XN000022-1977-07-29 — Page 7

FRIDAY, JULY 29, 1977

9. 1977

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YUEN LONG MARKET TOWN ONE STEP CLOSER

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ANOTHER IMPORTANT STEP HAS BEEN TAKEN IN THE $500 MILLION DEVELOPMENT OF YUEN LONG AS A MARKET TOWN FOR 90,000 PEOPLE.

THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS CALLED TENDERS FOR SEWERS, DRAINS AND ROAD WORKS ON LAND NOW BEING FORMED IN THE WESTERN PART OF YUEN LONG FOR A SECONDARY SCHOOL, OPEN SPACES, AND GOVERNMENT AND SERVICE INDUSTRY USE.

THE CONTRACT IS ALSO FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MAJOR BUS TERMINUS AT KIK YEUNG ROAD.

WORK IS EXPECTED TO COMMENCE IN SEPTEMBER AND BE COMPLETED 12 MONTHS LATER.

SERVICES SUCH AS WATER AND ELECTRICITY WILL BE INSTALLED AT THE SAME TIME.

THE P.W.D.'S ACTING GOVERNMENT ENGINEER (NEW TERRITORIES) MR. KENNETH KWOK SAID $34 MILLION HAS ALREADY BEEN EARMARKED TO COMPLETE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CENTRAL AREA OF YUEN LONG TO FORM LAND FOR A PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE, AS WELL AS ABOUT 4 HECTARES FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.

MR. KWOK SAID THAT WORK HAS ALREADY BEGUN ON THE CONTRACT FOR THE FORMATION OF 3 HECTARES OF LAND IN THE WESTERN PART OF YUEN LONG AS SITES FOR THE SECONDARY SCHOOL, AND THE USE BY GOVERNMENT AND SERVICE INDUSTRIES.

THIS WORK IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED EARLY NEXT YEAR.

DEVELOPMENT OF YUEN LONG FROM ITS PRESENT SIZE WITH A POPULATION OF 30,000 TO A MAJOR MARKET TOWN FOR 90,000 WILL TAKE PLACE IN A NUMBER OF STAGES, MR. KWOK SAID.

IN THE FIRST STAGE EXISTING ROADS WILL BE WIDENED, NEW ONES CONSTRUCTED, DRAINAGE WORKS, A LARGE BUS TERMINUS, A GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOL AND OPEN SPACES BUILT, AND A START MADE ON A PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY PROVIDE HOMES FOR 10,000 PEOPLE.

ALSO INCLUDED IN THE FIRST STAGE ARE A NEW POST OFFICE, PROVISION OF FORMED AND SERVICED SITES FOR PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.

IN LATER STAGES A MARKET AND A HAWKER BAZAAR WILL BE BUILT ALONG WITH A PUBLIC LIGHT BUS TERMINUS, REFUSE COLLECTION POINTS, A YOUTH CENTRE AND ADDITIONAL OPEN SPACE.

THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WILL ALSO INVOLVE THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE TUNG YIK BAZAAR, THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AREA, A DISTRICT HOSPITAL AND A SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX.

MR. KWOK SAID THAT WHEN THE REDEVELOPMENT IS COMPLETED, YUEN LONG WILL BE A MODERN AND IMPORTANT MARKET TOWN IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

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