*********************************
The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, today (September 26) paid a visit to a public rental housing (PRH) estate and PRH construction sites in Tuen Mun to further understand the livelihood of public housing tenants in the district and listen to an update on public housing development there.
During the visit, Professor Cheung inspected a PRH development site (to be named Lung Yat Estate) at Tuen Mun Area 18, where two 34-storey blocks are under construction. Upon its anticipated intake in mid-2013, a total of 990 flats will become home for 2,800 people.
The Deputy Director of Housing (Development and Construction), Ms Ada Fung, briefed Professor Cheung on how the layout of the two blocks was planned and designed with the best use of microclimate studies and environmental assessment to abate traffic noise, and with the best use of natural lighting and ventilation. There will be ample green coverage in the estate, i.e. no less than 20 per cent of the total site area. With all these measures in place, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) aims to provide a healthy and pleasant living environment for residents.
The HA has been actively engaging the local community during the planning stage of the project. To cope with the pace of community development, the HA has also helped advance the building of a community hall in the project.
From the top floor of a building, Professor Cheung took a bird's eye view of a number of PRH development sites in Tuen Mun including Area 54 Site 2 and Area 29 West. He learnt that the HA has been engaging in consultation with the District Council concerning these developments, striving for an early commencement of the projects.
Before touring the sites, Professor Cheung visited the Hong Kong YWCA Tuen Mun Integrated Social Service Centre in Yau Oi Estate. He saw various groups' learning activities, such as a mooncake workshop for women, shooting training for teenagers to build up self-confidence and hairdressing training for youngsters.
In a tea gathering with members of the Estate Management Advisory Committee of Yau Oi Estate, Professor Cheung listened to the members' views on management of the estate.
Ends/Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:18
NNNN