An additional private residential plot will be added to a land parcel in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis to attract developers to invest in the economic hub near the border with mainland China, the city’s development chief has said.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said on Sunday that under a new set of laws tailored for the megaproject, construction hours might be extended to speed up work.

Linn said in a televised interview that an area spanning more than 10 hectares (25 acres) in the Hung Shui Kiu new development area would be adjusted to increase the number of private residential plots.

Authorities proposed the change after the bureau received more than 20 expressions of interest in their new “large-scale land disposal approach,” where three large land parcels were selected and granted to successful bidders for collective development.

“At first, this area only had two residential plots, but now we are adding one more, as residential plots could be built and sold faster, providing a higher return for developers,” Linn said.

“The area was originally intended for fire and ambulance facilities, but we can allocate land for these elsewhere.”