Background

The Chief Executive announced in his 2007-08 Policy Address the development of New Development Areas (NDAs) as one of the ten major infrastructure projects for economic growth. The NDAs shall provide quality living space in the northern New Territories.

The Planning and Development Study on North East New Territories (NENT Study) commissioned in 1998, identified Kwu Tung North (KTN), Fanling North (FLN) and Ping Che/Ta Kwu Ling (PC/TKL) as suitable NDAs. However, in the light of the slower growth of population and housing demand, the NDA proposals were shelved in 2003.

The “Hong Kong 2030: Planning Vision and Strategy” (the HK2030 Study), completed in 2007, has revisited the need for strategic development areas in the New Territories, and recommended proceeding with some of the NDA developments to address the long-term housing demand and provide employment opportunities.

To initiate the implementation of these NDAs, the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) and the Planning Department (PlanD) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government jointly commissioned The North East New Territories New Development Areas Planning and Engineering Study (NENT NDAs Study) in June 2008. The Study was substantially completed in 2013.

After taking into account the public views and the technical assessments on the planning and engineering feasibility, the RODPs of the KTN and FLN NDAs have been revised. KTN and FLN NDAs are an extension to the existing Fanling/Sheung Shui new town, which will have a total population of about 460,000 upon full development comparable to other new towns such as Tuen Mun and Tseung Kwan O. The Fanling/ Sheung Shui/ Kwu Tung new town will be an integrated community providing wide-ranging employment opportunities as well as commercial, community, recreation and cultural facilities given the more significant population scale.  KTN and FLN NDAs will accommodate some 172,300 new population in about 59,900 housing units, of which about 60% will be public housing units (including HOS flats). Some 37,700 job opportunities will also be created in the area. In view of the absence of mass transit and other supporting infrastructures, PC/TKL NDA was originally planned for special industrial and lower density residential developments. According to the 2013 Policy Address, the development potential in New Territories North (NT North) is to be explored. In this context, PC/TKL will be replanned in the proposed study for NT North in order to comprehensively review relevant considerations, including the development potential afforded by new railway infrastructure.

The overall objective of this NENT NDAs Study is to establish a planning and development framework for KTN and FLN NDAs to meet long-term housing, social, economic and environmental needs, and to formulate an implementation programme for first population intake to these NDAs by 2023. Specifically, it aims to develop NDAs into sustainable, environmental friendly, energy efficient, people oriented and obstacle free communities.

This NENT NDAs Study has

• formulated a development plan for NDAs taking into consideration the latest planning circumstances, community aspirations and development needs;
  
• carried out engineering studies to review, evaluate and establish the engineering feasibility of the development and infrastructure for the NDAs; and
  
• undertaken Environmental Impact Assessment including Heritage Impact Assessment to establish environmental acceptability of the development and infrastructure for the NDAs.

Study Area Location Plan