THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1986
STEPS TO CURB URBAN DECAY BEING TAKEN
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN POSITIVE STEPS TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM OF URBAN DECAY, BUT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE SHOULD RISE TO THE CHALLENGE OF IMPROVING THE SITUATION BEFORE IT WORSENED, THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE RETAIL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, MR WIGGHAM SAID A LACK OF INTEREST IN BUILDING MANAGEMENT BY MANY RESIDENTS AND OWNERS OF PRIVATE BUILDINGS HAD PRODUCED A SITUATION WHERE SOME 15 PER CENT OF ALL PRIVATE BUILDINGS IN HONG KONG WERE CONSIDERED TO BE SLUMS.
HE SAID WHILE THERE WAS A LIMIT TO WHAT THE GOVERNMENT COULD DO, MUCH OF THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH THE COMMUNITY, IN PARTICULAR FOR INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNERS.
+ IT IS OUR ENVIRONMENT, LET US ALL PLAY OUR PART IN PROTECTING IT AND IMPROVING IT,+ MR WIGGHAM SAID.
+TO DATE WE DO NOT THINK IT APPROPRIATE TO MAKE THE MANAGEMENT OF BUILDINGS SUBJECT TO STATUTORY LAW, BUT IF OWNERS OF PROPERTY CONTINUE TO NEGLECT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES IN THIS AREA THEN SOME FORM OF COMPULSORY MANAGEMENT MAY BECOME NECESSARY,+ HE SAID.
MR WIGGHAM POINTED OUT THAT THE 600 000 PRIVATELY-OWNED DOMESTIC UNITS, THE MAJORITY OF WHICH WERE HIGH-RISE MULTI- STOREY BLOCKS, ACCOMMODATED ABOUT HALF OF HONG KONG'S POPULATION EITHER AS OWNER-OCCUPIERS OR TENANTS.
MANY OF THE BUILDINGS WERE BUILT 20 OR 30 YEARS AGO AT A TIME WHEN PLANNING AND BUILDING REGULATIONS WERE LESS STRINGENT. THIS ALSO INCLUDED THE STANDARD CONDITIONS OF LEASEHOLD GRANT.
+MOST OF THESE BUILDINGS WERE ALLOWED A MUCH HIGHER PROPORTION OF SITE DEVELOPMENT THAN WOULD BE PERMITTED AT PRESENT. AND THEY SUFFER FROM THE CONGLOMERATE PROBLEMS OF OVER-CROWDING, OBSOLETE AND DEFICIENT SANITATION, ILLEGAL WIRING AND A MYRIAD OF UNLAWFUL STRUCTURAL ADDITIONS, MR WIGGHAM SAID.
+ ALTHOUGH NEWER BUILDINGS HAVE NOT YET HAD TIME TO DEGENERATE TO SUCH A WORRYING EXTENT, THERE ARE DISTURBING SIGNS OF EARLY DILAPIDATION IN CERTAIN AREAS, EVEN IN BUILDINGS LESS THAN TEN YEARS OLD, HE ADDED.
+ THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM REVOLVES AROUND THE NATURE OF
RESIDENTIAL OWNERSHIP IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.
MOST PRIVATELY-OWNED RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS ARE HIGH-RISE BLOCKS, HELD IN MULTI-OWNERSHIP BY SEVERAL OWNERS WHO HAVE DIFFERENT INTERESTS AND STANDARDS CONCERNING THE MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF THEIR PROPERTIES, SAID MR WIGGHAM.
/HE POINTED