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The public are urged to give their views on the draft urban renewal strategy at a public consultation forum next Monday (August 20).

The public forum, to be conducted in Cantonese, will be held at Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Secondary School, 533 Fuk Wing Street, Cheung Sha Wan from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

The forum is the first of a series of three consultation fora organised by the Planning and Lands Bureau to gather public views on the strategy, a spokesman for the bureau said today (August 16).

"The urban renewal strategy will provide policy guidelines to the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) for the implementation of a 20-year urban renewal programme, which consists of 200 new projects and 25 uncompleted projects of the Land Development Corporation," the spokesman said.

The draft urban renewal strategy sets out, among other things, measures which should be undertaken by the URA in the process of carrying out urban renewal, he said.

These measures include the establishment of District Advisory Committees, the setting up of urban renewal social service teams and the carrying out of social impact assessments of proposed projects.

"The purpose of urban renewal is to improve the quality of life of residents in older urban areas through redevelopment, rehabilitation and preservation of the areas," the spokesman said.

"Through a 'people-centred' approach to urban renewal, we will ensure that owners whose properties are acquired for the implementation of redevelopment projects are offered fair and reasonable compensation and that tenants affected are provided with proper rehousing," he said.

Two other consultation fora will be held on Friday, August 31 at Theatre, Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre, Ngau Chi Wan Complex, 11 Clearwater Bay Road; and Wednesday, September 19 at Theatre, Sheung Wan Civic Centre, Sheung Wan Complex, 345 Queen's Road Central, also between 7.30pm and 9.30pm.

Members of the public are also welcome to give their views by writing to the Urban Renewal Unit, Planning and Lands Bureau, 9/F, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central. They can also send in their views by fax on 2905 1002 or through e-mail to: <urstrategy@plb.gov.hk>.

The deadline for submission of views is September 30, 2001.

Copies of the consultation paper can be obtained from the public enquiry service centres of District Offices, the Planning and Lands Bureau or its website <www.plb.gov.hk>.

End/Thursday, August 16, 2001

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