XN000022-1977-09-05 — Page 4

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1977

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SAI KUNG DEVELOPED FOR BETTER CLASS RESIDENCES

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THE GOVERNMENT IS OPENING UP 61 HECTARES OF LAND IN SAI KUNG FOR LOW-DENSITY PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.

THE SAI KUNG DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. ROBERT UPTON, SAID THIS TONIGHT WHEN HE SPOKE OF THE DISTRICT'S DEVELOPMENTS AT A MEETING OF THE NEW TERRITORIES ROTARY CLUB AT THE PENINSULA HOTEL.

THE LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT IS WITHIN A SERIES OF SO-CALLED +MINOR RESIDENTIAL LAYOUTS+ WHICH HAVE HELPED TO INTRODUCE A SUBURBAN CHARACTER IN PARTS OF SAI KUNG.

MANY SITES WITHIN THESE LAYOUT AREAS HAVE BEEN GRANTED, AND SIX MORE SITES WILL BE COMING UP EITHER FOR AUCTION OR TENDER WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS - TWO AT SILVERSTRAND, THREE AT FEI NGO SHAN AND ONE AT PAK SHEK WO.

MR. UPTON EXPLAINED THAT THE MINOR RESIDENTIAL LAYOUTS WERE A LAND USE FOR WHICH SAI KUNG WAS PARTICULARLY SUITABLE AND ATTRACTIVE MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE FINE VIEWS AND PEACEFUL SURROUNDINGS IN THE DISTRICT.

+THERE IS AN EVER-GROWING DEMAND FOR HOUSING WHICH IS NOT IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS FROM PEOPLE WHO WISH TO LIVE OUT OF THE CITY BUT TO MAKE THE DAILY JOURNEY TO THE CITY TO WORK,+ HE SAID.

BECAUSE OF ITS CLOSENESS TO KOWLOON AND THE LOW DENSITY OF POPULATION IN THE AREA, HE SAID, SAI KUNG IS ALMOST UNIQUELY SUITED TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT.

MR. UPTON LISTED THE AREAS EARMARKED AS MINOR RESIDENTIAL LAYOUTS WHICH INCLUDE FEI NGC SHAN, PAK SHEK WO, TA KU LING, SILVERSTRAND NORTH AND SOUTH, PAN LONG WAN, KAU SAI SUN TSUEN, SHA HA, TAI MONG TSAI AND TSO WO HANG.

+THESE ARE THE ACTIVE LAYOUTS, AND MANY OF THEM ARE RAPIDLY APPROACHING COMPLETION, FOR EXAMPLE AND IN PARTICULAR, SILVERSTRAND NORTH OTHERS LIKE TAI MONG TSAI AND TSO WO HANG ARE REALLY ONLY JUST BEGINNING, HE SAID.

MR. UPTON ALSO OUTLINED SOME OTHER DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR SAI KUNG WHICH INCLUDE:

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RECLAMATION WORKS WELL UNDERWAY IN SAI KUNG TOWN, WITH A NUMBER OF SITES EARMARKED FOR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS FOR COMMUNITY FACILITIES,

BUILDING A TEMPORARY SPORTS AREA IN THE TOWN PROBABLY LATER THIS YEAR AS AN INTERIM MEASURE BEFORE A PERMANENT SPORTS STADIUM SIMILAR TO THE ONE AT YUEN LONG IS BUILT,

/* A PROPOSED