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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
On the long term accommodation, in 1978, the Council had decided to site the permanent Museum of History at Chatham Road East, next to the Museum of Science & Technology. This proposal has been accepted in principle by the Government and the site has been reserved. The project is in Category B of the Public Works Programme.
MR. YOUNG (in English):—Mr. Chairman, will the fact that some tenants in Star House are being asked by the current landlord to buy their premises which they occupy affect the position of the Council in one way or the other?
MRS. HO (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I haven't got definite information but I understand that the premises offered for sale are on the higher floors. It doesn't affect the premises occupied by the Council.
8. MR. PETER P. F. CHAN asked the following question (in Cantonese):— Markets were and are being built by the Council for retail marketing. It is observed that many market stalls are being used as storage space, contrary to Council's intentions. Can we recover these stalls or otherwise charge them at commercial rentals?
MR. SHUM CHOI-SANG, CHAIRMAN of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee, replied as follows (in Cantonese):—This question concerns the use of market stalls for storage. There are a number of reasons why some market stalls are used for storage. Usually such stalls have become non-viable for retail business and the stall holders have found alternative uses. Stalls become non-viable for one or more of the following reasons:—
poor location of the market;
lack of business as a result of shift of population;
competition from other retail outlets in the vicinity of the market; and the inconvenient location of the stalls within an old market, for example,
on upper floors.
The Council is taking various steps to improve the viability of affected markets, such as reprovisioning and modernizing existing markets, by constructing new markets with improved modern facilities and by improving access to upper floors through the installation of escalators. At the same time, General Duties Teams continue to take action to control hawking in the vicinity of markets to minimize unfair competition to market stall holders.
Technically, market stalls which are used for storage can be recovered under the terms of their tenancy agreement. However, the Council sees no advantage in recovering such stalls. The Council hopes that action to improve the viability of markets and stalls will eventually mean that these stalls will become retail outlets again.
The rentals of market stalls, including those used for storage, are subject to periodic review. Such reviews are based on trends in rental values assessed by
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
the Rating and Valuation Department. This system of reviews has proved acceptable to all parties in the past and there seem to be no grounds for making any change in the future.
MOTION
1. MR. SHUM CHOI-SANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE Markets and Street Traders Select Committee, moved the following motion:—
'RESOLVED that—
(a) a Declaration be made under section 79(1) of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, Cap. 132 to amend further the Declaration of Markets in Urban Areas first published in the Gazette as Government Notice Number 1620 of 1960; and
(b) the Public Health and Urban Services (Public Markets) (Designation and Amendment of Tenth Schedule) (No. 3) Order 1981 be made under section 79 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, Cap. 132.'
He said (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I rise to move the motion standing in my
—THAT—
(a) a Declaration be made under section 79(1) of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, Cap. 132 to amend further the Declaration of Markets in Urban Areas first published in the Gazette as Government Notice Number 1620 of 1960; and
(b) the Public Health and Urban Services (Public Markets) (Designation and Amendment of Tenth Schedule) (No. 3) Order 1981 be made under section 79 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance Cap. 132.'
The purpose of this Declaration is to amend the declaration of markets in the urban areas to include the newly built Hammer Hill Road Temporary Market and to delete the Fook Lai Road Market which has been demolished.
The purpose of the Order is to designate the Hammer Hill Road Temporary Market as a public market and to include it in the Tenth Schedule to the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance at the same time deleting the Fook Lai Road Market.
I beg to move.
MR. AUGUSTINE S. K. CHUNG, Vice-Chairman of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee seconded (in English):—Mr. Chairman, may I second the motion.
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