XN000022-1977-12-30 — Page 6

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1977

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REASONS FOR NOT PRESERVING

KCR STATION BUILDING EXPLAINED

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THE DECISION NOT TO PRESERVE THE FORMER KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY STATION BUILDING SHOULD BE VIEWED AGAINST THE URGENT DEMONSTRABLE PUBLIC NEED FOR ADDITIONAL AND BETTER CIVIC CULTURAL FACILITIES, PARTICULARLY IN KOWLOON.

THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS GIVEN IN A LETTER BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT TO THE HONG KONG HERITAGE SOCIETY TODAY TURNING DOWN THE IR PETITION, SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR ON JULY 29, FOR PRESERVING THE WHOLE OF THE OLD BUILDING.

THE LETTER, SENT ON THE DIRECTION OF THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DENYS ROBERTS, SAID THE POINTS RAISED IN THE PETITION HAD BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL, WHOSE DECISION WAS THAT THE OVERALL PUBLIC INTEREST WOULD BEST BE SERVED BY NOT PRESERVING THE FORMER KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY STATION BUILDING.

+ THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL ALSO REJECTED THE REQUEST FOR AN INDEPENDENT INQUIRY ON, OR COMPREHENSIVE RE-EXAMINATION OF, THE CURRENT DRAFT PLAN FOR THE TSIM SHA TSUI AREA AND, IN PARTICULAR, OF THE PROPOSED LOCATION OF A PUBLIC TRANSPORT TERMINUS ON THE SITE OF THE MARINE POLICE STATION+ THE LETTER STATES.

IT SAYS THESE DECISIONS HAVE BEEN TAKEN HAVING REGARD TO A NUMBER OF FACTORS, THE PRINCIPAL ONES BEING:

* THE CLEAR AND URGENT PUBLIC NEED FOR ADDITIONAL CIVIC

CULTURAL FACILITIES IN KOWLOON= AND

* THE LACK OF SCOPE FOR RESITING THE CULTURAL COMPLEX ON

THE SCALE ENVISAGED AND IN A MANNER WHICH IS APPROPRIATE TO ITS IMPORTANCE, BECAUSE OF EXISTING PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS.

THE LETTER GOES ON: +THE EFFECTS OF THESE CONSTRAINTS HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY RECOGNISED AND ARE IN SOME CASES IGNORED IN THE DIAGRAMMATIC LAYOUT ACCOMPANYING YOUR PETITION.

+FOR EXAMPLE THE PLANETARIUM (WHICH IS ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION) HAS BEEN RELOCATED IN THIS LAYOUT IN AN AREA WHICH

INCLUDES PART OF THE SITE FOR THE PROPOSED PUBLIC TRANSPORT TERMINUS.

+THE RESERVES FOR THE UNDERGROUND SERVICES HAVE NOT BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

+THE CULTURAL COMPLEX SITE PROPOSED IN THIS LAYOUT IS TOO CRAMPED TO PERMIT THE LARGE OPEN SPACES REQUIRED IN THE PLANNING BRIEF OR FOR THE CONCERT HALL AND MUSEUM TO BE LARGE ENOUGH TO MEET REQUIREMENTS.

+NOR, AS THIS LAYOUT ALLOWS FOR BUILDING ALL ALONG THE SALISBURY ROAD FRONTAGE FROM NATHAN ROAD TO THE FORMER RAILWAY STATION BUILDING, ARE THERE ANY BREAKS TO ALLOW VIEWS OF THE HARBOUR+.

/AS FOR RENOVATING