XN000022-1980-07-11 — Page 2

FRIDAY, JULY 11, 1980

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TOWN HALL BEING BUILT IN SHEUNG SHUT

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RESIDENTS OF THE NORTHERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES ARE TO GET THEIR OWN DISTRICT TOWN HALL BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR.

THE TOWN HALL, ESTIMATED TO COST $4.72 MILLION, IS TO BE BUILT ON A 2 750-SQUARE METRE SITE NEAR THE RAILWAY STATION AT SHEK WU HUI, SHEUNG SHUI,

WITH A TOTAL FLOOR AREA OF 3 600 SQUARE METRES, IT WILL CONSIST OF AN AUDITORIUM OVER A COVERED PLAY AREA LINKED TO A SIX-STOREY ANNEXE.

THE AUDITORIUM, WITH A STAGE, BALCONY AND DRESSING ROOMS, WILL HAVE A SEATING CAPACITY OF 1 000.

FACILITIES IN THE ANNEXE BLOCK WILL INCLUDE OFFICES, EXHIBITION SPACE, A COFFEE BAR, A LIBRARY, MEETING ROOMS, GAMES AREAS AND A NURSERY, THE ROOF WILL BE USED AS AN OPEN PLAY AREA,

A SPOKESMAN FOR NORTH DISTRICT OFFICE SAID PILING WORK HAD JUST BEEN COMPLETED AND CONSTRUCTION WOULD BEGIN SOON. THE WHOLE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF 1981.

HE SAID THE POPULATION OF THE DISTRICT, INCLUDING SHEUNG SHUI, FAN LING, TA KWU LING AND SHA TAU KOK, WOULD RISE TO MORE THAN 250 000 BY THE END OF THE DECADE.

+EXISTING COMMUNITY FACILITIES WILL BE INADEQUATE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THIS FAST DEVELOPING AREA,+ HE SAID.

OF THE TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS, JUST OVER $1 MILLION IS TO BE RAISED FROM PRIVATE DONATIONS AND THE BALANCE WILL BE PROVIDED BY GOVERNMENT.

A FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF LOCAL RURAL LEADERS HAS ALREADY RAISED $800 000,

THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR DAVID AKERS- JONES AND THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR THOMAS LEE, ARE PATRONS OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE FORMED A YEAR AGO.

A PREPARATORY COMMITTEE HAS ALSO BEEN SET UP TO PLAN FOR FUTURE MANAGEMENT OF THE HALL. MEMBERS INCLUDE BOTH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES.

THE ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DESIGN AND SUPERVISION OF THE PROJECT.

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