ENG-1990 — Page 266

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

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The West Kowloon Reclamation feasibility study was completed in mid-1990. The project plans to reclaim and service about 330 hectares of land. Construction works are planned to start towards the end of 1990 and will take nearly 10 years to complete, although it is planned to finish most of the reclamation stages by the end of 1994 to enable the construction of the strategic transport links which will serve the new airport at Chek Lap Kok.

Detailed design work on the initial phase of the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation is in progress. This work also includes specific investigations into urban design parameters, storm water drainage and north-south road links. The first phase will provide land, when required, for the Central terminus of the Airport Railway in addition to land for commer- cial and open space uses.

The long-term effects of the various proposed reclamations on the hydraulic and water quality in the harbour will continue to be assessed by model studies.

Urban Renewal

Many parts of the main urban areas were developed decades ago. Urban renewal is a positive effort in upgrading the environmental quality and living conditions of the old urban areas. Implementation of urban renewal projects, however, requires concerted efforts of many government departments, quasi-government development agencies and the private sector developers.

With the enactment of the Land Development Corporation Ordinance, the Land Devel- opment Corporation (LDC) was established in January 1988. The LDC could initiate and facilitate urban renewal by negotiating the surrender of existing properties and assembly of land for comprehensive development in areas where problems of obsolete street lay- out, dilapidated buildings and poor living conditions persist. The Co-ordinating Urban Renewal Section of the Planning Department is the main contact point between the LDC and government in the processing of LDC projects.

During the year, the LDC submitted eight development projects to the Town Planning Board for approval. Three development projects in Mong Kok, Wan Chai and Western were approved and two development schemes in Central were gazetted for public inspec- tion under the Town Planning Ordinance. These schemes envisage the amalgamation of small lots for comprehensive redevelopment in order to achieve better rationalisation of land use, as well as to improve the environmental quality and the provision of open space and community facilities. The proposal by the Land Development Corporation to conserve and rehabilitate the Western Market was approved by the Executive Council and the market building has since been declared a monument under the Antiquities and Monument Ordinance.

As a continued effort in providing a framework for urban renewal, the LDC has com- missioned various consultancy studies to identify urban redevelopment opportunities as well as detailed studies to facilitate the formulation of urban redevelopment projects in other main urban areas such as Wan Chai and Hung Hom. The LDC has also provided funds for a consultancy study on urban renewal in Tai Kok Tsui which was managed by the Planning Department.

As regards the Urban Improvement Scheme carried out by the Housing Society, a total of 1 665 flats are expected to be completed in 1991 in three Urban Improvement projects located at Yuk Ming Street, Lok Ku Road and the 'Six Streets' in Yau Ma Tei.