Views welcome: Secretary for Development Carrie Lam says academic groups will collect comments from the public, experts, professional bodies and universities on the project.

Hong Kong and Shenzhen Governments will set up three working groups to follow up on the development of Lok Ma Chau Loop and the planning of the Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai control point.

They are Working Group on Mode of Development of the loop, Working Group on Environment, Planning and Works of the loop, and Working Group on Preliminary Planning of Control Point at Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai.

Speaking after the HK-Shenzhen Joint Task Force on Boundary District Development Meeting in Shenzhen this morning, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam said other relevant working groups will be set up at appropriate time according to the work progress.

All the working groups will regularly report the progress on the studies to the joint task force.

Joint study

Mrs Lam said a joint study on the development of Lok Ma Chau Loop will start this year.

Consultants will be appointed to study the project's feasibility and possible use of the concerned land. The costs will be shared by the two jurisdictions.

The two Governments will also appoint academic organisations to collect views of the public, experts, and professional bodies and universities on the project. The two Governments will consider their views when formulating the development plan.

New control point

On the proposed Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai control point, Mrs Lam said the facility will link to the boundary-crossing corridors in eastern Shenzhen and Guangdong.

The move will enhance the connections between Hong Kong, Shenzhen, eastern Guangdong and nearby provinces, promoting regional co-operation and economic development.

The Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Preliminary Planning Study for Construction of Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai Control Point recommended to separately locating the respective control point facilities on their own territory.

Both sides initially intended to adopt this recommendation as a direction of further study, and will do their best to make the boundary-crossing facilities as convenient as possible.