XN000022-1977-12-11 — Page 9

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1977

UN CHAU TSAI SQUATTERS TO BE CLEARED FOR TAI PO

DEVELOPMENT ****

NEARLY ALL OF THE 85 FAMILIES WHO ARE TO MOVE IN THE FIRST STAGE OF THE CLEARANCE OF THE UN CHAU TSAI SQUATTER AREA HAVE NOW BEEN ALLOCATED SITES AT YUE KOK TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA.

THE TAI PO DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. CLIVE OXLEY, SAID TODAY THAT ONLY FIVE FAMILIES HAD YET TO BE REGISTERED FOR ALLOCATION. +1 EXPECT THEM TO DO SO IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO, HE SAID.

+MEANWHILE, THE MAJORITY OF THE UN CHAU TSAI PEOPLE ARE HAPPILY AND BUSÍLY DOING THEIR PARTITIONING IN THEIR NEW HOMES THEMSELVES. SO IT SEEMS CLEAR THAT THE PROBLEMS OF THE REMOVAL IN THE FIRST PHASE ARE NOT GOING TO BE TOO DIFFICULT AND I AM HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN COMPLETE THE FIRST PHASE OF THE REMOVAL WITHOUT TOO MUCH TROUBLE, HE ADDED.

MR. OXLEY SAID SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 4,000 AND 4,500 PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO BE MOVED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE INTERCHANGE SECTION OF THE SHATIN TO TAI PO COASTAL ROAD. +THIS ROAD IS VITAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF TAI PO AS A MODERN MARKET TOWN. THE NEW TOWN WILL BE DEVELOPING OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS WITH AN ULTIMATE POPULATION OF 220,000 PEOPLE, HE POINTED OUT.

+WE HAVE DIVIDED THE CLEARANCE UP INTO FIVE PHASES FIRST PHASE STARTS THIS MONTH AND THE LAST PHASE WILL BE COMPLETED, HOPEFULLY, BY MAY NEXT YEAR.+

THE

MR. OXLEY SAID THAT ALL THE ELIGIBLE SQUATTERS HAD BEEN OFFERED EITHER PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY HOUSING. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY PERMANENT HOUSING AT THE MOMENT BUT WE CAN OFFER PERMANENT PUBLIC HOUSING IN PLACES LIKE SHATIN, TUEN MUN OR TSUEN WAN, HE SAID.

+SO FAR ONLY ABOUT EIGHT PER CENT OF THOSE OFFERED THIS ALTERNATIVE HAVE ACCEPTED PERMANENT HOUSING ELSEWHERE. THE REMAINING 92 PER CENT WISH TO STAY IN TAI PO BECAUSE THEY HAVE FAMILY OR BUSINESS CONNECTIONS IN TAI PO OR THE IR CHILDREN GO TO SCHOOL HERE,+ MR. OXLEY EXPLAINED.

+ THE FIRST PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE IN TAI PO WILL BE READY IN EARLY 1980. THAT IS THE FIRST OF SEVERAL PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES AND THE UN CHAU TSAI PEOPLE WHO WILL BE MOVING INTO TEMPORARY HOUSING WILL OF COURSE BE OFFERED PERMANENT HOUSING AT THAT TIME.+

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