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SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 1985
THOSE ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR BEING TENDERED FOR ARE CLASSIFIED AS +COMMITTED+, THE SECOND CATEGORY IS +READY+ SINCE THE PROJECT LAYOUT PLANS AND COST ESTIMATES HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL AND DETAILED WORKING DRAWINGS AND TENDER DOCUMENTS ARE UNDER PREPARATION.
FARTHER DOWN THE LIST ARE PROJECTS UNDER +ADVANCED PLANNING FOR WHICH LAYOUT PLANS ARE UNDER PREPARATION. FINALLY. UNDER THE +PRELIMINARY PLANNING+ CATEGORY ARE PROJECTS THE SCOPE OF WHICH IS UNDER CONSIDERATION, SITE DETAILS ARE BEING ASCERTAINED OR THE SCHEDULE OF ACCOMMODATION IS UNDER PREPARATION.
EXCEPT FOR THE +READY+ PROJECTS, EACH ITEM IS TENTATIVELY GIVEN A HIGH+, +MEDIUM+ OR +LOW+ PRIORITY.
+THE DEPARTMENT'S PLANNERS HAVE PAINSTAKINGLY APPRAISED THESE PROJECTS BEFORE GIVING THEM A PRIORITY RATING RELATIVE TO OTHER PROJECTS IN THE SAME CATEGORY, SAID THE SPOKESMAN.
+HOWEVER, IF MEMBERS OF A PARTICULAR DISTRICT BOARD ARE STRONGLY IN FAVOUR OF ONE PROJECT IN THEIR DISTRICT BEING STARTED BEFORE ANOTHER WHICH HAS REACHED THE SAME STAGE OF PLANNING, WE WILL WHEREVER POSSIBLE MAKE THE ADJUSTMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR WISHES.
+BUT IT MUST BE NOTED THAT. TO TAKE AN EXTREME EXAMPLE A HIGH-PRIORITY PROJECT WHICH IS ONLY IN A PRELIMINARY STAGE OF PLANNING COULD NOT SUDDENLY BE PUSHED FORWARD FOR IMPLEMENTATION BECAUSE A LONG LEAD TIME IS NORMALLY REQUIRED BY EACH PROJECT.
+THE AMOUNT OF LEAD TIME REQUIRED DEPENDS ON THE TYPE AND SCALE OF THE PROJECT WHICH HAD TO BE TAKEN FROM THE PRELIMINARY STAGE OF DRAWING UP THE SCOPE OF DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN THE PREPARATION OF LAYOUT PLANS, COST ESTIMATES, DETAILED WORKING DRAWINGS AND TENDER DOCUMENTS, TO THE GAZETTING AND LETTING OF CONTRACTS, AND EVENTUALLY THROUGH TO THE STAGE WHERE CONSTRUCTION WORK ACTUALLY STARTS ON SI TE.+
THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR A LIST OF MINOR WORKS PROJECTS, IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR STARTING DATES IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE DISTRI CT WORKS PROGRAMME IN ORDER TO GIVE BOARD MEMBERS A COMPREHENSIVE PICTURE OF UC DEVELOPMENTS IN THEIR DISTRICTS.
BUT NO CONSULTATION ON THEIR PRIORITY IS REQUIRED SINCE THEIR LOW COST AND RELATIVELY SHORT PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION TIME RENDER THE ALLOCATION OF PRIORITIES UNNECESSARY.
'AFTER THE