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The Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr Michael Suen, and two Housing Authority members today (December 29) visited Tin Shui Wai to learn about issues facing estate tenants.
On arrival at Tin Heng Estate, Mr Suen, who is also chairman of the Housing Authority, Mr Anthony Cheung Bing-leung and Miss Lam Chui-lin were briefed on plans to convert the sixth floor level of Tin Heng Estate Car Park into a youth services centre with recreational facilities.
"The plans were made in response to a request from the Tin Shui Wai Planning and Community Development Working Group of the Yuen Long District Council and the Social Welfare Department following a family tragedy in the area last year," said Mr Lau Sing-chau, Senior Housing Manager of the Housing Department.
The Housing Department plans to build the "Integrated Youth Service Centre" at the 6A floor level at Tin Heng Estate Car Park and put it under the management of the Social Welfare Department on completion. The centre will provide meeting and multi-purpose rooms for welfare and voluntary organisations in the district.
In conjunction with the Social Welfare Department, meetings have been held to exchange views on design and ancillary requirements. It is expected that design plans can be finalised next month with the project scheduled for completion within 2006. The cost of the project will be borne by the Housing Department.
Mr Suen and the Housing Authority members then visited the 26th and 27th floors of Heng Cheuk House to see the progress of tile replacement works. Tin Heng Estate is one of eight public rental housing estates in Tin Shui Wai that are in need of wall tiles being replaced.
Mr Raymond Suen, Acting Head of The Housing Department's Building Repairs Task Force, estimated that the area in need of retiling totalled 24,300 square metres. Rectification works have been completed on 75% of the affected area with the remaining works scheduled for completion in March next year.
Although the task force expects more cases of loose tiles to be reported, the department will continue to respond quickly and arrange maintenance works.
While touring around Tin Heng Estate, the party went to the rooftop of Heng Cheuk House to catch a bird﷿s-eye view of the progress of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong West Corridor.
On arrival at Tin Yiu Estate, Mr Suen and his party had a casual chat with tenants, who gave their views on public housing rents. The visiting party also went to a nearby divested commercial arcade to ask market-stall and shop operators about their business environment after divestment.
The party met with members of the Estate Management Advisory Committees of the two estates before concluding their visit.
Ends/Thursday, December 29, 2005
Issued at HKT 20:47
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