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MR. LO TAK-SHING, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS ABATTOIRS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English): —
In the absence of the Chairman of the Markets & Abattoirs Select Committee, Mr. ROGER LOBO, I shall endeavour to answer Mrs. ELLIOTT's question to the best of my ability. The project referred to by Mrs. ELLIOTT is planned as a Government multi-user complex on a site of 38,000 sq. ft. bounded by Pei Ho, Ki Lung, Kweilin and Tai Nan Streets in Sham Shui Po.
The site is at present shared by the existing Sham Shui Po Market and three privately-owned pondfish laans which occupy the Kweilin Street frontage on Crown Land permit. The whole site has been reserved for many years for the reprovisioning of this 57 year-old market, and an item was included in the Public Works Programme for this purpose back in 1959. However, because no alternative accommodation was available for the three pondfish laans, no progress could be made with the re-provisioning of the market.
In 1972, in accordance with Government policy of developing market sites on a multi-purpose basis to secure maximum utilisation of valuable land, the site was redesignated for development as a Government complex comprising marketing facilities on the lower floors, and multi-storey car parking and other community facilities on the upper floors. It is proposed that one of these other community facilities should be an Urban Council district library.
The present position is that the three pondfish laans still occupy part of the site, and the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries has indicated that it will not be possible to reprovision them until the new Cheung Sha Wan Wholesale Market is completed at the beginning of 1978. This means that the Government complex is unlikely to be completed before 1979 or 1980.
MRS. E. ELLIOTT (in English): -Mr. Chairman, I am very disappointed in the answer. May I ask if Mr. T. S. Lo can clarify? He said "privately owned." To whom do they belong? Do they belong to many people or only one person? And also, how much space do they occupy? He said the market is 38,000 square feet, but he did not say how much of that is occupied by the laan.
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MR. LO TAK-SHING (in English):-I am afraid I have no information on the number of people concerned in each of the privately owned laans. I do know there are three privately owned laans, but as regards the areas occupied by them, the position appears to be this (indicated on outline plan). I think what Mrs. ELLIOTT has in mind is perhaps leave them alone and build your complex in the balance of the area if the area the laan are occupying is small. However, I am advised that really the complex is such that it cannot be built without moving the laans. All of the space of 38,000 square feet would have to be used in the proposed complex. On the plan supplied to me, you see that the laans, I think, occupy the area coloured blue which seems to be about one-seventh of the whole area.
MRS. E. ELLIOTT (in English):-I must clarify I was not being as generous as Mr. Lo suggested in wanting to keep them there while we develop the market. I was wondering why three pond-fish laans on a Crown land permit have to hold up a whole market and library and other projects. It seems to me unreasonable. May I ask, Mr. Chairman, if this matter can be put before, I do not know who is the best person, the Colonial Secretariat or the Agriculture and Fisheries Department, to tell them that we are not satisfied because the market and library are priority needs in Sham Shui Po, and we must get ahead with them before 1980.
MR. LO TAK-SHING (in English):-I am sure when Mr. LOBO gets back, he would expedite the application to Crown lands and advise them on Mrs. ELLIOTT's suggestion of the use of land in this area.
RESUMPTION OF ANNUAL CONVENTIONAL DEBATE
CHAIRMAN (in English):-As mover of the motion, I would now exercise my right of reply under Standing Order 20, Section 17.
"That this Council endorse the Statement of Aims for 1974.”
He said (in English):-A month ago when we started considering the motion on the Statement of Aims for 1974-75 I invited you by convention to speak out on the problems of the day so that your views on public affairs might be heard. At the same time, I suggested that perhaps the opportunity might be taken to report on the progress made by the select committees in rendering better service to the community within their respective spheres of activity. Certainly, the speeches then made, while properly concentrating on Council affairs, nevertheless dealt with some of the most critical problems now being faced.
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