Latest news with #Fanling
South China Morning Post
9 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Every effort must be made by Hong Kong authorities to deliver flats on time
The urgent need to provide more public housing, to free tens of thousands of people from long waits in substandard accommodation, has long been recognised in Hong Kong and remains a priority. So the sudden suspension of a development intended to provide 8,300 flats is always going to raise eyebrows. Advertisement The Housing Bureau has confirmed that plans to build eight residential towers in Fanling have temporarily been put on hold. This follows an investigation revealing the 'complex geology' of the site, which would cause construction costs to soar by 60 to 90 per cent and take 10 months longer than expected. The bedrock drops more than 80 metres below ground, 120 metres at its deepest. This would make the foundation work much more expensive. It has, therefore, been decided to prioritise other 'more cost-effective' housing projects in the area. The decision is a pragmatic one given the circumstances. There must be no let-up in efforts to provide public housing, but the costs need to be kept under control. Crucially, the suspension will not stop the government meeting the target of 308,000 public housing units in the next 10 years. Other projects in the area are to be expedited to make up for the loss of the 8,300 flats and the bureau says it has not abandoned the project. Advertisement But legitimate questions are being asked about the suspension. The draft outline zoning plan was approved in December 2022. At the time, no insurmountable technical problems were found.
South China Morning Post
18-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Bitumen-lined water pipe in Hong Kong to be replaced by early July: minister
The water pipe believed to have introduced black particles of bitumen into the freshwater supply at two public housing estates last month will be replaced by early July, the development minister has pledged. Advertisement Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho also said on Wednesday that they had completed more than 1,500 requests from residents at Queens Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court in Fanling to flush their water meters within one to two days, and most people reported improvements in water quality and did not require follow-up. The 400-metre (1,312-foot) section of the pipe lined with bitumen, located outside the estates and connected to their freshwater pipes, would be permanently decommissioned from early July and replaced by a temporary pipe. She said the Water Supplies Department last week 'adopted an unconventional mindset' and explored the use of exposed temporary pipe to replace the pipe in question, and formulated traffic arrangements near the construction site with various departments. 'Even though the relevant locations are busy with traffic and the construction site has limited space, the Water Supplies Department will immediately commence the construction after concerted efforts,' she told the Legislative Council. Advertisement 'The department will conduct the construction around the clock. It is expected that the temporary pipe will be completed by early July, meaning that the bitumen-lined pipe will be decommissioned permanently from early July.'
South China Morning Post
16-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's shelved plan for 8,300 public flats to face 90% higher cost per home
Hong Kong housing authorities have revealed that the now-suspended plan to build 8,300 public flats in a northern town will face higher costs of up to 90 per cent for each home and require an extra 10 months to complete if it were to press ahead. The Housing Bureau said on Monday that the postponement was prompted by its ground investigation that the site had 'complex geology with a deep bedrock layer'. 'The authority stresses that it has not abandoned the project,' the bureau said. It added that geological issues were expected to bring a longer-than-normal construction period and significant costs for foundation works. The bedrock level had been found at depths exceeding 80 metres (262 feet) below ground in general, with the deepest recorded at 120 metres. If the site were to be used for public housing construction, deep foundation work would be involved, it said. The suspension of the development, including its site formation and infrastructure works, in Fanling was revealed in a document the Housing Department and the Civil Engineering and Development Department submitted to the North District Council last week for a meeting on Monday. According to the paper, the Fanling Area 17 site, spanning about 5.47 hectares (13.5 acres) of both government and private land, is located to the east of Ling Shan Road and Jockey Club Road, south of Ma Sik Road and west of Fan Leng Lau Road. It currently houses the Fan Garden Police Driving and Traffic Training Centre.
South China Morning Post
16-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's shelved plan for 8,300 public flats to face 90% higher cost per home
Hong Kong housing authorities have revealed that the now-suspended plan to build 8,300 public flats in a northern town will face higher costs of up to 90 per cent for each home and require an extra 10 months to complete if it were to press ahead. The Housing Bureau said on Monday that the postponement was prompted by its ground investigation that the site had 'complex geology with a deep bedrock layer'. 'The authority stresses that it has not abandoned the project,' the bureau said. It added that geological issues were expected to bring a longer-than-normal construction period and significant costs for foundation works. The bedrock level had been found at depths exceeding 80 metres (262 feet) below ground in general, with the deepest recorded at 120 metres. If the site were to be used for public housing construction, deep foundation work would be involved, it said. The suspension of the development, including its site formation and infrastructure works, in Fanling was revealed in a document the Housing Department and the Civil Engineering and Development Department submitted to the North District Council last week for a meeting on Monday. According to the paper, the Fanling Area 17 site, spanning about 5.47 hectares (13.5 acres) of both government and private land, is located to the east of Ling Shan Road and Jockey Club Road, south of Ma Sik Road and west of Fan Leng Lau Road. It currently houses the Fan Garden Police Driving and Traffic Training Centre.
South China Morning Post
15-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong puts construction of 8,300 homes on hold in Fanling
Hong Kong's housing authorities have suspended a key public residential development in a northern town consisting of 8,300 homes due to the suspected high costs of building the flats on deep rock strata, according to a lawmaker. The suspension of the development, including its site formation and infrastructure works, in Fanling came to light on Sunday in a document the Housing Department and the Civil Engineering and Development Department submitted to the North District Council, a day before a meeting to discuss the matter on Monday. The Fanling Area 17 site, spanning about 5.47 hectares (13.5 acres) of both government and private land, is located to the east of Ling Shan Road and Jockey Club Road, south of Ma Sik Road and west of Fan Leng Lau Road. It currently houses the Fan Garden Police Driving and Traffic Training Centre. The document did not mention the exact reasons of the suspension but said: 'To align with the government's principle of maintaining sustainable public finances, the Housing Bureau has adjusted the development plan for the Fanling Area 17 public housing project after reviewing the cost-effectiveness of public housing initiatives over the next ten years.' Authorities said they had 'more flexibility to prioritise sites that are more suitable and cost-effective for construction' with sufficient land supply for public housing in the next decade. Lawmaker Edward Lau Kwok-fan, who is a member of the Legislative Council's housing panel, said the government's decision stemmed from geotechnical studies revealing unusually deep rock strata beneath the site, leading to significantly higher foundation costs.
