WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 1977
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+ THE FIRST STEP IN THIS DIRECTION WAS TAKEN AT SHA TIN, WITH THE SALE OF AN INDUSTRIAL LOT ON TERMS WHICH INCLUDED THE REQUIREMENT THAT INDIVIDUAL FACTORY UNITS NOT EXCEEDING 5,000 SQUARE FEET SHOULD BE PROVIDED IN THE BUILDING, HE SAID. +MORE RECENTLY, PLANS HAVE BEEN DRAWN UP FOR THE SALE OF A FURTHER INDUSTRIAL LOT AT TUEN MUN, WITH THE BUYER BEING REQUIRED TO BUILD FACTORY UNITS OF 2,500-3,000 SQUARE FEET.+
+DEPENDING ON THE SUCCESS OF THIS LATEST SALE, FURTHER LOTS WILL BE EARMARKED FOR DISPOSAL IN THIS WAY, POSSIBLY SPECIFYING EVEN SMALLER UNIT AREAS SO AS BETTER TO CATER FOR SMALL FACTORY OPERATORS, MR. JONES ADDED.
HOWEVER, HE STRESSED THAT SUCH SALES WOULD NEED TO BE CAREFULLY MONITORED, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE THERE IS A GOOD DEMAND FOR INDUSTRIAL LAND ON A NORMAL BASIS.
MR. JONES SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD PREFER TO SEE PRIVATE PROPERTY DEVELOPERS MOVING IN TO MEET THE NEED FOR SMALLER FACTORY UNITS ON A COMMERCIAL BASIS.
UNITS OF SOME 1,400 SQUARE FEET HAD RECENTLY BEEN OFFERED FOR SALE IN KWAI CHUNG AT A PRICE OF AROUND $200,000, AND THIS, HE HOPED, MIGHT WELL BE A POINTER TO A GROWING PRIVATE SECTOR AWARENESS OF A DEMAND FOR SMALL FACTORY UNITS.
MR. JONES POINTED OUT THERE COULD BE NO QUESTION OF MOVING SO MANY THOUSAND SMALL FACTORIES OPERATING IN NON-INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WHOLESALE FROM THE IR PRESENT LOCATIONS, EVEN IF ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION WHICH WAS THOUGHT TO BE SATISFACTORY WAS AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE.
THIS WAS WHY THE GOVERNMENT HAD DECIDED TO APPROACH THE ISSUE IN A PRAGMATIC WAY, HE SAID.
STAGE OF THE PROGRAMME, HE SAID, WAS FIRSTLY TO REMOVE DANGEROUS AND OBNOXIOUS INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS FROM NON- INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS SECONDLY, TO PREVENT ANY INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY IN NEW NON-INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS AND THIRDLY, TO CLEAR INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS FROM PURELY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS,
AS FOR THE MAJORITY OF EXISTING INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS IN NON-INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS, MR. JONES SAID, THE POLICY WAS TO DEFER ACTION UNTIL SOME ACCEPTABLE WAY CAN BE FOUND TO REPROVISION THEM SATISFACTORITY.
HE ADDED THAT THE PART WHICH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES MIGHT PLAY IN RELOCATING INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS IN NON-INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WAS ALSO BEING EXAMINED.
/MK. JONES