XN000022-1978-08-16 — Page 22

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1978

AMENITY AND SITTING OUT AREAS UNDER FLYOVER ******

THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALLOCATED THE SPACE UNDERNEATH SOME OF THE FLYOVERS FOR USE AS AMENITY OR SITTING OUT AREAS AND CAR PARKING, THE HON. WILLIAM BELL, ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, SAID TODAY.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. WONG LAM IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID: +CONSIDERATION IS BEING GIVEN TO REQUESTS FOR REFUSE COLLECTION POINTS AND MINI-SPORTS CENTRE FOR VOLLEYBALL, BASKETBALL AND BADMINTON, TOGETHER WITH ANCILLARY FACILITIES.+

MR. BELL SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT, IN THE LIGHT OF LIMITED LAND RESOURCES, PARTICULARLY IN THE BUILT-UP URBAN AREAS, SOME SELECTIVE USES COULD, IN SOME INSTANCES, BE PUT TO THE SPACE MADE AVAILABLE UNDERNEATH FLYOVERS.

HOWEVER, HE SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO STRESS THE PHRASE +SELECTIVE USES+ SINCE THERE WERE LIMITATIONS AND EACH INDIVIDUAL SITE HAD TO BE CONSIDERED ON ITS MERITS.

+POLICIES ON PERMITTED USES WHICH TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THEIR LIKELY EFFECTS ON THE FLYOVER STRUCTURES, THE ADJACENT GROUND LEVEL CONDITIONS AND THE ENVIRONMENT GENERALLY HAVE BEEN FORMULATED,+ MR. BELL SAID.

+IN GENERAL, USES WHICH MIGHT GIVE RISE TO ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE TO THE SUPPORTING PIERS, OR WHICH MIGHT CONSTITUTE A FIRE HAZARD, OR GENERATE AN UNACCEPTABLY HIGH VEHICULAR OR PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY CONFLICTING WITH THROUGH TRAFFIC, ARE EXCLUDED.+

IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION, MR. BELL SAID THAT THE INITIAL MANAGEMENT OF THE LAND UNDERNEATH FLYOVERS WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IN THE URBAN AREA, AND THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

FOLLOWING THE ALLOCATION OF THE LAND FOR A SPECIFIC USE, HE ADDED. IT WOULD THEN BECOME THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE USER DEPARTMENT OR THE PRIVATE ORGANISATION CONCERNED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS LAID DOWN.

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