HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I congratulate the Commissioner for a very succinct reply which is, at the same time, a very evasive one.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I don't know whether I should accept that as a compliment.
(Laughter).
(9) In the absence of MR. HENRY H. L. Hu, MR. PETER P. F. CHAN asked the following question:-
Could consideration be given to changing the lawns in the Statue Square Gardens to flower-beds so as to make the Square more attractive?
MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
This question deals with turning the lawns at the Statue Square Garden into flower-beds in order to make the Square more attractive.
Statue Square has a total area of 100,188 sq. ft., broken up into: -
lawn 17,118 sq. ft. (17.09%)
flower-beds 2,543 sq. ft. (2.54%)
pools 11,479 sq. ft. (11.45%)
paved area (including seating shelters) 69,048 sq. ft. (68.92%)
There are trees and shrubs planted in the turfed areas and 40 large pots containing flowers, all not included in the 2,543 sq. ft. of flower beds.
This lay-out was approved by the Council when the gift of the Square was made by the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and appears to be well regarded by the public.
We plan to replant the less successful flowers, and replace some of the foliage plants in the concrete pots with seasonal flowers, but I would not wish to suggest any major changes.
MR. P. F. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, may I thank Mr. SALES for his reply. I certainly will transmit his statement to Henry Hu.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
(10) In the absence of MR. B. A. BERNACCHI, MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:
Can gaps be made in the hawker stalls on Fa Yuen Street so as to provide reasonable access for the public to the shops behind the hawker stalls?
MR. R. H. LOBO, CHAIRMAN OF THE HAWKER MANAGEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
This question concerns hawker stalls in Fa Yuen Street. The answer to this question is yes. This has already been carried out. Following representations from shopkeepers in Fa Yuen Street, action was taken to improve the access to premises in that street. This was done by readjustment of hawker stalls and through cancellation of unused stall sites.
(11) In the absence of MR. B. A. BERNACCHI, MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:-
I have received a complaint about the arrangement of hawker sites outside the playground in Sai Yee Street, are they official or unofficial, temporary or permanent and if permanent could the sites be altered so as to make access to the playground unrestricted?
MR. R. H. LOBO, CHAIRMAN OF THE HAWKER MANAGEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
This question concerns hawker sites in Sai Yee Street. 220 temporary sites were demarcated in Sai Yee Street in front of MacPherson Playground to allow hawkers who traded in Sai Yeung Choi Street to use these sites to dispose of their stocks before and during the Lunar New Year holidays. The area was selected by the hawkers and was agreed with various departments. The sites were made available to the hawkers from 24th January to 12th February inclusive (Yan Yat). The sites were demarcated in such a way as to provide unrestricted access to both entrances to the Playground.
As a matter of interest, the hawkers did not make use of these temporary sites at all and permission for the use of these sites lapsed on 13th February when the staff removed barriers surrounding the site.
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