XN000022-1980-10-28 — Page 6

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1980

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MOST LANDOWNERS WERE ONLY TOO HAPPY TO ALLOW THE WORKS TO PROCEED ON THE FOOTPATHS IN FRONT OF THEIR DOORS, BUT A FEW TRIED TO MAKE THIS WORK THE EXCUSE FOR HOLDING THE COMMUNITY TO RANSOM BY DEMANDING THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS COMPENSATION FOR THE +DAMAGE TO THE IR PROPERTY.

IN SOME CASES, INDEED IT WAS NOT AN INCH OF GOLD FOR A FOOT OF LAND+, BUT +A FOOT OF GOLD FOR AN INCH OF LAND, HE SAID.

THE SAME PROBLEM AROSE WHERE STREET LIGHTING WITHIN THESE VILLAGES WAS CONCERNED. BECAUSE OF THE NARROW STREETS THE LIGHTS HAD TO BE FIXED TO THE HOUSES IF THE LANDOWNERS REFUSED TO CO-OPERATE FOR THE COMMON GOOD, THE JOB BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.

THE

DR HASE SAID THIS THEN IS OUR FIRST PROBLEM NEED TO PRESERVE THE VILLAGE COMMUNITY WITHIN THE NEW TOWN BY ENSURING THAT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED AT SUCH A LEVEL THAT THE EXISTING PHYSICAL SETTING OF THE OLD VILLAGE DOES NOT DISAPPEAR INTO A SLUM.

+ANOTHER PROBLEM WHICH IS CAUSING CONSIDERABLE DEBATE IS WHAT IS PROPOSED FOR THE PERIPHERAL AREAS AROUND THE OLD VILLAGES- AND THIS — THE PROBLEM OF HOW AN INDIGENOUS VILLAGE CAN BE EXPANDED WITHIN A NEW TOWN FRAMEWORK CONSTITUTES OUR SECOND MAJOR DIFFICULTY.+

WHEN THE DECISION TO PRESERVE THE VILLAGES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE NEW TOWN HAD BEEN TAKEN AN AREA AROUND EACH VILLAGE WAS DESIGNATED A VILLAGE ZONE+.

IT IS THE PLANNING INTO THE FRAMEWORK OF THE NEW TOWN OF THE WHOLE OF THIS ZONE, AND NOT MERELY THE ORIGINAL VILLAGE, WHICH IS NECESSARY, DR HASE SAID.

MOST OLD VILLAGES WERE SERIOUSLY DEFICIENT IN ALMOST ALL PUBLIC FACILITIES, AS WELL AS SERVICES. CARPARKS, PLAYGROUNDS AND REFUSÉ COLLECTION POINTS WERE THE FACILITIES MOST OFTEN LACKING.

CLEARLY, THE PROVISION OF SUCH FACILITIES MUST TAKE THE FIRST PRIORITY IN THESE PERIPHERAL VILLAGE AREAS.

AGAIN, MUCH LAND IN THESE PERIPHERAL VILLAGE AREAS WAS WELL-ESTABLISHED FUNG SHUI WOODLAND WHICH COULD NOT BE CUT. THESE WOODLAND AREAS WERE, OF COURSE, OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE TO THE GEOMANTIC INHERITANCE OF THE VILLAGE COMMUNITY, BUT WHICH BECOME OF MAJOR INTEREST, NOT ONLY TO THE VILLAGERS, BUT ALSO TO THE WHOLE NEW TOWN, AS THEY CONSTITUTED A GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE OF THE HIGHEST SIGNIFICANCE.

DR HASE SAID I NEED HARDLY POINT OUT THAT THE PRESERVATION OF OVER 100 ACRES OF FUNG SHUI WOODLAND WITHIN SHA TIN NEW TOWN WILL GIVE THAT NEW TOWN A VERY GREEN AND WELL-WOODED LOOK AND THESE FUNG SHUI WOODS BECOME, THEREFORE, EXTREMELY PRECIOUS TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

/+HEN FUNG