XN000022-1978-07-10 — Page 3

MONDAY, JULY 10, 1978

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SOME HILLSIDE SITES AT THE SOUTH-EASTERN END OF THE BARRACKS WILL BE RESERVED FOR PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. THE GOVERNMENT SITE FACING QUEENSWAY WILL BE USED FOR A NEW SUPREME COURT AND ANOTHER HIGH OFFICE BUILDING. THE GOVERNMENT THINKS THIS PREFERABLE TO SITING A LARGE SECRETARIAT 'BUILDING' IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE BARRACKS, WHICH WILL BE ENTIRELY RESERVED FOR LEISURE PURPOSES.

THE FINAL PLAN ALSO PRESERVES THE CONCEPT IN THE VICTORIA BARRACKS PLANNING COMMITTEE'S REPORT THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO THROUGH-ROAD BISECTING THE AREA WHICH WOULD TEND TO BE USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TRAFFIC ROUTE, AND WHICH WILL SPOIL THE AMENITY VALUE OF THE NEW PARK.

THIS ALSO MEANS THAT THERE WILL BE NO NEED FOR TRAFFIC ACCESS INTO, AND A FLYOVER OVER, COTTON TREE DRIVE FROM THE RECREATIONAL AND LEISURE AREA.

NOT INCLUDED IN THE PLANNING AREA, OR IN THE VICTORIA BARRACKS SITE, IS ANOTHER MINISTRY OF DEFENCE LOT, SHORTLY TO BE SURRENDERED, SOUTH OF KENNEDY ROAD, WHERE IT LOOPS NORTHWARDS INTO THE BARRACKS SITE.

IT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED THAT KENNEDY ROAD SHOULD BE STRAIGHTENED AT THIS POINT AND THIS COULD PRODUCE AN ADDITIONAL AREA BETWEEN THE OLD AND THE NEW ROADS. BUT THE AREA INVOLVED IS EXTREMELY STEEP AND IS MOSTLY CROWN LAND COVERED BY WOODS AND UNDERGROWTH. UNTIL, THEREFORE, IT IS KNOWN HOW AND WHEN THE STRAIGHTENED STRETCH OF ROAD WILL BE FORMED AND HOW MUCH USABLE LAND IT WILL PRODUCE, IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO INCORPORATE THIS AREA INTO THE PLANNING SCHEME.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD PICKED THE BEST FEATURES OF A NUMBER OF APPROACHES PREPARED BY THE VICTORIA BARRACKS PLANNING COMMITTEE AND BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND HAD TAKEN ACCOUNT OF THE STRONGLY HELD VIEWS EXPRESSED IN SOME QUARTERS THAT A REASONABLE PROPORTION OF THE LAND SHOULD BE SOLD FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT.

THE GOVERNMENT ALSO HAD BEEN CONCERNED THAT THE RELEASE OF LAND IN VICTORIA BARRACKS SHOULD PRODUCE BENEFITS FOR THE POPULATION OF HONG KONG AT LARGE AS WELL AS FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT ENJOY THE ADDITIONAL AMENITY WHICH WOULD BE PROVIDED FOR CENTRAL DISTRICT AND WAN CHAI.

+BY RESERVING SOME LAND FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT IN THE BARRACKS AREA,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT A SUM APPROACHING $700 MILLION MIGHT BE RAISED IN SALES AND, BY RESITING THE PROPOSED GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING FROM THE MURRAY BARRACKS AREA TO QUEENSWAY, SITES IN THE FORMER AREA WHICH WOULD THEN BE RELEASED FOR SALE COULD RAISE AN ADDITIONAL SUM IN EXCESS OF $400 MILLION.+

REFERRING TO THE PROPOSED CONSULTANCY, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE FUTURE USE OF FLAGSTAFF HOUSE, THE RETENTION OF WHICH WAS FAVOURED BY THE GOVERNMENT, WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY.

/THE URBAN COUNCIL'S .....