Development Bureau revises plan for West Rail Long Ping project

Among the major changes are deletion of one residential tower and a three-level podium and removal of a basement carpark to reduce development bulk.

The Development Bureau on Tuesday welcomed the revised development scheme for the West Rail Property Development Long Ping (North), making it comply with the new quality and sustainable built environment requirements that became effective on April 1.

Key improvements of the revised scheme include deleting one residential tower and a three-level podium, as well as removing a basement carpark to reduce development bulk.

Other amendments include widening the breezeways and visual corridors between towers from three to seven metres to 16 to 18 metres to enhance air circulation and visual permeability, and setting back all residential towers from the site boundary by five metres to create a continuous landscaped corridor along the site boundary.

The proportion of small and medium-sized flats in the project has also been increased. The number of units with a saleable area of 50 square metres or less has increased from 524 to 624, bringing the ratio from 61% to 75% of the total number of units.

In addition to a 125-place residential care home for the elderly, proposed in the previous scheme, the master layout plan has also been revised to include a 60-place daycare centre for the elderly.

The bureau said the scheme will bring about significant improvements in terms of building separation and permeability, air ventilation as well as greenery coverage for the benefit of residents and the neighbourhood.

The Town Planning Board published the revised scheme at Long Ping (North) today for public inspection until June 28. Subject to the board's approval, the project will be tendered early next year. The successful tenderer will then submit general building plans to the Building Authority for approval.

This is the fourth West Rail property development project which has been redesigned to comply with quality and sustainable environment requirements, following the revised schemes at Nam Cheong Station, and sites Tsuen Wan 5 (Bayside) and Tsuen Wan 5 (Cityside) published in May, according to a Development Bureau report.

The board will consider the revised schemes for the Nam Cheong and two Tsuen Wan 5 projects on June 17. Subject to the board's approval, West Rail Property Development plans to tender the Nam Cheong and two Tsuen Wan 5 projects in the third and fourth quarters.

The bureau reiterated railway property development projects remain an important source of housing land supply. Together with this Long Ping (North) site, the four West Rail projects planned for tender in 2011-12 will provide 7,500 flats, 66% of which are small and medium-sized.