Page 103 of 382
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN: ----Sir, strictly speaking, your supplementary question is out of order. (Laughter). However, you know my weaknesses and failings in this respect. I believe that there is a Member in the Council, who, in his personal capacity, is a member of the Advisory Committee on Public Transport, and if he thinks fit to enlighten you, I certainly would not intervene.
MR. FUNG: So far the matter has not been referred to that Committee.
DR. Woo: Mr. Chairman, can you inquire from Government why this Advisory Committee has not been consulted?
CHAIRMAN: -No, Sir. (Laughter).
(22) MR. K. S. Lo asked the following question:
The number of people using the Deep Water Bay Beach over the weekends has increased so rapidly this summer that the parking facilities along the road are now hopelessly inadequate. Has Government any intention of providing more car parks in the vicinity of this beach? If so, when will work get started?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
There are no plans for extending the parking areas at Deep Water Bay, which incidentally provide space for 136 cars. I have asked the Public Works Department to let me know whether it would be possible to make additional land available for this purpose, if necessary by reclamation, and I shall then refer the matter to the Urban Amenities Select Committee.
MR. Lo: Mr. Chairman, is it not a fact that a car park for the Big Wave Bay Beach has quite recently been extended?
MR. SALES: I remember a paper was circulated to the Select Committee to this effect.
CHAIRMAN: -I am not sure, Sir, whether it has actually been extended. I think the intention is to extend it.
MR. LO: Is it not a fact also that Deep Water Bay is by far more popular than Big Wave Bay and could not the same consideration be given to Deep Water Bay for parking facilities?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: -I would certainly look into this. I think that it is not easy. In 1962 we got out a scheme for increasing
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
185
the parking at Deep Water Bay and it involved reclamation which meant a lot of money. At that time the parking at Deep Water Bay was not fully used and so the scheme was shelved but we will certainly look into that again. Apart from reclamation I can think of no easy way of getting additional car parking at Deep Water Bay.
MR. LO: -May I make a suggestion to the Director of Public Works through you, Mr. Chairman, that over the east end of the beach the hill can be easily cut into and filled over a portion of the end of the golf course which is not being used. That can easily widen the car park there up to anything, say another 100 cars.
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: -I am very grateful, Mr. Chairman, for that suggestion. I never have time myself to go to Deep Water Bay except on occasional visits, but if Mr. Lo would let me have a little sketch, I will certainly have it looked into. I cannot visualize the area he is talking about at the moment.
MR. LO: -I shall be very happy to co-operate.
MR. A. de O. SALES: -Sir, will you please let us know whether the 136 places available for cars are all open for use by members of the public or are they reserved for car parking lots?
CHAIRMAN: -I presume, Sir, that 136 refers to spaces available to the public.
MR. Lo: -Mr. Chairman, does that include that portion that has now been fenced off specially for the members of the Deep Water Bay Golf Club?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: - The answer is No. Sir, I am not a member of the Deep Water Bay Golf Club, but they've had that land on permit for a long time. It was a car park for the members long before there was any demand for car parking at Deep Water Bay, and the area we are talking about, the 136 cars, is the strip along the waterfront plus the strip on the landward side which has been described as near Mr. ALVARES' house. I don't know whether it's east or west.
MR. MARDEN: -East.
MR. FORSGATE: ---Mr. Chairman, on a point of clarification, would it not be true to say that members of the Royal Hong Kong Golf Club are also members of the public?
MR. SALES: Sir, may I suggest that, while more spaces are being built and set aside by Government, consideration be given by the Police to exercising better control of parking along the roads which are not very much used? That seems to me to be the intelligent approach for solving the problem as an emergency measure.
184
Page 103 of 382