XN000022-1974-11-14 — Page 18

-

-17-

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1974

TURNING TO PRIVATE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT, MR. BELL SAID THAT WHILE WORK IN PROGRESS HAD FALLEN OFF DURING THE YEAR, THERE WERE NOW ENCOURAGING SIGNS THAT THIS DECLINE WAS LEVELLING OFF. +THE RATE OF SUBMISSIONS OF NEW BUILDING PLANS AT SOME 150 PER MONTH IS NOW VERY STEADY AND REPRESENTS A HEALTHY POTENTIAL WORKLOAD FOR THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.+

WITH VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS, BUILDING PLANS WERE NOW BEING PROCESSED WITHIN THE APPROPRIATE STATUTORY PERIODS, HE WENT ON, BUT IT WAS NOT YET POSSIBLE TO RETURN TO THE SITUATION WHERE ALL GENERAL BUILDING PLANS RECEIVE DETAILED CHECKING.

+A STEADY PROGRAMME OF INSPECTIONS OF BUILDING SITES WHERE WORK IS IN PROGRESS HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AND TO DATE, DESPITE THE LACK OF DETAILED CHECKING AT THE PLANNING STAGE, NO BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO CONTAIN MAJOR DIVERGENCES FROM THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE. THIS, I THINK, REFLECTS AN INCREASING SENSE OF DISCIPLINE IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY.+

THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE WAS STILL CONSIDERABLY UNDER STRENGTH. +UNTIL THE VACANCIES ARE FILLED, I CAN FORESEE LITTLE POSSIBILITY OF DEALING WITH THE COMPLEX PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL WORKS WHICH BLIGHTS THE BUILDINGS OF HONG KONG. IT IS STILL ONLY POSSIBLE AT PRESENT TO DEAL WITH THOSE UNAUTHORISED WORKS WHICH REPRESENT A SERIOUS RISK TO LIFE.+

ON THE ROLE OF THE ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE. THE DIRECTOR SAID THAT, ON THE PUBLIC HOUSING FRONT ALONE, WORK FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS IN PROGRESS ON 43 DOMESTIC BLOCKS IN SEVEN ESTATES, TOGETHER WITH ONE VILLAGE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WHEN COMPLETED WILL HOUSE OVER 165,000 PEOPLE. ANOTHER 15 BLOCKS IN A FURTHER FOUR ESTATES WERE UNDER ACTIVE PLANNING AND WOULD PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION FOR A FURTHER 71,000 PEOPLE.

ON THE ENGINEERING SIDE, MR. BELL SAID THAT TO PROVIDE MORE LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT, ENGINEERING INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE FEASIBILITY OF LAND FORMATION WERE A PRIORITY FUNCTION OF THE CIVIL ENGINEERING OFFICE. AREAS UNDER INVESTIGATION INCLUDED THE KOWLOON FOOTHILLS, TAT CHEE AVENUE AND LA SALLE ROAD IN KOWLOON TONG, TAI HOM AND KWUN TONG.

+RECENT SITE FORMATION WORKS HAVE PROVIDED SOME 12 ACRES OF TERRACED SITES AT HO MAN TIN FOR GOVERNMENT, EDUCATIONAL, RESIDENTIAL AND OTHER COMMUNITY USES, WHILE RECLAMATIONS AT KOWLOON BAY AND GIN DRINKERS BAY HAVE MADE AVAILABLE SOME 60 ACRES AND 10 ACRES OF LAND RESPECTIVELY FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, SEVERAL OTHER RECLAMATION WORKS ARE IN HAND, INCLUDING THOSE AT CHAI WAN, ALDRICH BAY, CENTRAL AND SHAM SHUI PO.+

TURNING TO COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT, MR. BELL SAID THE EXISTING NETWORK OF HIGHWAYS CONTINUED TO BE EXPANDED AND IMPROVED AND SOME 26 HIGHWAY SCHEMES WERE COMPLETED DURING THE YEAR INCLUDING THE LION ROCK INTERCHANGE, WHILE 16 MAJOR PROJECTS WERE PUT IN HAND.

/THE HONG KONG