOTED THE MARKEDLY IMPROVED FACILITIES WHEN HE VISITED A FAMILY IN ONE OF THE NEW BUILDINGS.
DURING HIS FOUR-DAY VISIT TO HONG KONG, SIR WILLIAM WOULD ALSO HOLD DISCUSSIONS WITH VARIOUS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
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