CO129-533-6 Removal of Naval Armament Depot from Hong Kong 17-1-1931 - 9-9-1931 — Page 6

Sir,

Enclosure No. 2.

It will probably be within the knowledge

of Hon. Members that the Praya East Reclamation

scheme involves certain town planning operations in

the neighbourhood of Arsenal Street. The operations

in their turn involved the resumption of a corner of

the Naval Arsenal Yard and the reprovisioning of

certain naval buildings.

As the Praya East Reclamation progressed it

became evident that valuable buildings would be erected

in close proximity to the Naval Arsenal and the Naval

Authorities became concerned for the protection of

their Arsenal on the one hand and the safety of the

public on the other, and early in 1928 they suggested

that a zone 130 feet wide should be left unoccupied

on the East of the Arsenal Yard.

The proposal did not commend itself to the

Hong Kong Government and negotiations were set on foot which have culminated in a scheme approved by all

the Authorities concerned with the exception of this

Council whereby in return for a sum of $2,000,000 the

Admiralty will hand over to this Government the whole

of the Naval Arsenal Yard and Kellet Island.

sum of $2,000,000 is required to build Naval

magazines elsewhere in the Colony.

The

The proposal offers considerable advantages

to the Colony which will secure the removal of a serious danger from a thickly populated area, and will obtain a very v aluable site which will be developed in

accordance

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