Sun Hung Kai plan to double the size of their Shap Sze Heung project on Sai Sha Road to 9500 flats

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Last year Sun Hung Kai announced a plan to build 4,930 flats on the $15.9 billion, 76.4 hectare land bank that it had built up off Sai Sha Road in Shap Sze Heung. This raised many concerns amongst local residents in the villages that would be surrounded, as well as many others concerned at the impact of traffic on Sai Sha Road – see BUZZ report from May 2018.

This week the developers submitted applications to the Town Planning Board (TPB) to increase the occupancy floor area, in which the total number of residential units doubled from the original 4,930 to 9,500. This is in addition to the plans to build a new town for up to 100,000 further to the west, below the Shap Sze Heung hills – see BUZZ story from April 2018.

According to the documents submitted by the developer to the TPB, they have requested an increase in gross floor area, from 448,576 sq. m. to 538,213 sq. m. Also they intend to increase the maximum building height of the blocks to 31 floors, up from 24 floors in the original proposal. The total number of residential units also increase to 9,500, with each unit around 610 sq. ft. (saleable area of about 540 sq. ft); this is a reduction from the original plans which showed an area of 980 sq. ft.

As well as increasing the residential floor area, the developers also plan to increase the non residential area by 9,290 sq. m. increasing to 12,077 sq. m., which will include churches, primary schools and kindergartens. The residential clubhouse floor area is also increased from 8,957 sq. m. to 13,446 sq. m.

The developers said the plan is based on high-density residential developments similar to those in nearby Ma On Shan.

The planned project is close to many villages, and residents already expressed their fears when the original plans were announced. There have also been many comments on the extra burden for the district owing to increased traffic; it is also near the Ma On Shan Country Park and environmental groups are also concerned that the development will damage the ecological environment.

Sun Hung Kai Properties plan that Sai Sha Road will be widened into a four lane highway when development starts, with additional traffic interchanges, plus a footbridge. They will also set up a public car park and coach berth to alleviate the parking problems in the area.

In addition, the project also includes the construction of a recreational sports centre which will provide facilities for public use in the future. The project also has reserved a location for the construction of two primary schools. A developer spokesman said that the entire project is expected to require 8 – 10 years of development.