2600224
C.S. 84
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- 5-
XCR(71)237
Education
17
Schools fall into four main categories, i. e. Nursery, Kindergarten, Frimary and Secondary. The first three are provided in current estates, though nursery schools are usually located in Welfare buildings. Sites for all four types of school have been provided in this estate; there might indeed be a case in terms of numbers of children for providing two Secondary Schools side by side by using two Estate School buildings with a communal hall and enlarged communal laboratory block. This would lower capital costs and could well lead to more efficient use of the building; it would also use less land than two schools with separate halls and laboratories. However, the decision on this would depend on the availability of sponsors ready to take on a school of this large size. If the secondary school buildings were put up as part of the estate it would help to ensure that proper education facilities were available from the outset instead of lagging behind as in most other housing areas. This possibility needs examination in greater detail.
Recreation
18
When considering land within estate boundaries it is realistic to say that a variable amount of open space should be provided depending on the location and topography of the estate, rather than on a fixed formula of space per head of the population. Although the proposed scheme provides recreation space, including the large roof-deck of the Commercial Centre, at a ratio of 20 acres per 100,000, the space pro- vided within the Commercial/Residential central core of the estate totals only 12 acres per 100,000. This low provision is acceptable in this parti- cular part of the scheme since any more generous provision would tend to disperse the commercial activities to an unacceptable degree.
19
Apart from the obvious benefits of providing space for people to exercise and children to play, much of the benefit of open-space development lies in its planting and decoration to humanise the scale of development. It is recommended that the development of available open space should be planned on an overall, basis and executed as an integral part of this estate.
20
A site has been reserved in the estate for a mini-soccer pitch or swimming pool; however, it may prove more practical to build the pool in the expanse of District Open Space south of the estate.
Welfare and Community Work
21
Welfare and community buildings are normally provided in Resettlement Estates of more than 50,000 people, but examination is currently being given to proposals that they should be provided on a reduced scale in smaller estates, and also in Government Low Cost Housing Estates, which in any case normally have a population of less than 50,000. Provision has accordingly been made in this estate for welfare and community facilities centre around a Community Hall on the north-western side of the main commercial deck. Under the Community Hall, rooms could be provided
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