XN000022-1977-09-25 — Page 6

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1977

CAMPAIGN AGAINST ILLEGAL STRUCTURES IN TAI PO

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THE TAI PO DISTRICT OFFICE HAS STEPPED UP ITS CAMPAIGN TO RID THE DISTRICT OF ILLEGAL STRUCTURES AND TO DETER FURTHER SQUATTERS.

THE OPERATION IS ALREADY HAVING THE DESIRED EFFECT, THE TAI PO ASSISTANT DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. MARTIN WHITE, SAID TODAY.

HE POINTED OUT THAT SINCE THE CAMPAIGN STARTED SIX MONTHS AGO, AROUND 300 ILLEGAL STRUCTURES HAD BEEN CLEARED -- WITH ALMOST 20 PER CENT OF THEM BEING DEMOLISHED BY THEIR +OWNERS+.

+THE FACT THAT SO MANY MORE PEOPLE ARE NOW DEMOLISHING THE IR OWN STRUCTURES SHOWS THAT IT IS BECOMING BETTER UNDERSTOOD THAT ILLEGAL STRUCTURES WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN TAI PO, HE SAID.

+ANOTHER ENCOURAGING POINT IS THAT THE NUMBER OF NEW ILLEGAL STRUCTURES BEING BUILT IS SLOWING DOWN IN APRIL WHEN WE STARTED 106 NEW ILLEGAL STRUCTURES WENT UP AND IN THE FOLLOWING MONTH THERE WERE 109.

+BUT IN THE MONTHS AFTER THAT THE FIGURES DIPPED SIGNIFICANTLY AND HAVE LEVELLED OFF TO ABOUT 60 A MONTH.+

MR. WHITE SAID THE STRUCTURES WHICH SO FAR HAD BEEN HARDEST- HIT WERE ILLEGAL INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL PREMISES.

+PEOPLE HAVE QUITE ILLEGALLY ESTABLISHED INDUSTRIAL CONCERNS SUCH AS DYEING AND BLEACHING WORKS, TANNERIES, SHOPS AND FACTOR IES OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS,+ HE SAID.

+SOME OF THESE ARE QUITE SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURES BUILT OF PRE-STRESSED CONCRETE THAT MUST HAVE COST TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

+THEIR PRESENCE IS MOST UNFAIR ON LEGITIMATE EUSINESSMEN WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS AND HAVE ACQUIRED LAND AT MARKET PRICES.

+ IN SOME CASES, THESE ILLEGAL STRUCTURES ALSO SPOIL THE ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IS ONE OF THE BAD SIDE EFFECTS THIS TYPE OF EUILDING HAS ON LOCAL PEOPLE.+

FURTHERMORE, MR. WHITE SAID, THE DISTRICT OFFICE WAS NOW EXTENDING ITS DRIVE TO ALL TYPES OF STRUCTURES, AND WAS PREPARING TO BACK UP ITS DRIVE WITH NOT ONLY DEMOLITIONS BUT ALSO PROSECUTIONS.

+WE INTEND TO GO TO COURT WHERE THERE HAS BEEN A FLAGRANT BREACH OF THE LAW AND WHERE PEOPLE HAVE CONTINUOUSLY IGNORED CUR WARNINGS ABOUT BUILDING ILLEGALLY,

HE SAID.

/+WHILE WE