XN000022-1977-09-11 — Page 7

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1977

SWIMMING POOL BOOM FOR TSUEN WAN NEW TOWN

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TSUEN WAN WILL EXPERIENCE A SWIMMING POOL BUILDING BOOM OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, THE TSUEN WAN TOWN MANAGER, MR. JAMES HAYES, SAID TODAY.

HE REVEALED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS EXPECTED TO START WORK NEXT YEAR ON A NEW PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX AT NORTH

KWAI CHUNG, WHILE PRIVATE DEVELOPERS HAD PROPOSED ANOTHER TWO GOVERNMENT-STANDARD POOL PROJECTS AT NORTH TSUEN WAN.

MR. HAYES WAS SPEAKING AT A PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY AT THE CONCLUSION OF A SWIMMING GALA FOR TSUEN WAN YOUNGSTERS AT GALLIPOLI LINES JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE TSUEN WAN DISTRICT OFFICE, THE. 10TH PRINCESS MARY'S OWN GURKHA RIFLES AND THE RECREATION AND SPORTS SERVICE.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT ALREADY OPERATED A SEVEN-POOL PUBLIC COMPLEX AT KWAI CHUNG ADJOINING GIN DRINKER'S BAY.

+THE GOVERNMENT IS CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED FOR RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AND AMENITIES TO KEEP PACE WITH THE RAPID POPULATION GROWTH OF TSUEN WAN - THE FASTEST-GROWING AREA IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. HAYES SAID.

+A SECOND PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX, PROBABLY COVERED AND HEATED FOR YEAR-ROUND USE, IS TO BE BUILT AT WO YEE HOP ROAD AND WORK IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.

+ADDITIONALLY, THE GOVERNMENT IS HOLDING DISCUSSIONS WITH HOPEWELL HOLDINGS LIMITED AND SUN HUNG KAI PROPERTIES LIMITED WHICH ARE DEVELOPING LARGE RESIDENTIAL AREAS IN NORTH TSUEN WAN AND WISH TO PUT IN PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL AREAS IN THE VICINITY.

+THE IDEA IS THAT THE COMPANIES WOULD CARRY OUT THE PROJECTS TO GOVERNMENT STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS ON LAND SUPPLIED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

+ONCE COMPLETED, THE COMPANIES WOULD HAND OVER THE POOLS TO THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT.

+THESE POOLS WOULD SERVE NOT ONLY THE 40,000 PEOPLE WHO WILL LIVE IN THE PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION, BUT ALSO ANOTHER 100,000 PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN EASY WALKING DISTANCE FROM THE SITES AT CENTRAL AND NORTH TSUEN WAN.

+I AM CONFIDENT THAT AGREEMENT WILL BE REACHED WITH THE COMPANIES ON THEIR PROPOSALS, MR. HAYES SAID.

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