Legco passes motion on a 'blissful' N. Metropolis

Lawmakers on Thursday passed a motion which discussed ways to ensure that the living space provided in the Northern Metropolis would be sufficient for future residents. The debate also looked at ways to make overall life in the mega project attractive for residents, workers and visitors alike, under the guise of building a 'blissful' metropolis During the Legco meeting, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn stressed that while the administration’s earlier work had ensured there would be sufficient land for future development, more in-depth planning was needed to enhance the mega project. “The Northern Metropolis has now moved to another stage. We need to bolt down to the specifics and focus on detailed design and implementation,” she said. “At this stage we must not just ensure the quantity of housing production and floor area. We should also focus on the design of community facilities, the timing, as well as their quality. We need to take a micro-perspective in taking forward these tasks.” The debate also centred on whether room existed for further increases in the minimum size requirement for private and public housing units in general. Linn said officials needed to take into account a number of factors for consideration. “We need to consider the cost and return for developers. We also need to consider that society has diverse needs, people from all walks of life have different requirements of flat size, as well as the affordability of potential buyers,” she said. The development chief added there might be a knock-on effect on the property market whenever the administration decides to lay down new indicators on minimum size requirements for flats, noting such an impact must be gauged carefully. Edited by Tony Sabine