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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE (in English):—Mr. Chairman, this Council was assured in January that these simple structures, which are urgently required by the public on the beaches, would be available during the present swimming season. I think this answer today was most unsatisfactory. May I ask that the attention of the Director of Public Works be brought to the urgent need for these facilities? Could I suggest that if construction started now, they could be ready in June or July, thus available to the public during the main swimming season?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):----I fear there is little prospect of starting these buildings now, but the beach building will start in May—not all that long from now. I am afraid that that is the best I can say at this point.
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE (in English):--Mr. Chairman, I do not share this optimistic illusion. This is a very simple structure which could be started in a fortnight if we wanted to get on with it. May I suggest, repeat my request, that the P.W.D. be asked to expedite, as they have suggested in the last sentence, these structures so that the record number of people using the beaches this year will have the simple facilities available.
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):-I stated in the last sentence of my answer that the Public Works Department will make every effort to expedite the construction of these changing rooms. I think it would serve little purpose in asking them to start the buildings within now or within the next couple of weeks, or something like that.
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE (in English):-I think I may ask them myself.
(8) MR. JOHN MACKENZIE asked the following question (in English):
It is reported that negotiations are proceeding for the release of 26 acres of land presently occupied by the Army at Lai Chi Kok Road, and another 21 acres at the Chatham Road and Argyle Street camps. Has any bid been made by the Council, or the USD to obtain any part of these areas for recreation, cleansing or other Council requirements? If not, will such a bid now be made?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-
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The 46 acres of land occupied by the Army at Lai Chi Kok Road are designated in the approved outline zoning plan for Cheung Sha Wan as being "for other specified use", with the annotation that the area will be used as an Army Camp and for Government, Institution and Community purposes. Detailed planning of the site has not yet begun and no formal bid has been made to obtain part of the area for Urban Council use. However, the Town Planning Office has confirmed that the zoning would permit the provision of local open space and other Urban Council facilities.
Most of the Army land at Chatham Road will be used as public open space. It forms part of the 11½ acres of open space in the layout plan for the area to the east of Chatham Road known as "New Tsim Sha Tsui East", in which the predominant forms of development will be apartments, hotels, offices and shops with associated community facilities. It is expected that the Chatham Road Camp will be vacated in 1976 and planning of the open space, which will be a combination of active and passive facilities, will be carried out within that timetable. A bid for the Argyle Street camp site as public open space was made as long ago as November 1971, but the Urban Services Department has been informed by the Director of Lands and Survey that part of the site is required for extension of the adjoining Kowloon Hospital and that the remainder is likely to be used for educational and other Government and community purposes.
I should like to take this opportunity to announce that another 130 acres of military land at Lyemun Barracks, between Shau Kei Wan and Chai Wan, is also to be surrendered, and that the views of the Urban Council have been sought on the possibility of developing the entire area as a public park.
(9) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question (in English):
(a) What exactly are the problems delaying the market-cum-library project in Sham Shui Po?
(b) What action has been taken and what action will be taken to solve the problems?
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