West Rail property projects to meet design requirements

Six property developments above the MTR stations along the West Rail should comply with new guidelines on controlling "inflated buildings". Thus Financial Secretary John Tsang is requesting the West Rail Property Development Limited for a redesign.
 


These six West Rail  property development projects are wholly owned by the Government through the WRPDL. They have all reached a very advanced stage which could proceed to build without being made subject to the new design requirements, which will come into effect on April 1, 2011.

The Nam Cheong Station project has an approved Master Layout Plan for its original design; while the other five
projects, namely Tsuen Wan West Station at Cityside and at Bayside, Long Ping North, Long Ping Station and Tin Shui Wai at Tin Shui Wai Station, all have both their  master layout plans  and building blans for the original designs approved.

"During the Policy Address debate, some Members of the Legislative Council requested that since the WR projects are wholly owned by the Government, the Government should set a good example by requiring all these WR sites to be subject to the new rules on regulating 'inflated buildings'," said Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam.

"We have taken on board members' views in coming to this decision. Moreover, in the course of redesigning these six projects, we have also taken the opportunity to change the flat mix to increase the supply of small and medium-sized flats. While the new building design requirements and the 10% cap on GFA concessions will have a negative impact on the revenue receivable by the Government, this is justified on grounds of creating a quality living environment," Mrs Lam added.

 Based on very preliminary designs prepared by MTRCL, the total number of flats in the Nam Cheong and two Tsuen Wan projects will remain more or less the same, but the proportion of small and medium-sized flats, i.e. flats with a saleable floor area of 50 square metres or below, will be more than doubled, providing about 4,000 such units.