Hong Kong planning authorities scale back rail link reclamation work for housing project after local residents raise concerns
- Southward extension of Tseung Kwan O MTR line part of proposed building project at Tseung Kwan O Area 137, which aims to provide 50,000 flats
- Land set aside for reclamation downsized to two hectares after Lohas Park residents voice opposition to debris, noise pollution from prospective works
Planning authorities in Hong Kong have reduced the amount of land they will reclaim for railway facilities linking to a housing development project in Tseung Kwan O after residents expressed concerns over the impact of nearby construction works.
The downsized works were revealed on Thursday when the Development Bureau announced details of the residential building project at Tseung Kwan O Area 137, which spans 101 hectares.
Under the plan, which was first proposed in 2016, an 80-hectare temporary public fill storage bank and 20 hectares of reclaimed land along the coastline will be transformed into space for 50,000 flats, which could potentially house up to 135,000 residents.
“It is rare to have scalable developable land of 80 hectares. It can help to boost the short- to mid-term housing supply,” a bureau spokesman said.
The first batch of 12,600 public flats was expected to be ready by 2030.
The bureau added that it had cut back reclamation works for an extension of the Tseung Kwan O MTR line going southward that ran close to waters off seaside residential private estate Lohas Park.