XN000022-1976-03-01 — Page 2

MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1976

TANNERS MUST MOVE BY JULY 31 - N.T.A. ******

THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION HAS AGAIN AFFIRMED THAT SHEUNG SHUI AND FANLING TANNERS MUST MOVE FROM THEIR PRESENT LOCATIONS BY JULY 31, THIS YEAR.

THERE ARE ALTOGETHER 55 TANNERS IN SHEUNG SHUI AND FANLING. THE REASON FOR REMOVAL IS THAT THEIR OPERATIONS CAUSE HEAVY POLLUTION OF RIVERS AND STREAMS IN THE AREA,

IN A LETTER HANDED TO THE TANNERY OPERATORS TODAY (MONDAY) BY STAFF OF THE TAI PO DISTRICT OFFICE, MR. JOHN CHAMBERS, DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, STATES THAT FAILURE TO MOVE BY THIS DATE WILL RESULT IN THE CLEARANCE OF THEIR PREMISES.

MR. CHAMBERS WAS REPLYING TO A LETTER FROM THE TANNERS DATED FEBRUARY 17, WHICH CONTAINED THREE PROPOSALS. THESE WERE : (A) TO CONTINUE OPERATION AT THE PRESENT SITE- (B) TO MOVE TO KWAI CHUNG BUT SUFFICIENT WORKING SPACE SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE AND THE MOVE SHOULD BE FINANCIALLY VIABLE TO THE OPERATORS- AND (C) TO FIND OTHER SITES CONVENIENTLY LOCATED WITH WATER AND ELECTRICITY WITHIN THE OPERATORS' MEANS.

HE POINTS OUT THAT THE JULY 31 DEADLINE WAS FIRST NOTIFIED TO THE TANNERY OPERATORS ON DECEMBER 5, 1973 AND THIS WAS REITERATED IN TWO FURTHER LETTERS DATED JULY 8, 1975 AND JANUARY 6 THIS YEAR. IN ADDITION THE REMOVAL DATE HAS BEEN REAFFIRMED IN A SERIES OF MEETINGS THE DISTRICT OFFICER, TAI PO, MR. CLIVE OXLEY, HAS HAD OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS WITH THE TANNERS.

+ IT WAS MADE CLEAR TO YOU IN 1972 THAT YOU WOULD ONLY BE PERMITTED TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE ON YOUR PRESENT SITES ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU ACQUIRE SITES FOR NEW TANNERIES IN THE OFFENSIVE TRADES AREA AT KWAI CHUNG AND THAT YOU MOVE TO THE NEW PREMISES BY THE GIVEN DATE WHICH WAS LATER FIXED AS JULY 31, 1976, THE LETTER STATES.

IT GOES ON +YOU ACCEPTED THESE TERMS AND SIGNED CONDITIONS OF GRANT FOR THE FIVE LOTS AT KWAI CHUNG IN JANUARY 1974. POSSESSION OF THE LOTS WAS GIVEN TO YOU IN MAY, 1974. AT THAT TIME YOU WERE AWARE OF THE AREA AND LOCATION OF THESE SITES AND THE PREMIUM PAYABLE AND SINCE THEN YOU HAVE PAID THE INSTALMENTS OF PREMIUM ON THE DUE DATES AND HAVE OBTAINED APPROVAL FOR YOUR BUILDING PLANS AND CONSENT TO COMMENCE WORK FROM THE BUILDING AUTHORITY. THERE IS NO REASON THEREFORE WHY BUILDING WORK SHOULD NOT HAVE BEGUN.+

MR. CHAMBERS