XN000022-1980-08-14 — Page 2

THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 1980

GOVERNMENT MEETS WITH RESIDENTS

OF TSUEN WAN BUILDINGS TO BE RESUMED

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STAFF OF THE TSUEN WAN DISTRICT OFFICE ARE MEETING RESIDENTS OF TWO BLOCKS OF FLATS WHICH GOVERNMENT IS TO RESUME TO MAKE WAY FOR VITAL ROAD IMPROVEMENT WORKS IN THE NEW TOWN.

THEY HAVE BEEN MEETING OWNERS IN SMALL GROUPS TO GIVE THEM DETAILS OF GOVERNMENT'S COMPENSATION AND REHOUSING PLANS.

A LEAFLET HAS ALSO BEEN PRODUCED OUTLINING THE ARRANGEMENTS.

THE TWO TENEMENT BLOCKS ARE ON CASTLE PEAK ROAD AND LIE DIRECTLY IN THE PATH OF THE TAI HO ROAD EXTENSION. THEY HOUSE ABOUT 2 000 PEOPLE.

THEY ALSO CONTAIN A NUMBER OF SHOPS AND WORKSHOPS ON THE GROUND FLOORS, AND COMMERCIAL PREMISES.

THE DATE OF REVERSION IS FEBRUARY.

THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR COMPENSATION PACKAGE INCLUDES PAYMENT OF THE OPEN MARKET VALUE OF PREMISES TO EACH OWNER, PLUS A NUMBER OF ALLOWANCES AND OFFERS OF ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION FOR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF OWNERS AND TENANTS.

ALL OWNERS OF DOMESTIC PREMISES WILL BE OFFERED, IN ADDITION TO THE OPEN MARKET VALUE OF THEIR PREMISES, A HOME PURCHASE ALLOWANCE TO ENABLE THEM TO BUY A FLAT OF SIMILAR SIZE IN TSUEN WAN, PLUS OTHER ALLOWANCES DESIGNED TO COVER THE COST OF THE MOVE.

ELIGIBLE DOMESTIC TENANTS WILL BE OFFERED PUBLIC HOUSING AND A REMOVAL ALLOWANCE. TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA ACCOMMODATION AND A REMOVAL ALLOWANCE WILL BE OFFERED TO OCCUPANTS OF ILLEGAL EXTENSIONS OR ROOFTOPS.

INDUSTRIAL OPERATORS ON THE GROUND FLOOR WILL RECEIVE STATUTORY COMPENSATION FOR LOSSES AND EXPENSES ARISING FROM THE RESUMPTION, WHILE WORKSHOPS CARRYING ON ADMISSIBLE TRADES MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR GOVERNMENT FLATTED FACTORY UNITS.

OPERATORS OF COMMERCIAL PREMISES WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR STATUTORY COMPENSATION COVERING LOSSES AND EXPENSES RESULTING FROM THE RESUMPTION.

THE ACTING TOWN MANAGER AND DISTRICT OFFICER TSUEN WAN, MR ALISTAIR ASPREY, SAID THE TWO BLOCKS CONTAINED ABOUT 180 PREMISES.

UNFORTUNATELY, HE SAID, THERE WAS NO ALTERNATIVE TO RESUMPTION, BUT GOVERNMENT HAD COME UP WITH A PACKAGE TO DEAL WITH THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF OWNERS AND OCCUPANTS WHICH WAS FAIR AND REASONABLE.

HE SAID COMPENSATION, FACTORY REPROVISIONING AND DOMESTIC REHOUSING WOULD BE BASED ON +VERY CAREFUL SURVEYS TO BE CARRIED OUT BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND DISTRICT OFFICE.+

WITH THE GROWTH OF TRAFFIC IN THE EXPANDING NEW TOWN OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ROAD SYSTEM WERE +ABSOLUTELY VITAL+ UNLESS THERE WAS TO BE TOTAL CHAOS.

/+WE WOULD

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