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Answer:
Mr President,
The eight ex-military sites proposed to be released for residential development include the British Military Hospital, Blackdown Barracks and Kowloon Tsai Married Quarters in Kowloon; Pearl Island Married Quarters, Perowne Barracks and Gordon Hard, Dills Corner Camp, Beas Stables Married Quarters and Burma Lines in the New Territories.
The Administration has commissioned two consultancy studies to examine the feasibility of developing these sites for residential use and to advise on their appropriate levels of development intensity.
The consultants have identified considerable constraints in developing the sites. In short, these are:
compatibility of development with the surrounding areas;
topography;
amount of developable land within the sites;
capacity of the surrounding road networks; sufficiency of infrastructure; and
traffic noise impact.
The consultants have identified a range of measures to resolve the above constraints. Subject to these measures, the consultants have also recommended the optimum development intensity for each of the sites.
We have examined the consultants' recommendations carefully and agreed with the proposed development intensity of seven of the sites. As a result, one site will be used for high density development and six for low to medium density development. It is envisaged that around 7800 residential units will be produced on the sites. As for the last site, that is, Burma Lines in the New Territories, we consider that a further study will need to be done before deciding on the eventual scale of development on the site.
We are already taking steps to seek funds to complete the necessary infrastructural improvements early, and to amend the relevant Outline Zoning Plans. We expect the first batch of the sites to be disposed in the coming financial year, with the disposal of the rest of the sites completed within two to three years.
End