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Urban redevelopment ideas outlined
The Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen Leung, today (Wednesday) outlined some of the main ideas and concepts that the Administration have been developing to facilitate urban redevelopment.
Speaking at the motion debate in the Legislative Council on the review of the urban renewal policy, Mr Leung said the review was substantially completed.
He said one of the ideas put to the Administration was that developers who had worthwhile projects should be able to approach the Land Development Corporation to implement those projects on a joint venture basis.
"If this idea is found to be agreeable, the Administration may wish to consider setting some criteria, in conjunction with the LDC Board, on the type of scheme which would be suitable.
"These criteria would include the level of housing production and community benefits arising from the scheme. All the rules which apply to the LDC's other schemes can continue to be applied to such joint ventures and the developer would be expected to fund the LDC's acquisition efforts and relocation package," he said.
He also noted that the Administration could consider ways to speed up LDC projects by, for example, setting up a special team to undertake resumption work in support of its schemes.
He stressed that there would continue to be checks and controls to protect the rights of the affected owners.
"Indeed we are looking at tightening these up by making greater use of an existing provision under the LDC Ordinance to employ independent valuers to verify that LDC's offers in purchasing properties are fair and reasonable," he said.
On relocation and rehousing of tenants, Mr Leung said while land had been made available to the LDC for such purpose in the past, more would be needed in the urban area in future.
"An alternative would be for the LDC to co-operate with the Housing Society which also has experience in redevelopment projects and expertise in the provision of affordable housing and management."