Shek Lei Estate

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]

Shek Lei Estate
Estate sign
General information
LocationKwai Chung, New Territories
Hong Kong
Coordinates22.364344°N 114.140021°E / 22.364344; 114.140021
StatusCompleted
CategoryPublic rental housing
Interim housing
Population39,896 (2016)
No. of blocks21
Construction
AuthorityHong Kong Housing Authority
Shek Lei Estate
Chinese石籬邨
Shek Lei
Chinese石梨
Shek Lei Pui
Chinese石梨貝

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
Badminton court at 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]TypeCompletion
Shek Ning HouseSlab1985
Shek Sau House
Shek Chun HouseDouble H
Shek Yat House1986
Shek Hing HouseLinear 31989
Shek On HouseHarmony 11994
Shek Tai House1997

Shek Lei (II) Estate
Residential blocks of 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.

Block 10 and 11, part of the original resettlement estate built in the 1960s

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]

Name[18]TypeCompletion
Shek Wah HouseHarmony 11995
Shek Kai House
Shek Fu House2000
Shek Cheung House
Shek Kwong House2002
Shek Wing House
Shek Yan HouseHarmony 3A
Shek Hei HouseSmall Household Block2000
Shek Fuk House2003
Shek Wai HouseNew Harmony 12008
Shek Yi House
Shek Foon HouseNon-Standard Domestic Block T2013
Block 10 (Interim Housing)Old slab
Block 11 (Interim Housing)

Yi Fung Court

Yi Yung 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[19]TypeCompletion
Yuet Fung HouseNew Cross Block1999
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.[20]

This represents an increase from the 37,994 recorded in the 2011 census.[21] The increase may be attributable to the opening of Shek Foon House in 2013.

Education
CNEC Christian College

There are many schools in the Shek Lei area, including the following institutions within or directly adjacent to the estate:

The estate had another secondary school, Sheung Kwai Chung Government 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 North constituency covers the core area of Shek Lei (II) Estate.[22] 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.[22] Created for the 2019 election, it is represented by Lau Kwai-mui of the Democratic Party.

Shopping centres
Interior of Shek Lei Shopping Centre, 2016

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.[23]

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.[24] 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.[24]

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.[25] The sale caused anxiety among tenants of Shek Lei Shopping Centre due to speculation that the sale could mean additional rent increases.[26] 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.[25]

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.[27]

See also

References
  1. Kwai Tsing District Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Kwai Chung (East) Integrated Family Service Centre
  3. Hong Kong's New Towns: Tsuen Wan. New Territories Development Department. 1976.
  4. "Aerial view of Shek Lei Estate". Hong Kong Memory. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  5. Fan, Lok-yi (28 February 2019). "A Brief History of Playgrounds in Hong Kong". M+.
  6. "Housing Bureau". Progress Report: The 1997 Policy Address. Hong Kong Government.
  7. "LCQ11: Progress of leisure and cultural services projects of the former Municipal Councils". Hong Kong Government. 19 May 2010.
  8. "Minutes of LegCo Members' Meeting with Kwai Tsing District Council Members" (PDF). Legislative Council. 8 December 2005.
  9. HOUSING MATTERS DISCUSSED AT DISTRICT BOARDS AND THEIR COMMITTEES (1998)
  10. Shek Lei (I) Estate
  11. OFFICIAL REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS (1969)
  12. 徙置區 (Chinese)
  13. KWAI TSING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (2000-2001) Archived 2011-06-09 at the Wayback Machine
  14. Memorandum for the Housing Authority (1997)
  15. Memorandum for the Housing Authority (2008)
  16. Interim housing
  17. 中轉房屋 (Chinese)
  18. Shek Lei (II) Estate
  19. Yi Fung Court
  20. "Major Housing Estates". 2016 Population By-census. Census and Statistics Department. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  21. "Major Housing Estates". 2011 Population Census. Census and Statistics Department.
  22. "District Council Constituency Boundaries - Kwai Tsing District" (PDF). 2019 District Council Ordinary Election. Electoral Affairs Commission. 2019.
  23. Shek Lei Shopping Centre
  24. "Annual Report 2005/06" (PDF). The Link Real Estate Investment Trust. 2006.
  25. 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.
  26. 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.
  27. "Shek Lei Shopping Centre I & II". People's Place. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
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