XN000022-1976-05-15 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, MAY 15, 1976

VILLAGERS MOVED FOR DEVELOPMENT

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THE LAST RESIDENTS OF SAM SHING HUI NEAR TUEN MUN HAVE NOW MOVED - MAKING WAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN IMPORTANT STAGE OF THE $300 MILLION HIGHWAY WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY LINK TUEN MUN NEW TOWN WITH TSUEN WAN, AND A RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL COMPLEX.

BUSINESS OPERATOR IN THE VILLAGE HAVE GONE TO A NEARBY RESITE AREA ON A RECLAIMED LAND AND RE-ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES WHILE NON-BUSINESS DWELLERS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED PUBLIC HOUSING IN THE NEW SAN FAT ESTATE, TUEN MUN.

NEGOTIATIONS TO CLEAR THE AREA BEGAN BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES OF THE RESIDENTS AND THE DISTRICT OFFICE LAST AUGUST AND THE FIRST 90 FAMILIES VACATED THEIR PREMISES AT THE END OF OCTOBER.

A SECOND GROUP OF 93 BUSINESSES AND 263 FAMILIES LEFT IN MARCH, AND THE FINAL CLEARANCE, INVOLVING 96 FAMILIES AND 133 BUSINESS, WAS COMPLETED JUST A FEW DAYS AGO.

THE DISTRICT OFFICER TUEN MUN, MR. TONY BENNETT, SAID THE REMOVAL OPERATION HAD GONE SMOOTHLY, ALTHOUGH THERE HAD, UNDERSTANDABLY, BEEN SOME VERY HARD BARGAINING ALONG THE WAY.

THE VILLAGE'S FUNCTION OF SERVICING THE FISHING FLEET WILL CONTINUE FROM THE RESITE AREA, TO BE NAMED SAM SHING HUI MAIN STREET.

WHEN THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL COMPLEX IS COMPLETED IN A FEW YEARS, THOSE WHO HAVE MOVED AS A RESULT OF THE CLEARANCE WILL BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN THERE.

+THUS, MR. BENNETT SAID, +ALTHOUGH THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN DISPERSED TO SOME EXTENT, IT WILL BE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO COME TOGETHER AGAIN WHEN DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PRESENT AREA OF SAM SHING HUI IS COMPLETED.+

A TEMPORARY NEW HAWKER MARKET HAS BEEN OPENED ON THE RESITE AREA. BUILT AT A COST OF $75,000, IT HAS 28 MARKET STALLS AND

SIX FIXED-PITCH STALLS FOR A VARIETY OF TRADES.

ELIGIBLITY FOR THESE STALLS, WHICH WERE ALLOCATED BY BALLOT, WAS RESTRICTED TO THOSE WHO WERE ESTABLISHED BY THE DISTRICT OFFICE AS HAVING EARNED THEIR LIVINGS AS HAWKERS IN SAM SHING HUT.

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