Golf course ruling won’t have ‘huge impact’ on Hong Kong flats supply: John Lee
But chief executive says court ruling will significantly affect the number of flats, density and completion date of the project
Hong Kong’s leader has said a High Court ruling striking down approval of a plan to build 12,000 flats on part of a golf course will not have a great impact on the overall housing supply, but analysts have warned the ratio of public and private homes in a proposed mega development may be affected.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu noted on Tuesday that the development on 9.5 hectares (23.5 acres) of the 172-hectare golf course in Fanling was proposed by the previous government and was expected to be completed by 2029.
“Now that the environmental assessment report is overturned, the government must do a comprehensive assessment and public consultation again,” he said ahead of a weekly meeting of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council.
“This will greatly affect the number of flats, the density and the completion date of the project.”
However, he offered assurances that Hong Kong’s long-term housing goal of building 308,000 homes over the next decade was still on track.
“The government has sourced enough land to construct more than 308,000 flats,” he said. “The single change in the site’s development will not have a huge impact on Hong Kong’s overall housing supply.”
