XN000022-1977-01-20 — Page 4

3-

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1977

PRINCESS ALEXANDRA TO VISIT LEK YUEN ESTATE

******

HRK PRINCESS ALEXANDRA AND THE HON. ANGUS OGILVY WILL VISIT LEK YUEN ESTATE IN SHA TIN ON FEBRUARY 4 (FRIDAY) TO SEE FOR THEMSELVES THE LATEST PROGRESS IN HONG KONG'S PUBLIC HOUSING AND THE NEW TOWNS CONCEPT.

THE ROYAL COUPLE, WHO WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, WILL ARRIVE BY CAR AT BLOCK 7 OF THE ESTATE AT 2.30 P.M.

THEY WILL BE WELCOMED ON ARRIVAL BY MR. DONALD LIAO, DIRECTOR OF HOUSING- MR. RALPH HUSBAND, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HOUSING (ESTATE MANAGEMENT) AND MR. C.Č. HUI, HOUSING MANAGER OF LEK YUEN ESTATE.

THE ROYAL PARTY WILL FIRST VISIT THE CHI KWONG KINDERGARTEN ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF BLOCK 7 AND MEET THE CHILDREN. THE PRINCESS AND MR. OGILVY WILL THEN WALK THROUGH THE PLAYGROUND OUTSIDE THE KINDERGARTEN, PAST THE FOUNTAIN, THE SPACIOUS GARDEN, OPEN SPACE AND THE BUS TERMINUS BETWEEN BLOCKS 7, 6 AND 5 BEFORE REACHING THE TWO-STOREY SHOPPING CENTRE.

LOCATED AT THE HUB OF THE ESTATE, THE SHOPPING CENTRE IS FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED AND HAS 30,100 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR SUPERMARKETS AND SHOPS.

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS AND MR. OGILVY WILL VISIT THE SWING SUPERMARKET WHICH SELLS A WIDE RANGE OF FOOD AND HOUSEHOLD COMMODITIES.

THE ROYAL PARTY WILL NEXT GO TO THE MODULAR MARKET OPPOSITE BLOCK 3, VISITING THE GROUND-FLOOR SHOPS AT BLOCK 2 ON THE WAY.

THE TOUR WILL END WITH A COLOURFUL DISPLAY OF DRAGON DANCE IN FRONT OF THE COMMUNITY HALL OPPOSITE BLOCK 5 AND THE ESTATE OFFICE.

THE ROYAL VISITORS WILL THEN RETURN TO GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

LEK YUEN IS THE FIRST OF 11 PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES PLANNED FOR SHA TIN NEW TOWN WHICH WILL HAVE A TARGET POPULATION OF 500,000. IT IS ENVISAGED THAT SOME 60 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION WILL BE HOUSED IN THESE ESTATES GRADUALLY TAKING SHAPE.

THE $50 MILLION ESTATE CONSISTS OF SEVEN APARTMENT BLOCKS OF UP TO 20 STOREYS HIGH AND COVERS AN AREA OF 10 HECTARES (25 ACRES). IT WAS COMPLETED LAST MAY AND PROVIDES ACCOMMODATION FOR 23,000 PEOPLE. SOME 12,000 PEOPLE ARE LIVING THERE, AND WITH INTAKE OF TENANTS CONTINUING, THE ESTATE IS EXPECTED TO BE FULLY OCCUPIED BY NEXT JULY.

/IN COMMON