Pak Shek Kok (白石角) is located between Sha Tin and Tai Po, adjacent to the northern side of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The area, covering 118 hectares, has been designated for the development of Science Park, residential areas, strategic recreational facilities, and higher education expansion.
Major buildings in the area include the Hong Kong Science Park in Sha Tin District, and residential projects located north of Fo Yin Road in Tai Po District, including Providence Bay, Mayfair by the Sea, The Horizon, St Martin, Solaria, ONTOLO, and Mayfair by the Sea 8, as well as Silicon Hill and University Hill.
History[]
To realise the development plan for the Science Park, the government launched the Pak Shek Kok Development Plan in 1998. Covering 118 hectares, the plan involved spending HK$600 million to reclaim 74 hectares of land in Tolo Harbour opposite The Chinese University of Hong Kong, with the initial infrastructure work starting in October 1999.
According to the "Pak Shek Kok (East) Outline Zoning Plan," the area's total planned population is about 20,200 people. Between 2007 and 2009, a consortium led by Sun Hung Kai Properties won five plots of land in Pak Shek Kok at land auctions. These plots have been developed into the current Providence Bay, The Graces, and Mayfair by the Sea, providing a total of 2,314 units with a total investment of approximately HK$30 to 40 billion.
Given that an 8-hectare piece of land in eastern Pak Shek Kok, originally reserved for the fourth phase of Science Park development, was not needed for Science Park expansion in the medium to short term, and the high demand for housing land, the authorities decided in 2014 to make good use of the Pak Shek Kok land for development to avoid long-term vacancy. After reviewing the development potential of the Pak Shek Kok land, the government, despite significant opposition[1], rezoned the land for the development of medium-density private housing, providing approximately 3,400 residential units for about 9,100 people[2]. Subsequently, the five residential plots were sold between May 2014 and May 2016.
One of the pioneers of the Pak Shek Kok residential area, Sun Hung Kai Properties, acquired the last residential plot in the area for HK$1.622 billion in July 2016 to build Mayfair by the Sea 8. All 11 residential plots in the region were sold over nine years.[3]
Transportation[]
When planning the Pak Shek Kok Development Plan (including Science Park), the government considered how to provide adequate transportation facilities to meet the traffic demands expected from the development. Measures included the construction of the Public Transport Interchange, local roads, and vehicular bridges. The Civil Engineering and Development Department completed the related works in 2013.
To meet the transportation needs of Pak Shek Kok residents, operators have enhanced franchised bus and green minibus services. In fact, since the first residential project in the area, Providence Bay, was completed in 2013, franchise bus operators introduced two new bus routes to Pak Shek Kok in 2014 and 2015. KMB planned to operate Route 271B under the "2016-2017 Bus Route Planning Programme" to run between Tsim Sha Tsui and Tai Po (Fu Heng), passing through Pak Shek Kok to further strengthen public transportation services there; after consulting the District Council, KMB officially launched the new route on 27 February 2017.
In terms of green minibuses, Route 27A was extended to serve Pak Shek Kok in 2014 and also enhanced the frequency of service in August 2015. Special services passing through MTR University Station were added during morning and afternoon peak periods starting from January 2016.
In response to the increasing number of workers at Science Park and residents in Pak Shek Kok, the Transport Department implemented the introduction of Route 263A in 2018, enhanced the frequency of routes 272A and 272S, and enhanced services on the green minibus routes 27A and 27B.
Bus stops[]
The following bus stops, bus termini, and public transport interchanges are located in the area:
Tai Po District[]
- Bus Termini:
- Pak Shek Kok (Fo Shing Road) Public Transport Interchange: Located on Fo Shing Road, it is a public transport interchange adjacent to Phase II of Providence Bay.
- Pok Yin Road: Located opposite Block 6 of Silicon Hill on Pok Yin Road, it is a roadside bus terminus.
- Bus Intermediate Stops (from north to south):
- Pak Shek Kok Substation: Located outside Pak Shek Kok Substation at No. 101 Chong San Road, opposite Block 16 of Phase I of Providence Bay, it is a northbound and southbound intermediate stop.
- Providence Bay (Chong San Road): Located on Chong San Road near The Graces, outside Pak Shek Kok (Fo Shing Road) Public Transport Interchange, it is a southbound intermediate stop.
- Pak Shek Kok (Chong San Road): Located on Chong San Road opposite The Graces and Pak Shek Kok (Fo Shing Road) Public Transport Interchange, it is a northbound bus intermediate stop.
- St Martin: Located on Chong San Road near the bridge to Pok Yin Road and the intersection with Fo Shing Road, it is a pair of intermediate stops on the northbound and southbound lanes.
- Chong San Road (Chong San Road): Located opposite Solaria on Chong San Road, it is a southbound intermediate stop.
- Mayfair by the Sea (Fo Chun Road)
- Fo Yin Road: Located opposite Phase III of the Hong Kong Science Park on Chong San Road, it is a pair of cross-district roadside bus intermediate stops.
- Non-Franchised bus termini:
- Mayfair by the Sea
- Providence Bay
- Area 39: Located within the campus of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
- Decommissioned bus termini:
- Fo Chun Road Public Transport Interchange: Decommissioned.
- Pak Shek Kok (Fo Hing Street) Minibus Terminus: Decommissioned, with Eagle Group constructing a new private housing "The Ontolo" on the former site.
Sha Tin District[]
- Hong Kong Science Park: Located within Phase I of the Hong Kong Science Park, it is a roadside bus terminus.
- Hong Kong Science Park Phase III: Located within Phase III of the Hong Kong Science Park, it is a roadside bus terminus.
- Science Park (Phase I): Located outside the Integrated Circuit Centre on Chong San Road, it is a roadside bus intermediate stop.
- Hong Kong Science Park (Phase III) Public Transport Interchange: Decommissioned.
Related articles[]
- Ma Liu Shui Public Transport Interchange
- Yau King Lane
- Cheung Tai Road
Notes and References[]
- ↑ 白石角地收450反對 (Pak Shek Kok Land faces 450 opposition), Apple Daily, 7 June 2014
- ↑ LCQ7: Re-zoning of a site near the Hong Kong Science Park to residential use, 11 June 2014
- ↑ 白石角壓軸地皮 信置16億中標 每呎3,932元 較低位反彈兩成 (Pak Shek Kok Final Plot: Sun Hung Kai Wins HK$1.62 Billion Bid at HK$3,932 Per Square Foot, 20% Rebound from Low), Apple Daily, 14 July 2016
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