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THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1986
IN ALL, THERE ARE SIX CAPITAL WORKS AND 15 MINOR WORKS PROJECTS IN THE PLANNING PIPELINE FOR MONG KOK, OF WHICH OVER 70 PER CENT ARE RELATED TO RECREATION AND SPORT ACTIVITIES.
THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR PROGRAMME, INCLUDING FIVE PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, COVERS A WIDE FIELD RANGING FROM MARKET COMPLEXES, COOKED-FOOD CENTRES, INDOOR GAMES HALLS AND PLAYGROUNDS TO SITTING-OUT AREAS AND REFUSE COLLECTION POINTS.
MISS SHUM SAID THE CURRENT CONSULTATION EXERCISE WAS VERY USEFUL IN THAT IT GAVE THE COUNCIL AND THE DEPARTMENT A BETTER IDEA OF THE NEEDS AND THE TYPES OF FACILITIES BEST-SUITED FOR A DISTRICT AS ITS DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS SAW THEM.
SHE ALSO EXPLAINED TO MEMBERS THE CONSTRAINTS AND COMPLICATIONS INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING AND BUILDING OF THE VERY WIDE RANGE OF PROJECTS.
IN THE ENSUING DISCUSSIONS, MEMBERS TOOK A KEEN INTEREST IN THE SAI YEE STREET COMPLEX PROJECT AND URGED THAT IT BE UPGRADED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
MISS SHUM EXPLAINED THAT DUE TO SHORTAGE OF LAND RESOURCES IN THE DISTRICT AND IN ORDER TO MAKE THE FULLEST USE OF THE SITE FOR A COMPLEX, INCLUDING MARKET FACILITIES, THE PROJECT WOULD HAVE TO AWAIT THE OUTCOME OF CONSULTATIONS ON THE COUNCIL'S HAWKER REPORT.
UNDER THE COUNCIL'S WORKS PROGRAMME FOR EACH DISTRICT, PROJECTS ARE CLASSIFIED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES — COMMITTED, APPROVED, ADVANCED PLANNING AND PRELIMINARY PLANNING, EXCEPT FOR THE COMMITTED PROJECTS, EACH ITEM IS TENTATIVELY GIVEN A HIGH, MEDIUM OR LOW PRIORITY.
FOLLOWING THE CONSULTATION EXERCISE, A FINALISED DRAFT CAPITAL WORKS PROGRAMME WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE URBAN COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
THEN, AFTER RATIFICATION BY THE COUNCIL, THE RESPECTIVE DISTRICT BOARDS WILL BE INFORMED OF THE FINALISED DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR THEIR DISTRICTS.
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