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# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
No mean achievement, and I believe that this Council should be proud of its close association and influence on the housing programme of providing decent accommodation at a reasonable rent for all in need.
Finally, and as I mentioned at the presentation of the motion approving the 1977-78 programme last month, we can look ahead with confidence on our financial ability to underwrite our schemes and projects. Let us ensure we plan well, with intelligence and foresight, so that the younger generation of rate payers will be satisfied with the disposition of our financial resources.
I also hope that we will be in our new Council Chambers by our next Debate. I have pleasure in seconding the motion before Council.
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):- Mr. Chairman, in rising to support the motion before the Council, I will comment first of all on matters concerning recreation and amenities.
Swimming is one of the most popular forms of active recreation, but as the weather is warm enough for outdoor swimming for less than half the year, it is inevitable that during the summer months, there is tremendous pressure on the beaches as well as swimming pools. There are no more beaches easily accessible to the main centres of urban population which are capable of development. Accordingly, the emphasis must increasingly be on the building of swimming pools.
Our existing policy is to build one swimming pool complex for each district of approximately 250,000 people. At present, there are within the urban area seven different pool complexes with a total of 38 pools. Needless to say, these are heavily used. Within the last swimming season, that is, from 1st April to 31st October, no fewer than 2.8 million people used these pools, but despite these impressive figures, there are still some districts which lack such facilities. The Sham Shui Po District, for instance, does not have any Urban Council swimming pool. It is, therefore, particularly gratifying to note that the military land in this district is being given up and a certain proportion of these will be allocated to the Urban Council for development. The exact location is not yet certain, but we will at least be able to build one swimming pool complex in this district which at present sadly lacks recreational facilities.
But just because it is our present policy to provide one swimming complex for every district of 250,000 people, we must not assume that this figure, which may have been sufficient in the past, will continue to be sufficient in the future. There is no doubt that more and more people will take up swimming and additional facilities may have to be provided even where there is already an existing pool complex. If a suitable site becomes available, it should be developed so that people in a neighbouring district without such facilities may take advantage of it. This may be the only way to achieve our aim.
Football is certainly the most popular sport in Hong Kong, and it is up to us to provide facilities for those who want to play. Here we are in something of a dilemma. Grass pitches are the best, but they cannot stand intensive use. Hard surface pitches, such as concrete or asphalt, are relatively cheap and long-lasting, but they are very rough on the players. Artificial turf is softer and can take intensive use, but is very expensive.
Last summer, one artificial turf football pitch was laid at Morse Park at a cost of over $1,000,000.00. This is by way of an experiment, and we have to await reports from players as to how they like it and also as to its durability. If the experiment proves a success, perhaps a limited number of similar pitches could be provided. There is no easy solution to this problem. We will probably have to continue using a variety of surfaces.
The indoor games hall programme is making good progress. In addition to the first one at Kai Tak East, three more have been completed. The Recreation and Amenities Committees have recently approved a design for an improved and enlarged games hall, and this has now been dignified by being designated the Mark III Games Hall. At a relatively small increase in cost, a larger playing area and other facilities can be provided. Two more games halls will be built, one on the Wan Chai Reclamation as part of the recreation centre and another one at Aberdeen. This programme has taken many years to get off the ground, so the present progress is particularly gratifying.
However, in the view of recreation and amenities, all has not been smooth progress in the past year. There have been frustrations and difficulties as well. Take, for instance, Kowloon Park. By the middle of the year, plans for its development had reached an advanced stage. Work on Phase I was due to commence in June 1976, and the whole scheme was expected to be completed by the end of 1977. Then a new Draft Tsim Sha Tsui Outline Zoning Plan was published. On this plan, a strip fronting Nathan Road was zoned for "Public Open Space with Shops below".
As members are aware, the Urban Council has formally given notice of objection to this proposal. If our objections are disregarded
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