XN000022-1981-09-20 — Page 3

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1981

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THE BASE STRATEGY+ SEEKS TO DEAL WITH ALL THE EXISTING PROBLEMS IN THE REGION WHICH HAVE ARISEN AS A RESULT OF PREVIOUS DISORDERED GROWTH, AND TO PROVIDE A SENSIBLE FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH FUTURE GROWTH CAN TAKE PLACE. MEASURES ARE PROPOSED FOR AREAS OF MEDIUM DENSITY URBAN DEVELOPMENT WHICH WOULD BE LARGELY RESTRICTED TO SPECIFIC LOCATIONS WHERE PRESENT PRESSURES ARE GREATEST. THESE AREAS WILL BE DELINEATED MORE EXACTLY AND IN MORE DETAIL AS THE RESULT OF FURTHER STUDIES.

IT IS INTENDED THAT REDEVELOPMENT BE CARRIED OUT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WITH GOVERNMENT PROVIDING THE NECESSARY ROADS, DRAINS, COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND THE LIKE. YUEN LONG NEW TOWN WOULD BE FURTHER EXPANDED TO AN ULTIMATE POPULATION OF ABOUT 150 000 AND THE EXPANSION OF A NUMBER OF EXISTING RURAL CENTRES IS PLANNED, E.G. KAM TIN AND SAN TIN.

ELSEWHERE IN THE DISTRICT, DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE RESTRAINED SO AS TO CONSERVE THE CHARACTER OF RURAL +HINTERLAND+ AND TO ENSURE THAT AN UNDUE STRAIN IS NOT PUT UPON ROADS, SEWERAGE AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE.

EXISTING RURAL PROBLEMS WOULD BE TACKLED VILLAGE BY VILLAGE TO PROVIDE IN EACH CASE A LAYOUT PLAN FOR ORDERED DEVELOPMENT WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE SQUATTERS, RATIONALIZE THE LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY, PROVIDE ADEQUATE SERVICES, SEWAGE DISPOSAL, WATER SUPPLY AND THE LIKE.

THE PROPOSED TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE BASE STRATEGY+ INCLUDES THE COMPLETION OF THE NEW TERRITORIES CIRCULAR ROAD AS A DUAL CARRIAGEWAY, THE BUILDING OF A LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM BETWEEN TUEN MUN AND YUEN LONG, AND A NEW TRUNK ROAD FROM AU TAU WHICH WOULD BYPASS YUEN LONG AND TUEN MUN TO THE SOUTH TO JOIN THE TUEN MUN HIGHWAY NEAR PEARL ISLAND,

ALSO ENVISAGED IS A HEAVY RAIL LINK BETWEEN TSUEN WAN AND TUEN MUN BY THE LATE 1980S AND A ROAD TUNNEL FROM SEK KONG TO YAU KOM TAU (WHICH IS A LITTLE WEST OF TSUEN WAN).

INCLUDING A

FURTHER LINKS ARE ENVISAGED BY THE MID-19905, NEW TRUNK ROAD FROM AU TAU TO LAM KAM ROAD AND A POSSIBLE EXTENSION OF THE HEAVY RAIL LINK FROM TUEN MUN TO YUEN LONG.

MAJOR COMMUNITY FACILITIES TO BE PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT WILL INCLUDE A NEW SYSTEM OF TRUNK SEWERS, SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS, AND A SUBMARINE OUTFALL ALL TO BE CONSTRUCTED DURING THE 1980S.

THE VERY ROBUST TRANSPORT NETWORK WHICH THE CONSULTANTS PROPOSE FOR THE BASE STRATEGY WOULD WELL SERVE ANY. INITIAL INCREASES IN POPULATION BEYOND THE BASE LEVEL, BUT ANY PROPOSALS FOR MAJOR URBAN-TYPE GROWTH WOULD REQUIRE NEW MAJOR ROADS LINKING THE DEVELOPMENTS TO THE ROAD SYSTEM AND A POSSIBLE CONTINUATION OF THE HEAVY RAIL SYSTEM TO TAI PO. NEW URBAN CENTRES WOULD ALSO BE SERVED INITIALLY BY AN EXTENSION OF THE TUEN MUN/YUEN LONG LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM AND EVENTUALLY BY CONNECTION TO THE +HEAVY RAIL+ SYSTEM.

'THE CONSULTANTS