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Keith Wallis

PLANS are being considered to double the population of Tseung Kwan O in an effort to help solve the territory's housing crisis.

  The official proposals include the reclamation of the typhoon shelter and harbour and an extension to the Tseung Kwan O mass transit railway line, even before the route has been constructed.

 The aim is to provide enough land for a total population of 520,000, roughly double the present number of residents and 75,000 more than the Government's outline development plan for the area.

 Details of the scheme are contained in a briefing paper which has recently been issued to consultants by the Territory Development Department (TDD) which is inviting firms to tender for a project feasibility study.

 If the plan goes ahead most of the homes will be sold by the private sector.

 The paper makes clear the consultants are expected to forecast the amount of revenue the Government could expect to reap from selling the newly created land to developers.

 Called the Feasibility Study for the Intensification and Extension of Tseung Kwan O New Town by the TDD, the plan suggests two new housing areas - the typhoon shelter reclamation and a large site adjoining the Clearwater Bay peninsula. Taken together they are four times the size of the present town centre.

 'This is exactly how they developed Sha Tin,' one engineer said.

 Sources said it was the first step to further expansion which could eventually lead to filling in all of Junk Bay.

 The TDD has also proposed scrapping the cross-bay bridge which was to be built from the Western Coast Road to the Clearwater Bay peninsula. Instead, a new road would be included as part of the reclamation plan.

 The briefing report emphasises Tseung Kwan O is to become one of the territory's main development areas.

 This will be achieved by rezoning and intensifying the development of other sites in the area. At area 86, which already exists between a landfill and a proposed industrial estate, the TDD said another 30,000 people could be accommodated.

 Area 52, east of the town centre, area 67, near the waterfront and areas 78 and 108, both near Pak Shing Kok, have also been identified as sites where more intensive development could take place.

 Under the territory development strategy review completed last year, extra housing for about a million people need to be provided between 2001 and 2006.

 Of this, the Planning Department said new sites for about 640,000 people would have to be found.

 Sources said it was obvious Tseung Kwan O had been chosen by the Government as the main location for these extra homes.

 Construction of the $24 billion 10-kilometre long Tseung Kwan O railway line is due to be completed in 2001.

 The paper makes clear an extension with several extra stations will be necessary to serve the reclamation and areas where denser development is to take place.

 Work on the feasibility study is to start on August 1. It will include an intense investigation to assess the extent of the reclamation, a detailed land use plan, the need for additional water, power and gas services and traffic impact assessments.

 Consultants will also have to identify sites where added government and community facilities could be built and which areas should be left as an open space.



Tseung Kwan O made solution to homes crisis