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Height bans on Shekkipmei and Yau Yat Chuen 2.
Housing projects contract sharply 3.
Construction Output for the Second Quarter of 2001 4.
KCRC's West Rail first phase could open early
1. Height bans on Shekkipmei and Yau Yat Chuen
The Planning Department plans to tighten building height controls in Shekkipmei
and Yau Yat Chuen to protect the low-rise environments. This is the latest bid
by the Government to curb the incursion of high buildings into Hong Kong's skyline
profiles. In the past few months, the Planning Department has proposed height
limits on The Peak, North Point and Hunghom. The latest proposal suggested incorporating
the stepped-height concept for private redevelopments in Shekkipmei and Yau Yat
Chuen - from the south of Cornwall Street to the north of Boundary Street. Each
site in the area will have individual height restrictions in accordance with its
lease conditions. The proposed maximum height for the buildings in the area is
made with reference to the 20-storey youth hostel at the City University, in Cornwall
Street, which secured building approval in 1998. However, private redevelopments
in the area are unlikely to reach the 20-storey maximum height limit because all
planning applications will be subject to the Town Planning Board decision. A senior
government town planner said it was hoped to preserve the suburban-style living
environment of Yau Yat Chuen. Most residential buildings in Yau Yat Chuen are
between eight and 11 storeys, excluding public housing estates. The highest residential
tower in Yau Yat Chuen is the 19-storey Wharf (Holdings) Primrose development
in Rose Street - almost twice as high as the neighbouring buildings. [Source:
SCMP, 26 September 2001] 2.
Housing projects contract sharply
Housing development has contracted sharply in the second quarter because of the
troubled property market and the scale back in Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) production.
Private sector flats granted consent to start work fell to 5,161 units in the
April-June period, down from 10,388 in the first quarter, government statistics
reveal. In the public sector, development contraction was more severe. No subsidised
sale flats received a start permit, while public rental flats granted a permit
fell to just 234 units. Analysts said the fall in housing development activity
was in line with developers' dampened interest in undertaking new projects, and
the Government's gradual reduction of HOS construction. Knight Frank director
of valuation Anthony Lau said the prospect of housing development was not optimistic
because of the prolonged weakness of the property market. He said developers would
continue to be less enthusiastic about starting new projects in view of poor property
sales. The number of private sector flats under construction this year would be
fewer than last, he said.
In the first six months, developers received
consent to start on 15,549 private flats, 3.1 per cent down compared with 16,041
for the same period last year. A total of 31,366 private flats were granted start
permits last year, compared with 44,323 in 1999. Figures from the Buildings Department
showed only 471 private flats were approved to start work in July - a further
sign of a slowdown in new development. Analysts said the development contraction
was understandable as developers pushed back construction schedules in the difficult
market. Compounding the slowdown was the Government's cut back in land sales and
fewer sites bought by developers. In the public sector, there were 5,739 subsidised
sale flats and 4,120 rental units granted start permits in the first half of this
year. Development of subsidised sale flats fell from 37,075 units in 1998 to 19,130
in 1999 and 12,036 last year. Public rental flats dropped from 57,875 in 1998
to 15,094 in 1999 and 14,018 last year. The slowdown pre-empted the Government's
announcement early this month of a 10-month moratorium in the sale of HOS flats
and capping the sale at 9,000 units a year up to 2005-2006 - down from a previous
cap of 20,000 units a year. [Source:
SCMP, 26 September 2001] 3.
Construction Output for the Second Quarter of 2001
The gross value of construction work performed by main contractors decreased by
6.9% in nominal terms compared with a year earlier to $27.6 billion in the second
quarter of 2001, according to the preliminary results of the Quarterly Survey
of Construction Output released today (September 25) by the Census and Statistics
Department. After discounting price changes, the gross value of construction work
performed by main contractors decreased by 3.7% in real terms over the same period.
The gross values of construction work in real terms are derived by deflating the
nominal values with appropriate price indices to the 1990 price level. Analysed
by type of construction work, the gross value of construction work performed at
private sector sites totalled $9.6 billion in nominal terms in the second quarter
of 2001, representing an increase of 7.5% over a year earlier. In real terms,
it rose by 14.6%. The increase was associated with the progressive stepping up
of work at some residential building sites as these sites moved into the works
intensification stage. Also relevant was the relatively low base of comparison
a year earlier. The gross value of construction work performed at public sector
sites decreased by 18.5% in nominal terms compared with a year earlier to $10.2
billion in the second quarter of 2001. In real terms, it fell by 18.3%. A further
decline in output at public sector building sites, upon the scale-back in the
Public Housing Programme, was the major contributory factor. This more than offset
the growth in output at public sector civil engineering sites. The gross value
of construction work performed by contractors at locations other than construction
sites amounted to $7.8 billion in nominal terms in the second quarter of 2001,
representing a decrease of 5.0% compared with a year earlier. In real terms, it
was down by 2.3%. Works at locations other than construction sites included minor
new construction activities and renovation work at erected buildings and structures;
and electrical and mechanical fitting work.
Analysed by end-use category,
residential building projects accounted for the largest share in the gross value
of construction work performed at construction sites in the second quarter of
2001. The gross value of construction work performed for these projects was $10.6
billion in nominal terms, 15.6% lower than in the second quarter of 2000. Transport
projects constituted the second largest category of construction site work. The
gross value of construction work performed for these projects totalled $3.5 billion
in nominal terms, representing an increase of 3.5% over a year earlier. Industrial,
storage and service building projects represented the third largest category of
construction site work. The gross value of construction work performed for these
projects was $2.1 billion in nominal terms, representing a decrease of 6.9% compared
with a year earlier. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the gross value of construction
work performed by main contractors fell by 1.4% in nominal terms in the second
quarter of 2001 compared with the first quarter. In real terms, the decrease was
1.9%. End/Tuesday, September 25, 2001. [Source:
Hong Kong Government, 25 September 2001] 4.
KCRC's West Rail first phase could open early
The E Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation could open the $46.4 billion 30.5-kilometre
first phase of its West Rail scheme earlier than the planned December 2003 completion
date. West Rail director Ian Thoms confirmed after a media visit yesterday that
the railway between Kowloon and Tuen Mun is 55 per cent complete.Mr Thoms, who
showed reporters track-laying work in the Kwai Tsing tunnel and viaducts near
Kam Tin, said the KCRC was ``well on target'' to commence services to the public
by end of 2003.The rail company has also told legislators that it is ``hoping
to achieve early opening'' after rapid progress on construction works.Furthest-advanced
are the two main tunnelling contracts where both contracting joint ventures completed
excavation and tunnel lining works several months ahead of programme.A joint venture
between Nishimatsu Construction and Dragages et Travaux Publics built the Tai
Lam tunnel, while a Dragages-Zen Pacific Civil Contractors consortium constructed
the Kwai Tsing tunnels near Mei Foo.Piling, which required 4,500 individual piles,
and foundation construction are 91 per cent completed. Mr Thoms said that as piling
on this scale involved a considerable degree of uncertainty the possibility of
delay to overall progress was significantly reduced with the piling nearing completion.Construction
of the 13.4 kilometres of rail viaduct, mainly being built mainly near Yuen Long,
Tin Shui Wai and Tuen Mun, is due to be finished by the end of this year. Work
is currently 91 per cent completed.Construction of the nine stations is about
55 per cent finished. The most advanced is Tsuen Wan West, being built on reclaimed
land, which is 68 per cent completed.Mr Thoms said about 30 per cent, or 26 kilometres
out of 88 kilometres, of track has been laid. Special track laying systems are
being used to reduce noise and vibration on the viaducts and make maintenance
easier inside the tunnels. [Source:
HK-iMail, 26 September 2001] |  |
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