XN000022-1984-06-08 — Page 16

FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1984

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COUNCILLORS SEE SQUATTER IMPROVEMENT SCHEME

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THE CLOSE CO-ORDINATION BETWEEN THE URBAN COUNCIL AND VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE SERVICES, HAS GREATLY IMPROVED THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF FOUR SQUATTER AREAS IN EAST KOWLOON.

THIS WAS THE OBSERVATION MADE TODAY BY THE URBAN COUNCIL CHAIRMAN, MR HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, AFTER VISITING TAI SHING VILLAGE, SAU ON VILLAGE, ON LOK VILLAGE AND SEI WO YUEN IN KWUN TONG.

ACCOMPANYING HIM ON THE TOUR WERE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL'S CLEAN HONG KONG COMMITTEE, MR HOWARD YOUNG, COUNCILLORS MR STEPHEN LAU AND MR TONG KAM-BIU, AND THE DIRECTOR OF CITY SERVICES, MR MICHAEL SUEN.

+UNDER AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT SCHEME FOR THE YEAR, THE COUNCIL WILL SPEND $4.5 MILLION TO PROVIDE SOME 100 TOILET COMPARTMENTS, 60 BATH UNITS AND 60 REFUSE DRUMS FOR THE 6 000 RESIDENTS IN THE FOUR VILLAGES, MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID.

+APART FROM THESE, THE COUNCIL WILL ALSO ENDEAVOUR TO TURN THE OPEN SPACE IN THE VILLAGES INTO PLAYGROUNDS OR SITTING-OUT AREAS.+

DURING THE VISIT WHICH LASTED FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS, THE COUNCILLORS MET MEMBERS OF THE VILLAGES MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES AND DISCUSSED WITH THEM THE SANITATION AND RELATED PROBLEMS.

THEY ALSO TALKED TO LOCAL RESIDENTS AND LISTENED TO THEIR VIEWS ON HOW TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THERE.