XN000022-1972-12-01 — Page 18

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Friday, December 1, 1972

CHANGE IN LAND POLICY FOR CERTAIN NEW KOWLOON LOTS

Land owners who aplit up their present holdings of the old village

building and agricultural lots in New Kowloon, and people who buy the land from

them, will not in future be entitled to any greater grant of land than they

are entitled to under the existing policy.

A notice in today's Government Gazette calls the attention of the

owners and intending purchasers of these lots to this change of policy regarding

exchanges.

A government spokesman said today that since the end of the 1950's,

owners of any of these lots which had been required for urban development had

been enabled to exchange their lands for new building lots.

"Some owners did not have enough land for an exchange and government

helped them by allowing them to purchase, at a fixed price of $30 per square

foot, sufficient new land to make up a minimum 1,000 sq. ft. site."

However, the spokesman said, as the price of land in New Kowloon was

now very much higher than the fixed price charged for the additional land granted

to these land owners, this concession had led to certain owners splitting up

and selling their lande in very small lots so as to obtain a maximum grant in

exchange.

"This has resulted in a shortage of land available for exchange and

big loss of revenue to the government," he commented.

"It has ...........