ENG-1988 — Page 241

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

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Highway and electrified Kowloon-Canton Railway. The existing railway station is at the southern part of Tai Po Town centre. In order to provide better service to the residents in north-western Tai Po, a second railway station at the Tai Wo Estate is under construction and will be opened in early 1989.

Historically, Tai Po served as a market town for its rural hinterland, but a rapid build-up in population in recent years has over-shadowed this traditional role. The present population is about 160 000 and this will grow to about 290 000 in the late 1990s. About 175 000 people will be housed in six public housing estates, all of which will include an element of home ownership. It is expected that over 60 per cent of the private residential population will be housed in high density areas in the rapidly developing new town centre on reclaimed land and in the old town centre. The balance of the population will be housed in medium to low density development in Tai Po Kau and other peripheral areas of the new town.

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The first planned industrial estate Tai Po Industrial Estate, for relatively high technology industrial development, helps to broaden Hong Kong's industrial base. Upon full development together with other industrial areas, about 33 000 industrial job opportunities will be provided.

The scenic setting of Tai Po has a strong influence on the provision of recreation facilities for regional needs. One of the major cycleway routes along Tolo Highway linking Sha Tin was opened in July 1986. Another one alongside Ting Kok Road leading to Plover Cove Country Park will be completed in 1990.

Fanling/Sheung Shui

Fanling New Town encompasses the market towns of Luen Wo Hui, Shek Wu Hui, and the old villages of Fanling and Sheung Shui. It is the most northerly of all the new towns and is only about four kilometres away from Shenzhen, China on the other side of the border. With the completion of Fanling Bypass and the electrification of the Kowloon-Canton Railway this new town is well linked to the urban areas. Convenient connection to Yuen Long and the north-western New Territories will be provided with the completion of the Kwu Tung to Au Tau section of the New Territories Circular Road by early 1991.

Development in the new town is progressing rapidly. The present population is about 110 000 but is projected to reach 240 000 by the end of next decade. There are two existing public housing estates in the new town. Work on three public housing estates is in progress while the planning for another estate is underway. Equal emphasis has been put on private development in the new town and several prime sites adjacent to the two railway stations are being planned for private residential/commercial development.

Improvements in roads and drains and river training in the On Lok Tsuen industrial area have led to an increasing interest shown by private developers in the development/redeve- lopment of the area which is the main source of industrial employment for the new town residents. Plans are in hand for the existing retail and commercial 'core' at Shek Wu Hui and Luen Wo Hui to be redeveloped.

To meet the recreational needs of local residents, work is currently underway on a landscaped town park.

At Sha Tau Kok, a small township with a population of about 2 500 right at the border with China, work is in progress to upgrade and improve the living conditions including services and environment of the town. Projects already completed include Phase I of a rural public housing estate and a new primary school.