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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1975.
A DECENT HOME FOR EVERYONE, SAYS ACTING GOVERNOR
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THE STANDARD OF PUBLIC HOUSING WILL CONTINUE TO BE IMPROVED TO THE LIMITS OF GOVERNMENT'S RESOURCES, THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DENYS ROBERTS, SAID TODAY.
HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE 01 MAN COMMERCIAL COMPLEX THIS AFTERNOON.
SIR DENYS ASSURED THE PUBLIC THAT THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISED THE IMPORTANCE OF A DECENT LIVING PLACE TO THE AVERAGE MAN AND WOULD PURSUE WITH +DETERMINATION AND ENTHUSIASM+ TO PROVIDE EVERYONE WITH DIGNIFIED DOMESTIC ACCOMMODATION.
O! MAN ESTATE, SITUATED AT HO MAN TIN IN KOWLOON, IS NOW FULLY OCCUPIED AND HAS A POPULATION OF ABOUT 42,000.
THE ACTING GOVERNOR NOTED THAT THE OI MAN ESTATE WAS IN MANY WAYS DIFFERENT FROM THE EARLIEST FORMS OF PUBLIC HOUSING. THE ESTATE, HE SAID, PROVIDED A STANDARD OF COMFORT AND SPACIOUSNESS FAR BEYOND THAT OF THE SIMPLE BLOCKS OF 15 YEARS
AGO.
+EACH OF ITS 6,000 OR SO FLATS IS SELF-CONTAINED, WITH A LIVING/DINING ROOM, A KITCHEN, A TOILET AND A PRIVATE BALCONY. THE TOTAL FLOOR AREA OF FLATS RANGE FROM OVER 350 SQUARE FEET TO ALMOST 600 SQUARE FEET, AT RENTS FAR BELOW WHAT WOULD BE CHARGED IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR FOR SIMILAR ACCOMMODATION,+ HE SAID.
SIR DENYS SAID THAT PLANNERS OF MODERN ESTATES DID NOT MERELY SEEK TO CONSTRUCT LIVING QUARTERS IN LARGE QUANTITIES. THEY STROVE TO CREATE A VIGOROUS SOCIAL COMMUNITY, WHICH WOULD IN TIME DEVELOP A LOCAL IDENTITY OF ITS OWN.
THE ARCHITECTS OF 01 MAN HAVE THEREFORE INCLUDED SHOPS. MARKETS, RESTAURANTS, A LIBRARY, WELFARE PREMISES, CHILDREN'S PLAY SPACES, BANKS, COOKED FOOD STALLS, CAR PARKS AND A COMMERCIAL CENTRE.
WITHIN THE AIR-CONDITIONED INTERIOR OF THE COMMERCIAL COMPLEX, THERE ARE 90 SHOPS, THREE BANKS, TWO LARGE RESTAURANTS, A SUPERMARKET, A DEPARTMENT STORE, A CAFÉ AND THE ESTATE OFFICE.
THE CENTRE, SIR DENYS SAID, WOULD NOT ONLY MEET THE NEEDS OF RESIDENTS OF OI MAN, BUT IT WOULD ALSO ACT AS A DISTRICT SHOPPING CENTRE FOR THE HO MAN TIN AREA, AN EXAMPLE OF THE WAY IN WHICH COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COULD SATISFY BOTH LOCAL NEEDS AND WIDER COMMUNITY REQUIREMENTS.
THE ACTING GOVERNOR THEN PAID TRIBUTE TO ALL WHO HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE OI MAN ESTATE INCLUDING THE PREVIOUS HOUSING AUTHORITY WHICH SETTLED ITS BASIC DESIGN IN 1969 THE NEW AUTHORITY AND ITS OFFICERS THE ARCHITECTS AND ENGINE..S OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT THE CONTRACTORS THE PUBLIC WORKS LEPARTMENT AND THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMPANIES.
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