XN000022-1976-12-06 — Page 2

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1976

MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS FOR YUEN LONG

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THE GOVERNMENT IS ABOUT TO LAUNCH THE FIRST STAGE OF A PLAN TO TRANSFORM YUEN LONG INTO A MARKET TOWN OF 90,000 COMPARABLE WITH ANY OTHER SATELLITE TOWN IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. ADOLF HSU, SAID TODAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY ALLOCATED $30 MILLION FOR THE FIRST STAGE OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND IT WAS HOPED THAT A FURTHER $34 MILLION WOULD SOON BE APPROVED FOR THE SECOND STAGE.

+ IT IS PLANNED TO DEVELOP BOTH THE FIRST AND SECOND STAGES SIMULTANEOUSLY OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS AFTER WHICH ANOTHER THREE STAGES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE PROJECT,+ HE TOLD A MEETING OF THE NEW TERRITORIES ROTARY CLUB.

MR. HSU SAID THAT TENDERS WOULD BE CALLED SOON FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIRST STAGE.

THESE INCLUDED THE WIDENING OF EXISTING ROADS AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW ONES, DRAINAGE WORKS, A LARGE BUS TERMINUS, A GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOL, THE DEVELOPMENT OF OPEN SPACES AND THE FIRST PART OF A HOUSING ESTATE WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY PROVIDE HOMES FOR ABOUT 3,500 PEOPLE.

+WE ARE GETTING ON WITH THE FIRST PART OF THE ESTATE TO ENABLE US TO PROVIDE HOMES FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN, HE SAID.

+AT THIS STAGE, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT SOME 400 PEOPLE WILL REQUIRE REHOUSING.

+THE FIRST STAGE ALSO INCLUDES A POST OFFICE, A MULTI- STOREY CAR PARK AND OVERALL THERE WILL BE A LARGE AMOUNT OF AGRICULTURAL LAND AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. +

MR. HSU SAID THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WOULD SOON CONSIDER AN APPLICATION FOR FUNDS TO ALLOW THE SECOND STAGE TO BE CARRIED OUT ALONG WITH THE FIRST STAGE +AND WE ARE HOP ING FOR A FAVOURABLE RESPONSE.+

+THERE WILL BE SEVERAL MULTI-STOREY CAR PARKS IN THIS SECOND STAGE, A MARKET AND HAWKER BAZAARS, A PLB TERMINUS, REFUSE COLLECTION POINTS, A YOUTH CENTRE, OPEN SPACE AND ROADS AND DRAINAGE WORKS, HE SAID.

+THE HOUSING ESTATE WILL BE COMPLETED DURING THE FINAL THREE STAGES OF WORK, WHICH WILL START AFTER WE HAVE FINISHED THE FIRST TWO.

/+PLANS