HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.
CHAIRMAN:-Ladies and gentlemen, the meeting is called to order.
MINUTES.
The Minutes of the meeting held on 3rd February, 1970, were confirmed.
PAPERS.
THE CHAIRMAN laid upon the table the following papers:
(1) Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of February, 1970.
(2) Analysis of Staff Increases 1970-71-Urban Services Department.
(3) Analysis of Other Charges 1970-71-Urban Services Department.
(4) Analysis of Draft Estimates 1970-71-Resettlement Department.
QUESTIONS.
(1) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:
In view of the serious shortage of playgrounds and children's play centres in some of the older districts such as the Western District and also in many resettlement estates, can the Chairman advise how many multi-storey buildings which can provide space for a variety of purposes such as play-rooms for children of varying ages, an indoor gymnasium, covered recreation space, etc. will be built during 1970; where will such buildings be located?
MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
This question refers to the provision of multi-storey recreational buildings in 1970.
No buildings of the type referred to will be constructed during 1970 but a single-storey multi-purpose games hall is to be constructed at Kai Tak East playground. The design for this hall has been approved by the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee, the Public Works Department is now preparing the working drawings and the provisional date for the completion of the project is the end of 1970. The design for the hall and its relationship to the playground is shown in the two drawings which I now table.
(Mr. Kenneth T. C. LO arrived at this point).
Although this first hall has not yet been built the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee has already decided that sites should be sought for similar halls in each of its 14 planning zones and the department is now investigating possible sites for consideration by the Committee.
(Messrs. Raymond KAN and Henry HU arrived at this point).
At its meeting in June 1969 the Committee also considered the possibility of constructing multi-storey recreation buildings which could be used for a number of purposes. At that time it decided that the proposal should be studied further, bearing in mind that any such buildings would have to be constructed as items in the Public Works Programme and the need to gain experience with the pilot games hall project at Kai Tak East playground. This decision to concentrate first on the Kai Tak East type games hall was confirmed at the meeting of the Committee in August 1969.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, is the Committee seeking information on multi-storey recreation buildings which have already been built in other countries?
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, Mr. Cheong-Leen has kindly brought to the attention of the Select Committee a project of this nature in Japan. It is among other projects which the Committee has seen, and also the Committee must take into account the experience we have had with roof-top playgrounds and playgrounds at various levels in multi-storey estates. When all this information has been collected and assessed, then a decision will be taken on multi-storey recreation buildings.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: ---Thank you.
(2) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
How many persons are in the Translation and Interpretation Section of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department? Is this personnel considered adequate for the
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