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The Government would uphold the market-driven Application List system in providing land to meet the housing, business and various needs of Hong Kong, the Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam said at a press conference announcing the 2009-10 Application List today (March 20).
The 2009-10 Application List comprises 61 sites, of which 57 are sites rolled over from the 2008-09 Application List and four are new sites. The List comprises 40 residential sites, 12 commercial/ business sites and nine ¡§hotel only¡¨ sites of different sizes.
The list announced today takes immediate effect and supersedes the 2008-09 Application List. Forty-four of the sites may be applied for immediately by interested parties, while the remaining sites will be made available in the course of the year upon completion of the necessary procedures.
Referring to the Financial Secretary¡¦s remarks in his 2009-10 Budget Speech about reviewing the development parameters of certain sites to better respond to the aspirations of the community, Mrs Lam pointed out that 15 sites rolled forward from the 2008-09 Application List had their development intensities reduced.
"We have also removed from sale for the time being the Tsuen Wan Yeung Uk Road ¡§hotel only¡¨ site and the Sheung Wan Chung Kong Road ¡§commercial¡¨ site in light of the relevant District Councils¡¦ views. We will undertake further work and discuss with the District Councils on the appropriate development parameters for these sites," Mrs Lam said.
Two residential sites originally included in the 2008-09 Application List, the sites at 81 Chung Hau Street, Ho Man Tin and Po Heung Street, Tai Po are earmarked for alternative uses.
Depending on the actual design of the developments, about 10,500 to 11,000 units could be produced on the residential sites, about 488,300 square metres of Gross Floor Area (GFA) on the commercial/business sites, and about 6,530 to 7,050 rooms on the ¡§hotel only¡¨ sites.
As announced in the 2009-10 Budget Speech, the pilot measure for ¡§hotel only¡¨ sites has been extended for another year. The same pilot arrangements would also continue to apply for cases subject to lease modification and land exchange for the 2009-10 Application List period.
"The pilot is generally welcome by the hotel and tourism industries. Since the announcement last year, we have engaged relevant stakeholders in preparing the appropriate requirements to be specified in the Conditions of Sale to ensure that the sites will be put to the intended hotel use. Those conditions represent a pragmatic balance between providing hotel developers and operators with adequate flexibility to plan and manage the type of hotel according to market trends, and ensuring that the designated sites are put to their intended uses.
"That none of the "hotel only" sites in the 2008-09 Application List have been triggered might be a reflection of the economic downturn, rather than a lack of support for the pilot itself. To continue our support for tourism infrastructure, we consider it desirable to extend this practice for another year,¡¨ Mrs Lam said.
The 2009-10 Application List together with the relevant Explanatory Note, Application Form and Agreement as well as the Practice Note can be viewed and downloaded from the Lands Department's website (www.landsd.gov.hk).
Ends/Friday, March 20, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:41
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