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The Housing Department will carry out the clearance of Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate in Tsuen Wan on Thursday (May 3) as scheduled.
"Any further extension on the clearance date is not possible due to the unsatisfactory building condition," the Chief Manager /Management ( Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan & Islands) of the Housing Department, Mrs Jennifer Yiu, said today (April 30).
Mrs Yiu appealed to the 12 remaining tenants to accept the ex-gratia allowances and move out before May 3.
"Based on the ex-gratia allowance calculated at $2,717 to $5,070 per square metre, tenants will be granted allowances ranging from $56,000 to $1.7 million," she said.
Mrs Yiu said that seven factory estates at San Po Kong, Cheung Sha Wan, Jordan Valley, Shek Kip Mei, Kwai Chung, Shun Kei (Tsuen Wan) and Yuen Long had been cleared over the past few years.
Originally scheduled for clearance on October 31, 2006, the operation has been extended twice to May 3, 2007, at tenants' request for more time to arrange relocation.
Built in 1961-1966, Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate comprises one four-storey block, one five-storey block and one seven-storey block without lift service with 1,035.5 units in standard sizes of 18 square metres at Block 1 and 24 square metres at Block 2 and 3. There were 424 tenants in Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate.
In March, 2005, the Strategic Planning Committee of the Housing Authority approved the clearance of Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate due to increasing obsolescence of the design in comparison with current needs and burden of maintenance with age. Large-scale strengthening works have been put in place to ensure building safety.
In line with established policy on clearance arrangements, affected tenants had been given 18 months' notice to vacate with rent frozen from April, 2005.
Since July, 2005, a total of 17 restricted tender and 12 open tender exercises have been arranged for tenants affected by factory clearance. Of the 91 tenants taking part in the restricted tender exercises, 57 tenants successfully bid for vacant units in other Housing Authority factory estates.
The site will be returned to the Government for disposal after the clearance.
Ends/Monday, April 30, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:06
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