XN000022-1975-07-16 — Page 14

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WEDNESDAY. JULY 16. 1975

MID-LEVELS BUILDING FREEZE EXTENDED

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THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY APPROVED A TWO-YEAR EXTENSION OF THE TEMPORARY RESTRICTION ON BUILDING DEVELOPMENT IN THE MID-LEVELS UNTILL JULY 31, 1977.

THE EXTENSION WAS RELUCTANTLY SUPPORTED BY THE HON. JAMES WU, WHO MADE IT CLEAR THAT THIS WAS THE LAST TIME HE WOULD SUPPORT AN EXTENSION. HE ALSO ASKED FOR AN ASSURANCE THAT THE RESTRICTION WOULD NOT BE EXTENDED FURTHER.

IN REPLY, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON. DAVID MCDONALD SAID HE COULD NOT GIVE AN ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE AT THIS TIME THAT NO FURTHER EXTENSION WOULD BE REQUIRED.

+1 CAN HOWEVER SAY THAT IF THE WORKS ON THE HIGHWAYS PROJECTS REQUIRED TO ALLEVIATE THE TRAFFIC PROBLEM IN THE AREA PROCEED AS CURRENTLY PROGRAMMED, SUFFICIENT PROGRESS WILL HAVE BEEN MADE BY JULY 1977 TO ALLOW THE EASING OF RESTRICTIONS AND CONTROLS,+ HE SAID.

+ONLY THEN, HE ADDED, +CAN SUBMISSIONS OF PLANS FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS BE ACCEPTED AND CONSTRUCTION WORKS SUBSEQUENTLY PUT IN HAND SO THAT THE COMPLETION AND OCCUPATION OF THESE PROJECTS WILL COINCIDE APPROXIMATELY WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE ESSENTIAL HIGHWAYS WORKS.+

IN HIS SPEECH, MR. JAMES WU RECALLED THAT HE AND THREE OTHER UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS HAD BEEN AGAINST THE RESTRICTIONS FROM THE START, AND HAD POINTED OUT THAT PROLONGED RESTRICTION WAS NOT THE ANSWER.

THE RESTRICTIONS, HE NOTED, HAD TWICE BEFORE DEEN EXTENDED FOR A TOTAL OF 18 MONTHS.

RECENT REPORTS IN MAJOR CHINESE NEWSPAPERS, HE SAID, INDICATED THAT REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS WERE BECOMING INCREASINGLY VOCAL ON WHAT THEY CONSIDERED TO BE A RESTRICTIVE ATTITUDE AND UNENTHUSIASTIC, IF NOT INCONSIDERATE, RESPONSE ON PRIVATE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.

+IT IS, HE STRESSED, HIGH TIME FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO SHOW GOODWILL AND CREDIBILITY BY ANNOUNCING THAT THIS WOULD BE THE LAST EXTENSION AND TO FURTHER SHOW FAITH BY ACCEPTING SUBMISSION OF BUILDING PLANS FOR APPROVAL PENDING CONSENT TO COMMENCE WORK AT THE EXPIRY OF THE MORATORIUM. +

SUCH A MEASURE, HE ADDED, +WOULD GREATLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE MUTUAL TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE DEVELOPERS AND TO THE BEST PUBLIC INTEREST, AS IT WOULD RESULT IN INCREASED INVESTMENT, INCREASED EMPLOYMENT, INCREASED EXECUTIVE- TYPE ACCOMMODATION AND INCREASED PUBLIC REVENUE.+

MR. WU NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALL ALONG ARGUED THE NECESSITY OF THE RESTRICTION ON THE POINT OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION. BUT HE REITERATED HIS BELIEF, SHARED BY SOME OF HIS COLLEAGUES, THAT TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN THE MID-LEVELS IS FAR LESS SEVERE THAN IN SOME OTHER PARTS OF HONG KONG, AND COMPARES FAVOURABLY WITH MAIN APPROACHES TO OTHER BIG CITIES.

HE VIEWED THE LATEST EXTENSION AS +OVER CAUTIOUS+ AND RECALLED A PREVIOUS WARNING BY THE HON. OSWALD CHEUNG THAT THE MORATORIUM DELAYS THE PROVISION OF MUCH-NEEDED HOUSING.