XN000022-1984-03-22 — Page 12

THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1934

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PLANNING FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

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THE WAY IN WHICH THE EXPECTATIONS AND ASPIRATIONS OF THE PEOPLE HAVE CHANGED AND WILL CONTINUE TO CHANGE PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT YET SUBTLE ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF KWUN TONG AND THE TERRITORY AS A WHOLE, THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR KEVIN MAK, SAID THIS (THURSDAY) EVENING.

IN A DINNER SPEECH TO THE LIONS CLUB OF KWUN TONG, HE SAID: +THIS HAS RESULTED PRIMARILY FROM INCREASED LEVELS OF INCOME AND EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND HAS EXPRESSED ITSELF IN THE FORM OF DEMANDS FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT, NEW AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE FACILITIES AND PERHAPS MOST SIGNIFICANT OF ALL, A WISH TO INFLUENCE THE FUTURE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISTRICT THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SCHEME.

+ IT IS THEREFORE ESSENTIAL THAT WHEN WE DRAW UP GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS OF PROVISION OF FACILITIES, WE CONSIDER WHAT PEOPLE WANT RATHER THAN WHAT WE THINK THEY WANT,

MR MAK ADDED THAT THE BUILDING OF A COMMUNITY LARGELY DEPENDED UPON THE FACILITIES TO BE PROVIDED AND IT IS THEREFORE ONLY RIGHT THAT WE SHOULD NOT RELY ON PLANNING STANDARDS ALONE, BUT SHOULD INVITE COMMENT FROM THE DISTRICT BOARD AND ITS COMMITTEES AS WELL AS OTHER LOCAL BODIES AND ORGANISATIONS.+

HE CITED THE UPGRADING OF THE CHA KWO LING ROAD PROJECT AND THE ADVANCING OF THE CONSTRUCTION DATE OF THE KOWLOON BAY RECREATION GROUND AS EXAMPLES OF THE DISTRICT BOARD'S SUCCESS IN EXERTING THE INFLUENCE OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE'S WISHES.

ANOTHER FACTOR ON THE DISTRICT'S DEVELOPMENT WAS THAT BETWEEN NOW AND 1988 MORE THAN 11 PER CENT OF THE HOUSING PROGRAMME FOR THE TERRITORY WOULD BE IN KWUN TONG. THESE WOULD INCLUDE PUBLIC RENTAL HOUSING, REDEVELOPMENT, PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION SCHEME AND HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME.

+THERE WILL BE MORE NEW PUBLIC RENTAL HOUSING IN KWUN TONG FROM NOW UNTIL 1988, THAN IN THE REST OF KOWLOON OR ON THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG ISLAND, HE SAID.

THESE NEW ESTATES, PROVIDING OVER 20 000 FLATS FOR 100 000 PEOPLE, WOULD BE OF HIGH QUALITY AND SELF-CONTAINED IN TERMS OF COMMERCIAL, EDUCATIONAL, RECREATIONAL AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND REDUCE THE HIGH POPULATION CONCENTRATIONS IN EXISTING HOUSING ESTATES.

FOR EXAMPLE, HE SAID, THE SAU MAU PING IMPROVEMENT PHASE I SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION LATER THIS YEAR AND PHASE II OF THE LAM TIN EXTENSION IN 1987/88 WOULD DECANT OVER 3 800 AND 10 000 PEOPLE RESPECTIVELY FROM THE EXISTING ESTATES.

/+THERE IS