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of soil or technical reasons, it should take three years to develop this particular site from this time or even from the time several months. You might say four years before this site will be possessed,
hence?
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, the preparation of the site at Wong Nei Chung is not the responsibility of the Urban Council. If the Director of Public Works wishes to answer that question, it is up to him.
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: The preparation of the site is not for the Public Works Department either.
CHAIRMAN: But, it has to be prepared after subsidence, and also there are many buildings to be put up. I don't know that it is unnecessarily long. Also I don't know that all Members of the Council would share your concern, Mr. MACKENZIE.
MR. MACKENZIE: Could I also ask the meaning of the term "subject to the Club's acceptance".
CHAIRMAN: I must rule that one out of order. It has nothing whatever to do with us.
MR. T. S. Lo: Mr. Chairman, the first sentence says that the site should be developed along lines similar to that of Statue Square, whilst the second sentence seems to imply that the club will be developed in some way with facilities for public lecture and meeting rooms. Will some clarification be made in that regard please?
MR. SALES: Certainly, Mr. Chairman. There are two parcels of land there: one an open space, and the other the existing Club house. And plans for the open space have been considered. Preliminary proposals for the existing club house have also been considered. These proposals, however, have been referred back to the department so that there are really two separate projects in the existing Cricket Club transfer.
MR. BERNACCHI: First of all, is it considered that the public should have access to the raised grass areas?
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, in the same way that it was not considered that the public would have access to the raised grass areas of Statue Square, nevertheless, they do have access to those areas. I see that being done myself from my own office window overlooking Statue Square.
MR. BERNACCHI: In that event has the Select Committee considered a development similar to the development of Victoria Park?
MR. SALES:
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Victoria Park is over 50 acres.
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The Cricket Club is much smaller and does not lend itself to the total development for active recreation which is the case at Victoria Park. It is not intended that the Cricket Club should be for active recreation.
MR. BERNACCHI: Mr. Chairman, taking Mr. SALES' answer that the Cricket Club ground is not intended for active recreation, has a development been considered similar, for instance, to the London Parks, I mean squares?
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, the Select Committee over the years has gone into this matter from time to time, and various views have been reconciled, not only among members of the Select Committee, but public expressions of opinion have been taken into account. Five sketches were submitted and rejected and now the Public Works Department has been given the assignment of submitting some more sketches along the lines of principle agreed by the Select Committee.
MR. T. S. Lo: Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Chairman of the Select Committee when it was decided that the Club Pavilion would be converted into a restaurant with facilities for public lecturing. If he likes he can send me the relevant information.
MR. SALES: No, not so. The Select Committee has not reached a final decision as I said further down the line in the paragraph. The proposal for the retention of the pavilion has been considered by the Department and by the Select Committee, and the Select Committee wishes to have an open mind on this matter and has referred it back to the department for the department to prove that the present pavilion can be put to useful purpose but, if it cannot do so, then alternative schemes would be considered. This is how the position rests at the moment.
MR. P. K. NG: Concerning this point, has the Committee also considered demolishing the pavilion?
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, the proposal has been made to the Select Committee, but it has evidently not found favour. It would be done in the last resort, and it might be done eventually when this building is proving no longer useful for the public purposes which the department has in view.
MR. NG: Mr. Chairman, is it true that
CHAIRMAN: Are you asking a supplementary question? Plans are being produced for the Select Committee's inspection. I must ask that we pass to the next question.
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