NG KANG-CHUNG KC.NG@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 08 September, 2015, 5:31pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 08 September, 2015, 5:31pm
The 11-hectare Gun Club Hill Barracks in Jordan can yield land to build subsidised housing, a lawmaker says. Photo: David Wong
Two barracks of the People’s Liberation Army in downtown Kowloon should be released for public housing, according to a People Power lawmaker who intends to apply to town planning regulators for the changes.
The 10-hectare Osborn Barracks in Kowloon Tong, also known as the Kowloon East Barracks, and the 11-hectare Gun Club Hill Barracks in Jordan can provide land to build about 12,900 Home Ownership Scheme flats in all, lawmaker Albert Chan Wai-yip says.
He aimed to submit a planning application as early as Wednesday to the Town Planning Board for the proposed changes.
“I see no reason why the PLA needs the downtown sites,” Chan said today.
“Even if they all move to Shenzhen, they can reach almost every part of Hong Kong in one to two hours.”
He conceded his plan stood little chance of success, but believed it would allow the PLA to hear the views of Hongkongers when the board put up his proposal for public consultation, as required by law.
He also urged the PLA to increase transparency and to disclose more about how it used its barracks in Hong Kong.
The PLA Hong Kong garrison has a total of 19 military sites locally, occupying some 2,700 hectares of land.
“Currently, we are kept in the dark if they are storing missiles in a barracks. What if there is an accident? Will Hong Kong become Tianjin?” Chan questioned, referring to a deadly blast in the municipality last month.
“The barracks could also become targets of terrorists. So, they should not be located in downtown areas.”
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1856321/release-pla-barracks-public-housing-hong-kong-lawmaker-says
