FACT SHEET - LegCo · 340 hectares of land along the western side of Kowloon between Yau Ma Tei and Lai Chi Kok. It has served to reprovision waterfront facilities and landscaping,

Legislative Council Secretariat FS06/10-11

Research Division page 1

FACT SHEET

Northwest Kowloon Reclamation Site 6 1. Introduction 1.1 The purpose of this fact sheet is to provide the Joint meeting of Panel on Development and Panel on Housing with information on Northwest Kowloon Reclamation Site 6 (NWKR Site 6). 2. West Kowloon Reclamation 2.1 Detailed designs of the West Kowloon Reclamation (WKR) project (including NWKR Site 6) commenced in mid-1990, and reclamation proceeded in phases with the last phase of reclamation completed in mid-2003. The cost of WKR is estimated to be around HK$12 billion. WKR provides a total of 340 hectares of land along the western side of Kowloon between Yau Ma Tei and Lai Chi Kok. It has served to reprovision waterfront facilities and landscaping, and contributed to an essential improvement of the hinterland storm water drainage system and the infrastructure on the reclaimed land. Both the Airport Railway and the West Kowloon Expressway were built on WKR. 2.2 Most of the engineering works in WKR have been completed. The only outstanding item is the three footbridges at the junctions of Sham Mong Road with Hing Wah Street West, Tonkin Street West and Yen Chow Street West. It is the Administration's plan to turn WKR by stages into a place for public and private housing, commercial developments, roads, open space and government, institutional and community (GIC) facilities. About 40 hectares of land have been reserved at the southern tip of WKR for a world-class arts and cultural spot, i.e. the West Kowloon Cultural District.



3. Northwest Kowloon Reclamation Site 6 3.1 NWKR Site 6 is part of WKR. Surrounded by Tonkin Street West, Lin Cheung Road, Hing Wah Road West and Sam Mong Road, this piece of land has an area of about 4.48 hectares. According to the South West Kowloon Outline Zoning Plan No. S/K20/23, NWKR Site 6 is designated as a Comprehensive Development Area for public transport interchange, public housing, open space and community facilities. The eastern side of the site has been developed into a public bus terminal. The western side of the site, where the Administration intends to develop a public housing estate, is currently used as a provisional vehicle parking area. 3.2 To the north of NWKR Site 6 across Sham Mong Road lies four private residential developments, i.e. Aqua Marine (碧海藍天 ), Banyan Garden (弘景臺 ), Liberte (昇悅居 ) and The Pacifica (宇晴軒 ). Two public housing estates, i.e. Hoi Lai Estate and Fu Cheong Estate, are located to the west and east respectively of the site. To the south of NWKR Site 6 across the West Kowloon Highway, by the side of the Cheung Sha Wan Wholesale Food Market, a large piece of land at the waterfront has been chosen for future development as cargo working area, wholesale market, and industrial and office buildings. There are some schools in the vicinity of NWKR Site 6, including Ying Wa College and Tack Ching Girls' Secondary School. 4. Deliberations at the Sham Shui Po District Council 4.1 The Sham Shui Po District Council (SSPDC) held three meetings regarding the development of NWKR Site 6 during 2009 and 2010.



The Sham Shui Po District Council meeting on 25 June 2009 4.2 On 25 June 2009, the Administration consulted SSPDC on a proposal to construct a public housing estate with four residential blocks of 39 to 41 stories on NWKR Site 6. Occupying an area of 1.8 hectares, the housing estate was intended to provide some 2 400 residential units for 6 000 people. The location map and concept plan on NWKR Site 6 (Chinese version only) provided by the Administration to SSPDC in June 2009 are shown in Appendix I. Apart from the residential blocks, the Administration also proposed to provide the following facilities in the planned housing estate:

(a) covered pedestrian network; (b) open area and recreation and amenity facilities; and (c) communal facilities such as shops, food market, restaurants, social

service centres and car parks. 4.3 The Administration's plan was to implement the site formation works at NWKR Site 6 in 2014, and to start the actual construction works of the four residential blocks in 2015 to be completed by 2019. Nevertheless, to avoid delay that might be caused by the construction of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link nearby, the Administration intended to advance the site formation works to 2010. 4.4 The Administration's proposal was not accepted by SSPDC members who in general believed that the Administration should not increase the building density along the waterfront of the Sham Shui Po (SSP) district. The Sham Shui Po District Council meeting on 12 January 2010 4.5 On 12 January 2010, the Administration presented a revised proposal on public housing at NWKR Site 6 to SSPDC, in that the number of residential blocks was reduced from four to three. The number of units in these three 41-storey buildings was also cut down from 2 400 to 2 200. The revised conceptual layout plan on NWKR Site 6 is shown in Appendix II.



4.6 SSPDC rejected broadly the Administration's revised proposal and moved a motion urging the Administration to withhold the high-density public housing project at NWKR Site 6. In general, SSPDC members were of the view that subscribing to longstanding needs of the community, the Administration should bring in low-density comprehensive communal and commercial facilities to the site. The SSPDC members stressed that in fulfilment of the pledge to maintain the waiting time for public housing within three years, the Administration should identify another site within SSP for public housing. Other views and concerns expressed by SSPDC members are summarized as follows:

(a) the waterfront of SSP was blocked up by high-rise buildings. There was a pressing need to retain NWKR Site 6 as the "window" for air ventilation for the district;

(b) in response to the longstanding aspirations of the district,

performance venues should be provided at NWKR Site 6. The suggestion to build a city hall on site should be given a serious consideration by the Administration; and

(c) members in general did not support the proposal to construct

a public housing estate at NWKR Site 6. With 14 public housing estates and six home-ownership scheme estates within SSP, the Administration should identify another site for public housing in other areas. As a matter of fairness, the burden of helping the Administration in making the three-year pledge for public housing waiting time should be shared amongst the 18 districts.

The Sham Shui Po District Council meeting on 29 June 2010 4.7 On 29 June 2010, the Administration approached SSPDC again with two options as follows:

(a) option A was to further reduce the height of the three public housing blocks from 41 storeys to three blocks of 33, 35 and 37 storeys, and to place the shopping, social service, and recreation facilities within a one-storey podium; and



(b) option B was to exchange the land use of a residential block within NWKR Site 6 with that of a planned government complex (i.e. GIC facilities) at Tung Chau Street. If adopted, this option would lead to two public housing blocks, one of 35 storeys and the other of 37 storeys, and a government complex at NWKR Site 6.

4.8 The Administration's revised proposal again failed to obtain SSPDC's support. The Administration advised that any change to the land uses in NWKR Site 6 required the approval of the Town Planning Board (TPB), and the Administration would relay views and concerns of local residents and SSPDC on NWKR Site 6 to TPB for consideration. It would be for TPB to decide on land uses at NWKR Site 6. 5. Deliberations at the Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal

Services of the Legislative Council 5.1 At the meeting of the Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services of the Legislative Council held on 26 April 2010, members discussed the topic on "Proposed Construction of the West Kowloon Law Courts Building (WKLCB)". A member suggested that NWKR Site 6 might be considered for the development of WKLCB. At members' request, the Judiciary had looked into the suitability of NWKR Site 6. It was considered that NWKR Site 6 was not suitable for the following reasons:

(a) NWKR Site 6 was too large for the development of WKLCB; (b) according to the Planning Department, NWKR Site 6 had been

designated as the works area for the Express Rail Link until 2015. Further, it was not practicable to use NWKR Site 6 for the development of WKLCB with regard to the timing of site availability and the lead time required for the preparation of the requisite technical assessments for obtaining approval from TPB;



(c) NWKR Site 6 was less accessible by means of public transport as compared to the Site selected for WKLCB; and

(d) NWKR Site 6 was surrounded by the West Kowloon Highway, an

extensive area designated for use as cargo working area, wholesale market and industrial office, and industrial buildings for the use of wharf godown. Such site environment was considered to be not suitable for the development of a law courts building.

Research Division 9 December 2010 Tel: 2869 9695 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fact sheets are compiled for Members and Committees of the Legislative Council. They are not legal or other professional advice and shall not be relied on as such. Fact sheets are subject to copyright owned by the Legislative Council Commission (the Commission). The Commission permits accurate reproduction of fact sheets for non-commercial use in a manner not adversely affecting the Legislative Council, provided that acknowledgement is made stating the Research Division of the Legislative Council Secretariat as the source and one copy of the reproduction is sent to the Legislative Council Library.



Appendix I



Appendix I (cont'd)



Appendix II



References 1. Civil Engineering and Development Department. (2009) West

Kowloon Reclamation. Available from: http://www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/about/achievements/regional/regi_west_kowloon.htm [Accessed December 2010].

2. Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG's letter dated 24 June 2010 on proposed

public works project - construction of the West Kowloon Law Courts Building. (2010) LC Paper No. CB(2)2052/09-10(01).

3. Hong Kong Airport Core Program. (1998) West Kowloon

Reclamation. Available from: http://www.info.gov.hk/archive/napco/p-wkowloon.html [Accessed December 2010].

4. Judiciary Administration. (2010) Proposed Construction of the West

Kowloon Law Courts Building. LC Paper No. CB(2)1609/09-10(01). 5. Judiciary Administration. (2010) Proposed Construction of the West

Kowloon Law Courts Building. LC Paper No. CB(2)2052/09-10(02). 6. Sham Shui Po District Council. (2010) Draft Planning Brief for the

"Comprehensive Development Area" site at Northwest Kowloon Reclamation Site 6 in Sham Shui Po District. Available from: http://ssp.had.pbase.net/ssp_d/pdf/2010/16th%20mtg/SSP_2010_086_TC.pdf [Accessed December 2010].

7. Sham Shui Po District Council. (2010) Planning of housing land and

community/recreational facilities in Sham Shui Po District and development plan for "Comprehensive Development Area" of Site 6 in North West Kowloon Reclamation Area. Available from: http://ssp.had.pbase.net/ssp_d/pdf/2010/13th%20mtg/SSP_2010_001_TC.pdf [Accessed December 2010].



8. Sham Shui Po District Council. (2010) Public housing development plan at Site 6 of Northwest Kowloon Reclamation Area. Available from: http://ssp.had.pbase.net/ssp_d/pdf/2009/10th%20mtg/SSP_2009_095_TC.pdf [Accessed December 2010].

9. Sham Shui Po District Council. (2010) Sixteen Meeting Minutes on

29 June 2010. Available from: http://ssp.had.pbase.net/ssp_d/chinese/doc/minutes/minutes%20(08-11)/DC(08-11)/DC%20MIN%2016(29-06-2010)(final).doc [Accessed December 2010].

10. Sham Shui Po District Council. (2010) Tenth Meeting Minutes on

25 June 2009. Available from: http://ssp.had.pbase.net/ssp_d/chinese/doc/minutes/minutes%20(08-11)/DC(08-11)/DC%20MIN%2010(25-06-2009)r.doc [Accessed December 2010].

11. Sham Shui Po District Council. (2010) Thirteen Meeting Minutes on

12 January 2010. Available from: http://ssp.had.pbase.net/ssp_d/chinese/doc/minutes/minutes%20(08-11)/DC(08-11)/DC%20MIN%2013(12-01-2010).doc [Accessed December 2010].

Documents

FACT SHEET - LegCo · 340 hectares of land along the western side of Kowloon between Yau Ma Tei and Lai Chi Kok. It has served to reprovision waterfront facilities and landscaping,