Chief Executive in Council approves provision of land resources to Urban Renewal Authority to take forward redevelopment programmes
The Government announced today (June 6) that in order to provide additional financial support to the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) to enhance its cashflow, so that the URA can continue to take forward its commenced redevelopment projects in an orderly manner, the Chief Executive in Council approved granting a site at Bailey Street, Hung Hom (the Bailey Street Site), and a site in Tseung Kwan O Area 137 (the TKO Site) to the URA by private treaty at nominal premium of $1,000 for a term of 50 years from the date of execution, on the understanding that the two sites would be rezoned for residential use through statutory town planning procedures in due course.
The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said, "As an important partner of the Government in urban renewal, the URA has been adopting a district-based approach in planning and taking forward redevelopment projects over the past years to avoid 'pencil' block development, inject holistic planning into urban redevelopment, and enhance liveability. Meanwhile, redevelopment projects of larger scale involve huge acquisition costs. Coupled with the sluggish property market in recent years, the URA's projects have been subject to the 'buy-high-sell-low' situation (i.e. acquiring properties at the market peak but tendering at low price or even a failed tender), thus affecting its cashflow."
The URA has taken a number of measures to maintain a financially healthy portfolio, such as adjusting the pacing of taking forward redevelopment projects, obtaining external financing through bond issuance and loan facilities, enhancing the market attractiveness of project tenders, and critically controlling its operating expenditure. Notwithstanding, according to the URA's latest assessment, in the event that the property market continues to falter and the results of project tenders are not as expected, the URA will have to secure additional financial support in order to maintain the redevelopment momentum, including making acquisition offers for the commenced redevelopment projects.
"The Government has been providing financial support to the URA to enable it to carry out redevelopment and fulfil other statutory missions in a self-financing manner. Granting land at nominal land premium has long been one of the major government support measures for the URA. For example, the Government will grant urban renewal sites to the URA at nil land premium, as well as, in recent years, Government, Institution or Community (G/IC) sites in the vicinity of individual urban redevelopment projects to increase the overall development potential. Granting the two sites to the URA is along the same direction that helps the URA to fulfil its urban renewal mission," Ms Linn continued.
Ms Linn added, "The granting of the two sites to the URA could also benefit the community. Specifically, the Bailey Street Site can create synergy with the URA's cluster of redevelopment projects in the Kowloon City area. As for the TKO Site, the original housing development of which has been deferred due to re-prioritisation of the Hong Kong Housing Authority's (HKHA) projects, granting the site to the URA would optimise the use of the land resources in a timely manner."
The Bailey Street Site, with a net site area of 7 610 square metres, was reserved for school development. Upon review, the Education Bureau considered that this site can be released for other uses. Granting the Bailey Street Site to the URA could result in optimised land use and enhanced planning gains for the area by accommodating G/IC facilities to meet the district shortfall, enhancing connectivity of the area, and amalgamating the adjacent Hoi Sum Park to provide public open space. The proposed total gross floor area (GFA) will be about 68 490 sq m with a plot ratio of 9.
The TKO Site has a net site area of about 9.15 hectares. The proposed total GFA is about 713 700 sq m with a plot ratio of 7.8. While the residential site concerned was reserved for public housing development, having considered the re-prioritisation of the HKHA's projects and with sufficient land supply for public housing over the next 10 years, the granting of the site to the URA will have no impact on the overall public housing supply target for the current 10-year period (from 2025-26 to 2034-35). Furthermore, there are still about 42 ha of land reserved for housing development in Tseung Kwan O Area 137, which can be flexibly deployed for public or private housing use. The Government will take into account the market needs and adjust the public-to-private housing ratio in the area in a timely and appropriate manner to provide flexibility in the mix of housing planned for the longer term.
The Executive Council has set clear requirements for this land grant, including (i) requesting the URA to make good use of the two sites as its assets to enhance its financing and borrowing capacity to maintain the momentum of urban redevelopment in a financially prudent manner in the next few years including making acquisition offers to the six commenced redevelopment projects (Note) between now and 2027-28. Moreover, with the land sales revenue to be generated from the two sites for the URA in the future, the URA should make good use of the additional and other income and re-prioritise yet-to-be-commenced projects in light of its financial position; and (ii) the URA should work with the Government to review and refine its operating and financing model that can enable it to undertake urban redevelopment in a financially sustainable manner irrespective of market ups and downs. Furthermore, the URA should advise how to step up building rehabilitation to extend the service life of aged buildings and reduce the immediate need for redevelopment. The URA should come up with specific recommendations within 2026.
For details of the above, please refer to the Legislative Council Brief issued today.
Note: These six commenced redevelopment projects are Kau Pui Lung Road/Chi Kiang Street Project, Ma Tau Wai Road/Lok Shan Road Project, Queen's Road West/Kwai Heung Street Project, Ming Lun Street/Ma Tau Kok Road Project, To Kwa Wan Road/Ma Tau Kok Road Project and Sai Yee Street/Flower Market Road Project.
EDB reminds parents to choose primary schools under Central Allocation process for their children
The Education Bureau (EDB) today (January 12) reminded parents that children who have joined the Primary One Admission (POA) System for 2026 but have not yet secured a discretionary place can take part in the Central Allocation process for a Primary One (P1) place in a government or aided primary school. Parents concerned should make their choice of schools within the period from January 19 to 25.
Digitalisation of POA
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In line with the Smart Government strategy, the EDB has fully implemented digitalisation of the POA. Parents who have registered as POA e-Platform (ePOA) users and have bound their account to "iAM Smart+" may submit the Choice of Schools Form for Central Allocation from January 19 to 25 through the ePOA. Please refer to the related videos and Parent's Guide on the EDB's website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/primary-1-admission/poa_eplatform/index.html) for details of the procedures for activating and logging into an ePOA account and for making school choices for the Central Allocation of POA via the e-Platform.
Making school choices at Central Allocation Centres
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The EDB will send letters to parents on January 14 inviting them to make their choice of schools. To cater for the needs of different parents, parents can still submit the Choice of Schools Form in paper form by visiting the designated Central Allocation Centre at the suggested time slot (i.e. 9.30am to 12.30pm or 1.30pm to 4.30pm on January 24 (Saturday) or 9.30am to 12.30pm on January 25 (Sunday)) stated in the letter.
Parents who are ePOA users may choose to submit the Central Allocation Application via the ePOA or in paper form to the Central Allocation Centre but should not submit duplicate applications. Parents who have not yet received the letter by January 19 should call the School Places Allocation Section of the EDB (Hotline: 2832 7700) as soon as possible.
Only one parent of an applicant child is required to complete the school choice-making procedures. Parents are advised not to take their children to the Central Allocation Centre if possible. Parents who cannot make school choices within the suggested time slot can go to the designated Central Allocation Centre from 1.30pm to 4.30pm on January 25. The Choice of Schools Form will be sent together with the letter to parents who have submitted a paper Application Form at the Discretionary Places stage for filling out in advance.
In the event of adverse weather or other special conditions on any day during the period of making school choices, please pay heed to radio or television announcements on the relevant special arrangements.
Unable to submit application within specified choice-making period
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For individual parents who are unable to use the ePOA or go to the Central Allocation Centre to make school choices, they can authorise in writing a representative to bring the completed Choice of Schools Form and their signed Letter of Authorisation to the Central Allocation Centre to proceed with the related procedures.
To apply for POA 2026 for their children after January 25, parents need to complete necessary procedures with the School Places Allocation Section, which will separately arrange P1 places for the applicant children in June.
Change of residential address
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An EDB spokesman reminded parents that, if they have recently moved their residence or have such plans in the near future, they are required to inform the School Places Allocation Section as soon as possible so that they can make school choices in the POA School Net where their new home is located. Parents should fill in the actual residential address of their child. If they provide a false address for securing a P1 place, the POA application of their child will be rendered void and the P1 place allocated will be withdrawn.
The EDB has put in place a monitoring mechanism to verify the residential addresses of applicant children as given by the parents. Random checks have also been stepped up. The public may call the School Places Allocation Section to report suspected cases of using a false address by parents for their children's POA application. The EDB will take action against false address cases.
Mechanism of Central Allocation
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Central Allocation is composed of two parts. Part A, which takes up 10 per cent of the P1 places earmarked for Central Allocation, is for unrestricted school choices. Parents can choose up to three government or aided primary schools in any school net. Part B takes up the remaining 90 per cent of the P1 places earmarked for Central Allocation. Parents of applicant children residing in the school net concerned are to select schools from the "Choice of Schools List for Central Allocation (Primary One Admission 2026)" of their school net, while parents of applicant children who intend to commute daily to schools in Hong Kong are to select schools from the "2026 Choice of Schools List for Central Allocation (For Applicant Children who intend to commute daily to schools in Hong Kong)". Parents should fill in the Choice of Schools Form in the order of their preference.
The mechanism of the Central Allocation is based on parents' choices in general. The computer-programmed allocation will first process the school choices in Part A and then the school choices in Part B. For oversubscribed schools, the order of priority in allocating places will be determined by random numbers generated by the computer for individual applicants to ensure fairness.
For information about the procedures for Central Allocation, please call the EDB's 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry service at 2891 0088.
Release of Central Allocation results
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For parents who have already activated their ePOA account via "iAM Smart" or "iAM Smart+", they will receive their Central Allocation results through the ePOA from 10am on June 3. Parents who wish to receive the allocation results via SMS on June 3 may choose such an option in the Choice of Schools Form. In addition, the allocation results will be sent to parents by post on June 3 and 4.
Source: AI-found images
