FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1976
PLANNING OF NEW TOWNS WELL ORGANISED
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THE GOVERNMENT IS NOW PARTICULARLY WELL ORGANISED IN ITS APPROACH TO THE PLANNING AND PROVISION OF FACILITIES IN THE NEW TOWNS, THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR NEW TERRITORIES, MR. E.B. WIGGHAM, SAID TODAY.
HE WAS PRESENTING A PAPER ENTITLED +NEW TOWN MANAGEMENT+ AT THE TWO-DAY HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE SYMPOSIUM ON +SOCIAL PLANNING IN A NEW TOWN AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG.
MR. WIGGHAM, WHO IS CHAIRMAN OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES FOR TSUEN WAN, SHA TIN AND TUEN MUN NEW TOWNS, SAID SHA TIN AND TUEN MUN ÎN PARTICULAR WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE LATEST . THINKING IN THE PLANNING AND DESIGN OF HOUSING, SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS AND CULTURAL FACILITIES.
+BUT THESE WILL NOT BEAR FRUIT UNLESS WE ENSURE THAT THE APPROPRIATE COMMUNITY SERVICES ARE PROVIDED IN STEP WITH THE PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT, AND ENSURE ALSO THAT THE COMMUNITY FOR WHOM THESE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ARE AWARE OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR NEW OPPORTUNITIES,+ HE SAID.
+ IT IS IN THE FIELD OF COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEW TOWNS, COUPLED WITH THE PROBLEMS OF IMPORTING A NEW POPULATION AND GRAFTING IT ON TO AN EXISTING RURAL SOCIETY, THAT WE ARE NOW BEGINNING TO BUILD UP EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE THAT WILL ENABLE US TO CHART OUR COURSE FOR THE FUTURE.+
HE SAID THAT THE RURAL ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IS THE STARTING POINT AND EVER-PRESENT BACK CLOTH FOR ALL THREE NEW TOWNS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, MEANT THAT ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S FIRST AIMS MUST BE TO PREVENT THE CREATION OF A VACUUM IN EXISTING COMMUNITY LIFE AS A RESULT OF THE DISSOLUTION OF VILLAGES AND THE REHOUSING OF THEIR POPULATIONS.
STRESSING THAT THIS DID NOT IMPLY TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL LANDSCAPE OR RURAL SOCIETY, MR. WIGGHAM SAID THAT IN SHA TIN, SPECIAL EFFORT HAD BEEN MADE TO PRESERVE AS MANY OF THE EXISTING VILLAGES AS POSSIBLE.
+THIS MEANS THAT, TO A CONSIDERABLE EXTENT, THE INHABITANTS OF THESE VILLAGES WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THEIR LIFE STYLE IN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE FAMILIAR TO THEM, YET AT THE SAME TIME ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE FACILITIES AND IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS THAT A NEW TOWN ENVIRONMENT BRINGS,+ HE ADDED.
FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, HOWEVER, MR. WIGGHAM SAID IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO PRESERVE ALL EXISTING VILLAGES INCLUDED WITHIN LAYOUTS.
HE WENT