Shek Lei Estate
| Shek Lei Estate | |
|---|---|
 Estate sign | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Kwai Chung, New Territories Hong Kong |
| Coordinates | 22°21′52″N 114°08′24″E / 22.364344°N 114.140021°ECoordinates: 22°21′52″N 114°08′24″E / 22.364344°N 114.140021°E |
| Status | Completed |
| Category | Public rental housing Interim housing |
| Population | 39,896 (2016) |
| No. of blocks | 21 |
| Construction | |
| Authority | Hong Kong Housing Authority |
| Shek Lei Estate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 石籬邨 | ||
| |||
| Shek Lei | |||
| Chinese | 石梨 | ||
| |||
| Shek Lei Pui | |||
| Chinese | 石梨貝 | ||
| |||
Shek Lei Estate (Chinese: 石籬邨), also known by Shek Lei (石籬/石梨, both are currently used) or Shek Lei Pui (石梨貝, original name), the area where the estate is located, is a public housing estate in Hong Kong, situated in northeast Kwai Chung,[1] New Territories near Shek Yam Estate, On Yam Estate and Shek Yam East Estate.[2]
The estate is separated into two parts, namely Shek Lei (I) Estate (石籬(一)邨) and Shek Lei (II) Estate (石籬(二)邨). It has a total of 21 residential blocks with a population of about 40,000, as well as two shopping centres. It is the second-largest public housing estate in Kwai Chung, after Kwai Chung Estate.
In addition, there is a two-block Home Ownership Scheme property connected to the estate, called Yi Fung Court.
History[]
The estate sits on the lower slope of Golden Hill, near the boundary of Kam Shan Country Park. The original Shek Lei Pui Village was located some distance away, at the current site of the Shek Lei Pui Reservoir, on the opposite site of the Golden Hill ridgeline to the south-east.
Shek Lei Resettlement Estate was built in the 1960s by the Architectural Office of the former Public Works Department (PWD), and was completed in 1971.[3] Architecturally, the estate took the form of interlinked high-rise Old Slab blocks, similar to other 1960s estates in Hong Kong.[4] Public housing estates built by PWD tended to be more basic in design, with fewer amenities, than those built by the Housing Society or Housing Authority, which took over the construction of all public housing estates in the 1970s.[3]
A unique sculptural children's playground, designed by American artist Paul Selinger for the Urban Services Department, opened in 1969. It was funded with a donation by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club.[5]
By 1975, the estate had a population of approximately 69,600, making it the most populous public housing estate in Tsuen Wan New Town at that time.[3]
The entire estate was redeveloped in the 1980s and 1990s except for the original blocks 10 and 11, which were converted into interim housing in 1996–97.[6]
The site of Shek Foon House, the newest block, was originally reserved for construction of an indoor Regional Council recreation centre.[7] However, the council was abolished at the turn of the millennium, and the site lay derelict for many years, much to the dissatisfaction of local residents, as the government debated whether the new Leisure and Cultural Services Department should take the project forward.[8] In the end, the Housing Authority took over the site and developed housing there. Construction of the 41-storey block began in November 2009 and was completed in 2013. Built at a cost of approximately HK$370 million, the project included construction of a lift tower and footbridges linking Shek Lei Estate to the neighbouring On Yam Estate.[7]
Shek Lei (I) Estate[]
Shek Lei (I) Estate (also referred as Shek Lei Extension 石籬擴展區 and New Shek Lei 新石籬) has nine blocks. Of the nine blocks, seven were completed in the 1980s, and are situated on Lei Pui Street; the other 2, Shek On House and Shek Tai House, located on Shek Pai Street, were built during the redevelopment project of the estate in the 1990s.[9]
| Name[10] | Type | Completion |
|---|---|---|
| Shek Ning House | Slab | 1985 |
| Shek Sau House | ||
| Shek Chun House | Double H | |
| Shek Yat House | 1986 | |
| Shek Hing House | Linear 3 | 1989 |
| Shek On House | Harmony 1 | 1994 |
| Shek Tai House | 1997 |
Shek Lei (II) Estate[]
Shek Lei (II) Estate is located between Shek Li Street and Tai Loong Street. It is also referred as Shek Lei District or Shek Lei Resettlement Estate, as it was built on the site of a resettlement estate completed in the 1960s.[11][12] The estate was redeveloped between the 1990s and 2000s (decade).[13] However, two old blocks are retained, and were converted into Interim Housing.
Two old blocks, Blocks 10 and 11, are retained for Interim Housing since 1997, to provide totally 1,946 units for rehousing those homeless families who are not immediately eligible for public housing.[14][15][16][17]
The Housing Authority completed a structural investigation of Shek Lei Interim Housing and decided it would not be cost-effective to retain the buildings.[18] In the chief executive's 2020 policy address it was announced that the two interim housing blocks would be demolished and the site redeveloped.[19] In early 2021, the Housing Authority said that the 329 households living in the blocks would all be rehoused by the end of 2022, either in public rental housing or at the Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun.[20] Redevelopment of the site is expected to be completed in 2028, and is planned to provide 1,600 new flats.[18]
| Name[21] | Type | Completion |
|---|---|---|
| Shek Wah House | Harmony 1 | 1995 |
| Shek Kai House | ||
| Shek Fu House | 2000 | |
| Shek Cheung House | ||
| Shek Kwong House | 2002 | |
| Shek Wing House | ||
| Shek Yan House | Harmony 3A | |
| Shek Hei House | Small Household Block | 2000 |
| Shek Fuk House | 2003 | |
| Shek Wai House | New Harmony 1 | 2008 |
| Shek Yi House | ||
| Shek Foon House | Non-Standard Domestic Block T | 2013 |
| Block 10 (Interim Housing) | Old slab | |
| Block 11 (Interim Housing) |
Yi Fung Court[]
Yi Fung Court (怡峰苑) is a Home Ownership Scheme court in the upper hills of Shek Lei Extension, Lei Pui Street. It has 2 blocks built in 1999.
| Name[22] | Type | Completion |
|---|---|---|
| Yuet Fung House | New Cruciform | 1999 |
| Ho Fung House |
Demographics[]
According to the 2016 by-census, Shek Lei (I) Estate had 13,567 residents, while Shek Lei (II) estate had 26,329 residents, adding up to a total of 39,896.[23]
This represents an increase from the 37,994 recorded in the 2011 census.[24] The increase may be attributable to the opening of Shek Foon House in 2013.
Education[]
There are many schools in the Shek Lei area, including the following institutions within or directly adjacent to the estate:
- CNEC Christian College
- CTU Training Centre Shek Lei Campus
- Pope Paul VI College
- Salesian Yip Hon Primary School
- Shek Lei Catholic Primary School
- Shek Lei St. John's Catholic Primary School
The estate had another secondary school, , which closed in 2009.
Politics[]
Due to its high population, Shek Lei Estate falls within three different District Council constituencies. The elected representatives of these constituencies sit on the 32-seat Kwai Tsing District Council.
- Shek Lei South constituency encompasses the entirety of Shek Lei (I) Estate, as well as Shek Wah and Shek Kai houses of Shek Lei (II) Estate.[25] Since the 2019 election, it has been represented by Leung Kwok-wah of the Democratic Party.
- Shek Lei North constituency covers the core area of Shek Lei (II) Estate.[25] It is represented by Lam Siu-fai of the Democratic Party, who has held the seat since 1999.
- Tai Pak Tin East constituency includes three blocks of Shek Lei (II) Estate: Shek Fu, Shek Cheung, and Shek Foon houses.[25] Created for the 2019 election, it is represented by Lau Kwai-mui of the Democratic Party.
Shopping centres[]
Shek Lei Shopping Centre serves the shopping needs of residents in the vicinity. It is divided into Phase I and Phase II, and both of them are located at the junction of Tai Loong Street and Wai Kek Street. A wet market is located inside Shek Lei Shopping Centre Phase I.[26]
Shek Lei Shopping Centre (Phase 1), a four-storey retail building, was built in 1993. The six-storey Shek Lei Shopping Centre (Phase 2) was built in 1999.[27] Both phases were originally built and owned by the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA).
In 2005, the Hong Kong government controversially divested various HKHA assets, mainly shopping centres and car parks, into a new real estate investment trust called Link REIT. Both Shek Lei properties were transferred to Link REIT on 25 November 2005.[27]
In late 2017, Link REIT sold 17 Hong Kong shopping centres, including Shek Lei Shopping Centre, to a consortium led by Hong Kong-based Gaw Capital, which paid HK$23 billion for the properties.[28] The sale caused anxiety among tenants of Shek Lei Shopping Centre due to speculation that the sale could mean additional rent increases.[29] The chairman of Gaw Capital, Goodwin Gaw, sought to allay such fears by suggesting that rent would be tied to sales turnover, and stated that their business model meant that Gaw Capital was not pressured to pursue the hefty rent increases which had made Link REIT so controversial.[28]
The shopping centre now operates under Gaw Capital's "People's Place" banner. Phase I has approximately 59 shops and/or market stalls. Phase II has approximately 74 shops.[30]
See also[]
- List of public housing estates in Hong Kong
- Public housing estates in Kwai Chung
- Public housing in Hong Kong
References[]
- ^ Kwai Tsing District Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Kwai Chung (East) Integrated Family Service Centre
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Hong Kong's New Towns: Tsuen Wan. New Territories Development Department. 1976.
- ^ "Aerial view of Shek Lei Estate". Hong Kong Memory. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ Fan, Lok-yi (28 February 2019). "A Brief History of Playgrounds in Hong Kong". M+.
- ^ "Housing Bureau". Progress Report: The 1997 Policy Address. Hong Kong Government.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "LCQ11: Progress of leisure and cultural services projects of the former Municipal Councils". Hong Kong Government. 19 May 2010.
- ^ "Minutes of LegCo Members' Meeting with Kwai Tsing District Council Members" (PDF). Legislative Council. 8 December 2005.
- ^ HOUSING MATTERS DISCUSSED AT DISTRICT BOARDS AND THEIR COMMITTEES (1998)
- ^ Shek Lei (I) Estate
- ^ OFFICIAL REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS (1969)
- ^ 徙置區 (Chinese)
- ^ KWAI TSING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (2000-2001) Archived 2011-06-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Memorandum for the Housing Authority (1997)
- ^ Memorandum for the Housing Authority (2008)
- ^ Interim housing
- ^ 中轉房屋 (Chinese)
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Redevelopment of Shek Lei Interim Housing". The Chief Executive's 2020 Policy Address. Office of the Chief Executive. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ Wong, Rachel (25 November 2020). "Policy Address 2020: Controversial HK$624 billion Lantau Tomorrow housing project to go ahead". Hong Kong Free Press.
- ^ "Households at Shek Lei Interim Housing to be rehoused". The Standard. 26 January 2021.
- ^ Shek Lei (II) Estate
- ^ Yi Fung Court
- ^ "Major Housing Estates". 2016 Population By-census. Census and Statistics Department. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ "Major Housing Estates". 2011 Population Census. Census and Statistics Department.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "District Council Constituency Boundaries - Kwai Tsing District" (PDF). 2019 District Council Ordinary Election. Electoral Affairs Commission. 2019.
- ^ Shek Lei Shopping Centre
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Annual Report 2005/06" (PDF). The Link Real Estate Investment Trust. 2006.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Sito, Peggy (28 March 2018). "New owner of Link Reit's 17 Hong Kong shopping centres says rent rises not 'winning formula'". South China Morning Post.
- ^ Zhao, Shirley (30 November 2017). "Tenants of small shops fear 'inevitable' rent rises that will force them out after Link Reit's HK$23 billion mall sale". South China Morning Post.
- ^ "Shek Lei Shopping Centre I & II". People's Place. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
External links[]
Media related to Shek Lei Estate at Wikimedia Commons
- Kwai Chung
- Public housing estates in Hong Kong