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that such a proposal is technically feasible. As for the extent of the study of planning is still under consideration. As far as I know, the USD, the Land Development Corporation and other government departments have been deliberating and exchanging opinions on the issue for the past months. Although there are some objections on the part of residents in the district for such proposal, I think the details of such objections could be conveyed to the relevant Select Committee. But as far as the answer is concerned, we will have to wait until the Department regards the future management and use of the building. I believe the Land Development Corporation will liaise with the Urban Council as well as the Select Committee.
8. MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU asked the following question (in English): I believe that Council would like to retain the old Western Market building and use it for Urban Council purposes and I understand that the Antiquities Advisory Board is also anxious to retain this building. Please could I be informed when action lies in this matter?
MR. PAO PING-WING, CHAIRMAN OF THE CAPITAL WORKS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):--Mr. LAU asks where action lies with the retention of the old Western Market building as Urban Council would like to retain it for Urban Council purposes while the Antiquities Advisory Board is also anxious to retain the building.
The existing Western Market (North Block) is expected to be vacated in August this year when the stall lessees are decanted to Sheung Wan Complex. In accordance with normal practice, the building will be returned to Government. However, Urban Council has indicated an interest in retaining the building and to preserve a UC link. At the same time, the Antiquities Advisory Board had expressed their wish to have the building preserved and declared as a monument under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap. 53).
The latest development is that the Land Development Corporation has offered to renovate and convert the Western Market building as a socially desirable project. Government has agreed to the proposal in principle subject to the submission of a conceptual plan showing how LDC proposes to renovate, use and manage the building. The Department has sought confirmation from LDC that Urban Council's wish to continue to be associated with the building in some way will be taken into account when the conceptual plan is prepared and the LDC have confirmed that they will take this into consideration.
I understand that the CUC has been invited by the Land Development Corporation to be one of the judges for an architectural competition which I believe is meant to provide an interior design for the Market building. Council will be provided with more details when they are available.
MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, the Market will be vacated in August and there are only three months to go. I want to know before any decision on the conceptual plan is taken, has the Department been invited to participate in the study? Are there any plans for the future use and management of the Market?
MR. PAO PING-WING (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I will check with the USD on this matter.
MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU (in Cantonese):- Mr. Chairman, as there are only three months to go, I would like to ask the Chairman of the Capital Works Select Committee whether a definite timetable can be given to us?
MR. PAO PING-WING (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, as I mentioned before, according to normal practice, when we vacate the Market, we have to return it to the Government. In other words, it is not within the entire control of the Urban Council. We are not able to make any decision unilaterally. I can assure Mr. LAU that the Select Committee is aware that time is running short and we will monitor the development of the issue more closely.
MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I have a question to ask. Will the Council be responsible for managing the Western Market (North Block) in future? Since the Antiquities Advisory Board has intention to declare it as a monument, why should we not hand it back to the Central Government and let the Antiquities Advisory Board manage it? If we were to retain the building as a monument, will it be a financial burden? In future, if the Council is really responsible for the management of the building, what will be the future usage, what facilities will be installed and what sorts of activities will be organized there? Will this be a financial burden to the Urban Council?
MR. PAO PING-WING (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, regarding financial burden, actually the Select Committee has the same worry. So through the USD, we are liaising with the Land Development Corporation to try to know their conceptual plan. Up to now, we have not been able to know the decision yet. But according to my understanding, the maintenance and management costs will be the responsibility of the Land Development Corporation if the Central Government agrees to the development project. That explains why we have to take such approach. On the other hand, since the Antiquities Advisory Board considers that it is a very important building, the Land Development Corporation will keep it in the form of a monument for the development plan. Mr. Chairman, since there will be many specific issues to be discussed in the coming two months, I cannot give any definite answer now. But the above reply will help Members to understand the issue.
MR. CHAN TAK-CHOR (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I know that the Central and Western District Board was consulted on the future of the Western Market in
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