XN000022-1979-04-21 — Page 8

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SATURD APRIL 21, 1979

INDUSTRIAL SITE IN YUEN LONG ****

THE GOVERNMENT IS PROVIDING AN EIGHT-HECTARE INDUSTRIAL SITE WITHIN THE TONG YAN SAN TSUEN LAYOUT AREA. IN YUEN LONG FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TWO-STOREY FACTORIES.

THE SITE IS WITHIN A 67-HECTARE AREA WHICH WILL HAVE EVERY ESSENTIAL FACILITIES WHEN FULLY DEVELOPED.

HOWEVER, THE TIMING OF THE IMPLEMENTATION DEPENDS ON THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS TO SERVICE THE AREA WITH ROADS AND DRAINAGE, ACCORDING TO THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. MICHAEL CARTLAND.

THE DEVELOPMENT AREA FRONTS THE CASTLE PEAK ROAD OPPOSITE THE LAU FU SHAN TURNOFF AND IS AT THE MOMENT DOMINATED BY CLUSTERS OF SMALL INDUSTRIAL CONCERNS IN TEMPORARY STRUCTURES WHICH HAVE SPRUNG UP IN RECENT YEARS.

HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENT IS KEEN TO TRANSFORM THE AREA INTO A PROPERLY PLANNED LAYOUT AND HAS DRAWN UP A PLAN THAT INCLUDES TWO-STOREY HOUSING, COMMERCIAL AREAS, AND GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES.

BUT IT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROCEED, UNTIL A PROPER ROADS AND DRAINAGE SYSTEM HAS BEEN INSTALLED AND AT THE MOMENT THIS ITEM IS IN CATEGORY B OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT'S PROJECT PRIORITIES.

ACCORDING TO MR. CARTLAND, THERE IS A STRONG DEMAND FOR BOTH HOUSING AND WORKSHOP SITES IN THE AREA. +ONCE FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE, WE WILL WANT TO MOVE AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, HE SAID.

THE LAND WOULD BE DEVELOPED THROUGH INS ITU EXCHANGES, A SYSTEM THAT HAS WORKED WELL FOR MANY YEARS IN YUEN LONG.

+ THE LANDOWNERS WOULD BE ABLE TO DEVELOP THE IR LAND THEMSELVES OR BY SELLING IT TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO IS INTERESTED IN DOING SO,+ HE SAID.

MR. CARTLAND SAID THE DISTRICT ALREADY HAD A SMALLER-SCALE DEVELOPMENT ON SIMILAR LINES AT KIU TAU WAI ON PING HAU ROAD BETWEEN CASTLE PEAK ROAD AND LAU FAU SHAN.

NEARLY HALF OF A 13.5-HECTARE LAYOUT MARKED FOR LIGHT INDUSTRY HAD ALREADY BEEN DEVELOPED OR WAS BEING DEVELOPED, MR. CARTLAND SAID. +AT THE MOMENT WE HAVE ABOUT 10 TWO-STOREY FACTORIES ENGAGED IN SUCH TRADES AS PAPER MILLING, PRINTING, COTTON PROCESSING, METAL WORKS AND CHEMICALS+ MR. CARTLAND SAID.

+MOST ARE OWNER OCCUPIED ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE PREMISES HAVE BEEN RENTED TO OTHER INDUSTRIAL OPERATORS.

+THESE TWO-STOREY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS ARE VERY ATTRACTIVE TO SMALL INDUSTRIES AND THOSE NOT SUITABLE FOR HIGH-RISE FACTORIES AND, OF COURSE, RENTS ARE LOWER THAN IN THE URBAN AREAS.+

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