Janruary 2025
Date:
Venue:
Address:
Time:
Study Overview
Development Positioning
The Northern Metropolis (NM) Action Agenda promulgated in October 2023 outlines the development positioning of four major zones in the NM. New Territories North (NTN) New Town is located within the Boundary Commerce and Industry Zone.
With a project area of about 1,420 hectares (ha), NTN New Town covers the Heung Yuen Wai, Ta Kwu Ling, Ping Che, Hung Lung Hang, Queen’s Hill, Man Kam To and Lo Wu South areas. With the advantage of having three boundary control points (BCPs) at Lo Wu, Man Kam To and Heung Yuen Wai, NTN New Town has potential to develop various BCP-related economic uses and industries requiring large land area for operation. It can be developed into a BCP business district and a base for emerging industries, complementary to the developments of the Luohu District in Shenzhen (SZ).
The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) and the Planning Department (PlanD) jointly commissioned the planning and engineering studies for NTN New Town in October 2021 in order to formulate the recommended land use proposal for this NDA.
Transport Connections
To support the development of NTN New Town, the Hong Kong (HK) Major Transport Infrastructure Development Blueprint released in end 2023 has recommended two railways and one major road (兩鐵一路) projects in the eastern part of NM, proposed to be completed in and after 2039, to enhance the connectivity across the NDAs in NM and among various BCPs. The two railways are the east-west running Northern Link Eastern Extension (NOLE) and the north-south running Northeast New Territories Line (NENTL). One major road refers to NM Highway (NTN New Town Section) which will be an east-west corridor connecting NTN New Town and other NDAs in NM.
Development Proposal
Broad Land Use Concept
Land Use Budget
Major Development Parameters
Notes:
- Including logistics, storage and workshop (85 ha); food-related uses (25 ha); green industry (25 ha); advanced construction (20 ha); and advanced manufacturing (55 ha).
- For sites within 500m from railway station, the proposed plot ratio is 6.5 - 7.
- Including private and public housing flats. The 16,000 existing and planned public housing flats in Queen’s Hill are also included.
- Including the existing population and population in the planned public housing development in Queen’s Hill of about 51,000.
Project Highlights
Gateway Economy
The areas in the vicinity of the BCPs used to be closed areas, serving mainly security and cross-boundary functions. The integration of HK and SZ with increasing cross-boundary passenger flow presents huge opportunities for the development of the boundary areas, while the proposed NOLE and NENTL can strengthen the connections among various land-based BCPs and drive the development of the areas.
It is proposed to develop the areas around Heung Yuen Wai and Man Kam To BCPs (around 225 ha) into Boundary Mixed Use Areas, where business, financial and professional services etc. that HK enjoys clear competitive edges can be provided alongside leisure, retail etc. services for locals and cross-boundary visitors to boost the gateway economy. The residential flats to be provided in the areas may also serve the accommodation needs of frequent cross-boundary travellers.
Emerging Industries
Tapping the extensive space available in NTN New Town, the proximity to BCPs and the “East-in East-out” strategy for cross-boundary freight traffic, about 210 ha of land has been reserved in this NDA for different types of industries, broadly including the following categories, creating diverse job opportunities for talents and local residents while promoting home-job balance:
About 85 ha for modern logistics (including logistics parks with both multi-storey logistics complexes and open-air operations), leveraging the strengthened role of Heung Yuen Wai BCP under the “East-in East-out” strategy for cross-boundary freight traffic;
About 25 ha for food-related uses (including food cold chain facilities, multi-storey hydroponic farms, multi-storey livestock farms, etc.). Conglomeration of these uses could build up a food supply chain (including production and distribution of food) with emphasis on food safety and high quality food production;
About 25 ha for green industry (including EcoPark II, yard waste treatment and recycling facilities) to promote circular economy;
About 20 ha for advanced construction industry (including research and development, certification, storage and training facilities and high productivity construction (such as Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) and Multi-trade Integrated Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MiMEP) related uses)), strengthening the leading position of HK’s advanced construction industry in the Greater Bay Area (GBA); and
About 55 ha for advanced manufacturing industry (including emerging industries which are tech-driven for production, and land reserved for new industralisation and meeting future industrial development needs, in particular emerging industries that cannot be foreseen at this stage, so as to allow HK to get better prepared to seize future opportunities).
Cultural, Education and Sports Hub
The central part of NTN New Town will become a hub with the agglomeration of post-secondary education, cultural and sports facilities. The proposed facilities would promote a sense of belonging for communities, especially for the youth to explore and maximise their potential, and to realise their ambitions and sense of fulfilment. They would not only add diversity and vigour to this NDA, but also elevate HK’s presence on the regional and international stage.
About 40 ha of land has been reserved for post-secondary education use to establish the Northern Metropolis University Town together with the post-secondary education facilities in Ngau Tam Mei and Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen NDA. This would help develop HK into an international hub for high-calibre talents.
About 50 ha of land is set aside to create a Cultural Node and Sports Hub. Land has been reserved in the Cultural Node for the second campus of HK Academy for Performing Arts, a museum cluster and a performance venue. Crossing-over with the cultural heritage resources in the area, these proposed facilities will help nurture arts talents for HK, strengthening HK’s status as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. The Sports Hub will accommodate various facilities and venues where international and local sports competitions and events could be hosted, whilst providing training venues for local athletes and promoting new and urban sports. These will also contribute to the development of sports as an industry in HK.
Green • River • Valley
With a length of around 8 km, a green spine composed of DJW Greenway* and Central River Valley is proposed to connect the eastern and western parts of the NDA, which will be a unique blue-green landscape, embodying nature-based solutions and enhancing biodiversity, through such measures as maximising greenery, creating habitats, developing a nature garden and revitalising rivers. Also, flood retention facilities will be incorporated and river improvement works would be carried out to raise the flood prevention capacity of new developments and villages, and strengthen resilience to climate change.
* DJW Greenway is an open space corridor to be constructed above and on both sides of the Dongjiang water mains in Man Kam To which supply water to HK.
This green spine will also serve as a culture-nature-recreation connector embracing urban-rural integration. It will link up the rural villages, new communities, historic buildings, cultural and sports facilities, and the open space in the NDA. The pedestrian/cycling networks extending from this green spine would further link up the surrounding trails and countryside (which would lead to Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail, Robin’s Nest Country Park, Pat Sin Leng Country Park, Wa Shan, etc.), promoting healthy living and green tourism.
* Artists’ impression for illustrative purpose only
Priority Development Area
NTN New Town is the largest NDA in NM. Its development area (about 1,175 ha) is much larger than that of other NDAs, accounting for over one-third of some 3,000 ha of new land supply of the entire NM. It would take about 20 years or longer to implement the project by phases. To optimise the use of this piece of new development land, and to rationally spread out the cost for land resumption and construction to ensure efficient use of resources with due consideration of the impacts on existing communities and economic activities, we will adopt a pragmatic approach to implement NTN New Town by phases. We will carefully consider the scale of each development phase with a view to ensuring a steady and orderly land supply for different economic uses/industries.
We propose to first proceed with a Priority Development Area (PDA) of about 206 ha, with considerations that public housing is not the primary implementation priority for NTN New Town and to make good use of the BCP and Heung Yuen Wai Highway. We propose to prioritise the development of the Heung Yuen Wai area (including the Boundary Mixed Use Area and Enterprise Park) and University Town to boost gateway economy, foster emerging industries and nurture high-calibre talents, with details as follows:
Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Mixed Use Area and Enterprise Park
Under the “East-in East-out” strategy for cross-boundary freight traffic, Heung Yuen Wai BCP will be the only land-based BCP handling cross-boundary freight in the eastern part of HK while its cross-boundary passenger flow is rising continuously. It is proposed to make full use of the existing BCP facilities and road infrastructures, such as Heung Yuen Wai Highway, to prioritise the development of (1) Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Mixed Use Area and (2) Heung Yuen Wai Enterprise Park. This could provide land for gateway economic uses (e.g. commerce/business, retail, personal services) and emerging industries (e.g. modern logistics, food related uses, advanced construction industry, advanced manufacturing industry) so as to take forward the development positioning of NTN New Town. About 12,000 to 13,000 flats of mainly private housing would also be provided together with supporting community facilities.
University Town
It is proposed to prioritise the development of the sites around Ta Kwu Ling to the south of Heung Yuen Wai area for establishment of the University Town, with the aim of developing HK into an international hub for high-calibre talents. The post-secondary institutions may synergise with the industries and economic uses in NM, while also deepening the collaboration with GBA cities on post-secondary education and related fronts. The University Town will enjoy the unique landscape of the Central River Valley. The open space alongside will become the foreground of the University Town, providing water-friendly experience and enriching its ambience. Apart from campus development, the reserved land may also provide student hostels for students of different post-secondary institutions. In the vicinity of the University Town, about 5,000 to 6,000 private flats would be provided as an alternative accommodation choice for teachers and students.
Land Use Budget
Major Development Parameters
Notes:
- Including logistics, storage and workshop (20 ha), food-related uses (5 ha), advanced construction (6 ha), and advanced manufacturing (33 ha).
- Proposed plot ratio is 6.5 – 7.
Key Planning and Urban Design Concepts
The overall planning framework of NTN New Town consists of a Green Spine (一廊) which connects the major development components in the eastern and western parts of the NDA; two Development Axes (二軸) constituted by the compact, convenient and cohesive communities built around the stations of NOLE and NENTL; and three Ports (三關) viz. Lo Wu, Man Kam To and Heung Yuen Wai BCPs which offer opportunities for developing the surrounding areas to boost gateway economy.
City-Industry Integration and Urban-Rural Integration
To take forward the objective to develop NM into our second economic engine, an industry-driven planning approach is adopted. It is proposed to reserve land for development of diverse industries in the Heung Yuen Wai and Hung Lung Hang areas to leverage their proximity to Heung Yuen Wai Highway and connection to the future NM Highway, while BCP-related economic uses will be clustered in the areas around Heung Yuen Wai BCP, Man Kam To BCP and Lo Wu South. Under the concept of “city-industry integration”, the land reserved for different industries and businesses will provide economic drivers, which would also integrate with the surrounding communities for enhancing vibrancy of the NDA. Higher density developments are planned around the proposed railway stations to enhance utilisation of land and commuting convenience, while duly respecting the character of the existing village zones and striving to achieve urban-rural integration.
All 21 recognised/indigenous villages within the NDA are preserved and various urban design measures will be adopted to ensure that new developments will blend in with the villages harmoniously (including providing suitable open space/amenity areas around the village zones as far as possible to serve as buffer, reducing the building heights of the nearby developments and preserving view corridors where appropriate to allow for visual relief and better urban-rural transition, etc.).
The 8 km long green spine and its extended open space and pedestrian/cycling network will further bridge the rural and urban life, helping to promote and demonstrate the rich humanity resources within the NDA. Moreover, the villagers will benefit from the comprehensively planned community, recreational and commercial facilities as well as improved internal and external connectivity, infrastructures (including water supply, sewerage, drainage) and measures in combating climate change (e.g. greenery, breezeways, flood attenuation facilities). The Project will also bring a diversity of job opportunities to the villagers.
Liveable, Smart and Green Carbon-Neutral Community
NTN New Town will be developed as a liveable, smart and green carbon-neutral community, with measures to increase climate resilience and promote biodiversity.
Key Urban Design Features
Major Smart, Green & Resilient Infrastructures
Public Facilities
Public services and essential infrastructure facilities, such as water treatment works, effluent polishing plant, etc. will be provided to support the development of NTN New Town. New advanced waste-to-energy facility and other waste management facilities (e.g. collection and recycling facilities, food waste pre-treatment facilities, etc.), food control facilities, slaughterhouse, etc. will also be planned to serve the entire NM and wider areas. These supporting facilities will be located at the fringe of the NDA and as far away from the core areas and major population clusters as practicable, and with direct connection to the major road system to minimise the impacts of the related vehicles on the developments in the area. Suitable architectural design and mitigation measures will also be adopted to ensure their exterior designs could blend in well with the neighbouring environment and minimise their impacts on the communities.
Initial Implementation Programme
The food control facilities within the PDA could be implemented earlier to relocate the food control function at Man Kam To BCP to Heung Yuen Wai BCP, and transform the former into a passenger only BCP. Government-initiated works for the remaining parts of the PDA may commence as early as 2028/29.
The development land (about 960 ha) outside the PDA would be considered for medium-to-long term development and would be taken forward in a phased manner.
We would adopt a “people-oriented” approach, closely communicate and provide the affected households and operators with necessary information and assistance throughout the implementation process, including conducting eligibility reviews at appropriate timing to provide rehousing and compensation.
Regarding the implementation approach, apart from the conventional government-funded and government-led site formation and infrastructure arrangements, we would consider other approaches such as in-situ land exchange and large-scale land disposal. For example, the area around Heung Yuen Wai BCP, which is proposed with more residential and commercial uses and enjoys the advantage of the existing infrastructures (including Heung Yuen Wai BCP and Heung Yuen Wai Highway), can capitalise on the benefits brought by the cross-boundary passenger flow and the surrounding industries. As such, this area would have good potential for large-scale land disposal, leveraging the market forces to speed up the development pace and quantum.
After the relevant land uses have been finalised, we will further consider the implementation programme and phasing plan.
Public Engagement
Public Engagement Documents
Public Engagement Activities
From
to
Date:
Venue:
Address:
Time:
Date:
Venue:
Address:
Time:
Video
Comments Submission
A 2-month public engagement exercise (including roving exhibitions, briefing sessions, etc.) is launched on 17 January 2025 to collect views from the public. Members of the public are welcomed to provide views by post, e-mail or fax on or before 16 March 2025.
If you wish to provide view on the Development Proposal of Ma Tso Lung, please visit the project’s website (https://nm-mtl.hk/) for more details.
Taking into account the public views received and other relevant considerations, we would refine the land use proposal and conduct relevant technical assessments.
The information and views provided by you will be used by the Government and its agent(s) for the purpose of overall analysis under the study, and will not be disclosed or transferred in the original form as provided by you to other third parties. The result of the public engagement will be presented in summary or in aggregate form when the Government releases such result.
Information Centre
Related Links
Download
Legislative Council Panel on Development
Development Proposals of New Territories North New Town and Ma Tso Lung (LC Paper No. CB(1)1741/2024(01))
24 January 2025
Town Planning Board
Development Proposals of New Territories North New Town and Ma Tso Lung (TPB Paper No. 10993)
17 January 2025
Contact Us
Address
12/F, Tower 2, Grand Central Plaza
138 Shatin Rural Committee Road Shatin, N.T. Hong Kong
Office hour
Tel
Please call the hotlines during office hours.
+852 3856 5428 /
+852 3856 5458
Fax
info@nm-ntnorth.hk
The information and views provided by you will be used by the Government and its agent(s) for the purpose of overall analysis under the study, and will not be disclosed or transferred in the original form as provided by you to other third parties. The result of the public engagement will be presented in summary or in aggregate form when the Government releases such result.