XN000022-1976-05-12 — Page 17

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1976

SWIMMING POOLS FOR N.T. TOWNS

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THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE HON. DAVID AKERS-JONES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT A SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX WOULD BE BUILT IN SHA TIN BY 1980 AND ANOTHER ONE IN TUEN MUN BY 1982.

AT PRESENT, HE SAID, THERE WAS ALREADY A SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX WITH A TOTAL OF SEVEN POOLS IN TSUEN WAN, BUILT WITH FUNDS PROVIDED BY THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB, AND +THE DEVELOPMENT PROVIDES FOR OTHER POOLS ELSEWHERE IN THE TOWN AS THE POPULATION RISES TO 850,000+.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. Q.W. LEE, MR. AKERS- JONES SAID THE FUNDAMENTAL AIM OF EACH NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME WAS TO PROVIDE A BALANCE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES.

SWIMMING POOLS, HE ADDED, WERE ONE OF THE AMENITY ITEMS INCLUDED WITHIN EACH PROGRAMME, TO BE PROVIDED IN STEP WITH THE BUILD-UP IN POPULATION.

+PLANNING STANDARDS PROVIDE FOR ONE FULL SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX FOR 500,000 PEOPLE, AND ALLOWANCE HAS BEEN MADE ON THAT SCALE IN OUR TOWN PLANS.+

REFERRING TO THE OLDER TOWNS, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THERE WERE AT PRESENT ITEMS FOR SWIMMING POOLS INCLUDED WITHIN THE WORKS PROGRAMME AT FANLING, YUEN LONG AND TAI PO.

HE SAID HE PERSONALLY SHOULD LIKE TO SEE PRIORITY BE ING GIVEN TO FANLING AND ACCORDINGLY HE HAD SUGGESTED RECENTLY THAT THE ITEM IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME FOR THE FANL ING POOL BE UPGRADED TO ENABLE DETAILED PLANNING TO START.

Andy.

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