XN000022-1980-10-28 — Page 5

+

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1980

HOWEVER, HE SAID, AS SOON AS SUCH VILLAGES WERE BROUGHT WITHIN THE LAYOUT OF A NEW TOWN, THEY SUDDENLY FOUND THEMSELVES

IN THE MIDST OF THE CITY AND MUST BE BROUGHT UP TO THE SAME STANDARDS AS FAR AS THEIR SERVICES AND PHYSICAL SETTING WENT, AS THE REST OF THE CITY.

SUCH A VILLAGE, SUDDENLY PLUNGED INTO AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT, COULD AND MUST REMAIN A VIABLE COMMUNITY, BUT ITS PHYSICAL SETTING MUST CHANGE TO FIT THE NEW URBAN ENVIRONMENT.

IF THIS WAS NOT DONE, THE VILLAGE WOULD ALMOST UNAVOIDABLY SLIP BACK INTO A SLUM- THE FEARFUL CONDITION OF PRESENT DAY HA HOI PA VILLAGE IN TSUEN WAN SHOWED WHAT WAS LIKELY TO HAPPEN IF SUCH VILLAGES WERE NOT BROUGHT PHYSICALLY UP TO NORMAL URBAN STANDARDS.

+IF VILLAGES WITHIN THE NEW TOWN ARE NOT BROUGHT UP TO URBAN STANDARDS IN THIS WAY, NOT ONLY WILL THE VILLAGE COMMUNITY COLLAPSE, BUT ALSO ITS SUBSTANDARD STATE WILL AFFECT ALL THE SURROUNDING NON-VILLAGE DEVELOPMENTS, DEPRESSING PROPERTY VALUES AND LOWERING THE OVERALL PLANNING STANDARDS OF THE TOWN, HE SAID.

DR HASE SAID IMPROVING THE PHYSICAL SETTING OF A VILLAGE IN THIS WAY WAS A DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE JOB.

IT WAS A TWO FOLD PROBLEM, REQUIRING ATTENTION TO BE PAID TO BOTH THE EXISTING OLD VILLAGE AREA AND ITS PERIPHERY,

IN MANY OLD VILLAGES THERE WERE NO ROADS, AND ACCESS PATHS WERE ONLY TWO OR THREE FEET WIDE QUITE LITERALLY.

TO LAY MAINS SEWERS IN OLD VILLAGES, FOR INSTANCE, TO REPLACE THE EXISTING OPEN DRAINS AND COMMUNAL LATRINES -- WHICH WAS SOMETHING WHICH MUST BE DONE IF AN ACCEPTABLE URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND LIFE STYLE WAS TO BE IMPLEMENTED —— MIGHT REQUIRE ACCESS PATHS TO BE CLOSED COMPLETELY, LET ALONE THE ENGINEERING COMPLEXITIES OF FITTING DRAINS INTO THE INTRICATE MAZE OF ARBITRARILY SITED FOOTPATHS WHICH MADE UP MOST VILLAGE ACCESS NETWORKS.

INSTALLATION OF AN ADEQUATE PIPED DRINKING WATER SUPPLY

AND FIRE HYDRANTS WAS EQUALLY COMPLEX,

+ANOTHER PROBLEM WHICH HAS TO BE FACED IN PLANNING INDIGENOUS VILLAGES INTO THE NEW TOWNS IS THAT, WHEREAS IN THE URBAN AREA ALL ROADS AND FOOTPATHS ARE CROWN LAND, IN MANY VILLAGES THEY ARE PRIVATE LAND AND ARE OWNED, THEORETICALLY BY THE ADJACENT HOUSE OWNERS,+ DR HASE SAID.

OBVIOUSLY, INSTALLATION OF MAINS SEWERS, HOUSE-TO-HOUSE MAINS DRINKING WATER AND IMPROVEMENT OF FIRE FIGHTING CAPABILITIES WOULD IMPROVE THE VALUE OF THESE SAME ADJACENT LOTS.

MOST LANDOWNERS