CO129-581-13 Town Planning Ordinance 1939 28-2-1939 - 27-6-1939 — Page 3

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At first sight it seemd to me that the

creation of an Executive Board for town planning in

Hong Kong in place of the Advisory Committee

which was recommended by the Housing Commission

would not be calculated to fit in with the legitimate

sphere of the Urban Council. In this country, as

pointed out in the report of the Housing Commission

(para. 10 of Mr. Owen's memorandum) the housing and

town planning authority is normally a committee of

the municipal authority.

On reflection, however, I think the

Hong Kong Government is right in supposing that if

any effective work on town planning in the

circumstances of Hong Kong is going to be done, it

must be placed in the hands of a separate executive

authority empowered to take action in that sphere

subject to the Governor's approval and working in

liaison with the Urban Council. For the last

purpose the Governor intends that the chairman of the

Urban Council, who is a Class I Cadet in the Hong Kong

Civil Service, shall also be chairman of the proposed

Town Planning Board.

The question of alienated land must be one

which will come continually into the Board's schemes

and provision for compensation is made in Section 4(3)

of the present Bill. The Bill substantially follows

Pt. IX of the Sanitary Boards Enactment of the

F.M.S. which relates to town planning. In the

F.M.S. enactment there is provision (Section 23(1))

for a reference to the courts in the case of disputes

as to the amount or apportionment of compensation.

In the present Bill claims for compensation in respect

of resumptions are to be dealt with as if they were

resumptions for public purpose under the Crown Lands

Resumption