More than a fifth of the residential development planned for a West Rail station in Yuen Long has been cut. It is the fourth such move by the government in 11 months to address public concern about 'walled' buildings along railway lines that block air flow and spoil the view. One of five 25-storey residential towers planned above a four-storey podium at Long Ping North Station will be removed from the plans. Three of the remaining towers will increase to 26 storeys, the fourth will be cut to 16 and the podium will be cut to one storey. Cuts have already been made at Nam Cheong Station and two Tsuen Wan stations on the same line. Activists fighting massive developments welcomed the change, but urged the government as the major shareholder of the MTR Corporation to do the same with projects above other railway stations. While property development rights along West Rail - run by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation before the merger of the two rail operators - are under government control, those along other lines belong to the MTR Corp. 'Why did the government do nothing to push for a better design when it plays an influential role in the company?' Green Sense president Roy Tam Hoi-pong asked yesterday. For example, one MTR project at Tai Wai would have six high-rises of about 50 storeys standing close together and facing in one direction above a 38-metre podium, he said. In other changes at Long Ping North, the car park will be hidden in the basement to reduce development bulk, and instead of standing close together the towers will be spaced not less than 15 metres apart to improve the air flow and views. A five-metre space around the site will be reserved for landscaping. The revision also raises the proportion of small and medium-sized flats - 538 sq ft or less - from 61 per cent to 75 per cent - to meet housing demand from the wider community. A 60-place day care centre for the elderly is also introduced in addition to a care home for the elderly. The revised plan was published by the Town Planning Board yesterday and is open for public comment until June 28. The board will examine the plan on July 22. In May last year the government said it would cut two high-rises and two low-rises from the Nam Cheong Station project. The reduction in the two projects at Tsuen Wan Station is smaller. One near the harbour had its podium trimmed and the city centre project had two blocks cut by 12 storeys.
