XN000022-1980-03-28 — Page 8

FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 1980

TSING YI VILLAGES TO MAKE WAY FOR DEVELOPMENT

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FOUR TRADITIONAL VILLAGES ON TSING YI ISLAND ARE TO BE MOVED TO MAKE WAY FOR A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT STARTING SHORTLY.

THE VILLAGES ARE LAM TIN, SAN UK, YIM TIN KOK AND TAI WONG HA, WHOSE AGRICULTURAL AND BUILDING LAND, TOTALLING 11.17 HECTARES IS TO BE RESUMED BY THE GOVERNMENT AT THE END OF JUNE. THE VILLAGES COMPRISE A TOTAL OF 227 HOUSES.

THE RESUMPTION WAS NOTIFED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE TODAY (FRIDAY).

THE LAND IS REQUIRED FOR A $1.4 BILLION DEVELOPMENT PACKAGE INCLUDING PHASE THREE OF CHEUNG HỌNG ESTATE - THE SECOND PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE ON THE ISLAND TO HOUSE 35 000 PEOPLE WHEN IT IS FULLY COMPLETED IN 1984.

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LAND FORMATION FOR THIS THIRD PHASE WILL BEGIN IN SEPTEMBER.

SITES WILL ALSO BE FORMED FOR A VILLAGE RESITE AREA AND A TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA, AS WELL AS AN AREA FOR STORING MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE TSUEN WAN BY-PASS WHICH WILL LINK KWAI CHUNG AND TUEN MUN ROAD.

ENGINEERING WORK WILL GET UNDER WAY AT THE SAME TIME TO CONSTRUCT ROADS AND DRAINS TO SERVE FUTURE LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS.

THE PACKAGE FORMS PART OF AN AMBITIOUS TOWN CENTRE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WHICH INCLUDES PRIVATE AND PUBLIC HOUSING AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TOGETHER WITH SUFFICIENT AMENITIES AND FACILITIES FOR A POPULATION OF 185 000 PEOPLE BY THE MID-1980S.

A NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT AS THE LAND NEEDED LAY WITHIN A LAYOUT PLAN, VILLAGERS SURRENDERING THEIR BUILDING LAND WOULD BE OFFERED RESITE HOUSES AND EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCES UNDER VILLAGE REMOVAL TERMS.

OWNERS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND WOULD ALSO BE OFFERED CASH

COMPENSATION AND/OR LAND EXCHANGE ENTITLEMENTS.

THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ALSO PAY COMPENSATION FOR CROPS FRUIT TREES, FENCES, WELLS, IRRIGATION PIPES, GRAVES AND SHRINES, HE SAID.

+THE CLEARANCE WILL ALSO INVOLVE 703 TEMPORARY DOMESTIC STRUCTURES OCCUPIED BY 375 FAMILIES, MOSTLY ON CROWN LAND,✦ THE SPOKESMAN SAID. THESE FAMILIES, IF FOUND ELIGIBLE, WILL BE OFFERED PUBLIC HOUSING LOCALLY, FAMILIES NOT ELIGIBLE FOR PERMANENT HOUSING WILL BE GIVEN TEMPORARY HOUSING ACCOMMODATION.

IN ADDITON, HE SAID, A TOTAL OF 329 OTHER TEMPORARY STRUCTURES, INCLUDING SHOPS, WORKSHOPS, PIGSTIES AND POULTRY SHEDS, WILL ALSO HAVE TO BE CLEARED.

DISPLACED INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL OPERATORS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE WILL BE OFFERED EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCES AT THE CURRENT RATES.

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