XN000022-1988-01-21 — Page 2

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1988

CS TALKS ABOUT METROPLAN' FOR URBAN AREAS

BE DONE TO SAID TODAY

THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO TAKE A HARD AND COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THE METROPOLITAN AREA AND THEN WORK OUT WHAT NEEDS TO RESTRUCTURE IT, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, (THURSDAY).

THIS NEW "METROPLAN" WAS ΤΟ HELP BRING ABOUT A ORGANISED, MORE EFFICIENT AND GENERALLY MORE DESIRABLE PLACE IN TO LIVE AND WORK, HE SAID.

BETTER WHICH

IT WOULD INDICATE NEW DIRECTIONS AND FORMS OF DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT FOR THE 1990'S AND BEYOND, COVERING THE COMBINED URBAN AREAS OF HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON, NEW KOWLOON, TSUEN WAN AND KWAI CHUNG.

SIR DAVID WAS SPEAKING AT A PO LEUNG KUK LUNCHEON MEETING, DURING WHICH HE DISCUSSED THE PLAN THE GOVERNMENT HAD IN MIND TO TACKLE PROBLEMS THAT AROSE AS A RESULT OF THE "UNCOORDINATED" DEVELOPMENT IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA.

AMENITY

ΤΟ

HE NOTED THAT THE FIRST STEP WAS TO DEFINE THE BROAD GOALS OF THE PLAN BY SETTING STANDARDS OF ENVIRONMENT, DENSITY AND BE ACHIEVED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE URBAN AREAS.

"THEN WE MUST TRANSLATE THESE GOALS INTO ACTION BY PLANNING HOW WE CAN BEST IMPROVE AND DEVELOP THE POLICY AND THE MACHINERY NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THESE PLANS.

T

"FINALLY, WE MUST DEVISE PROGRAMMES OF WORK AND INVESTMENT NECESSARY FOR EACH AREA AND A GENERAL ORDER OF PRIORITY FOR THESE, HE SAID.

SIR DAVID SAID THE AIM OF THE GOVERNMENT WAS TO HAVE THE

THE REDEVELOPMENT SCHEMES OF BOTH

LAND DEVELOPMENT

OF CORPORATION PRIVATE PROPERTIES AND OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF ITS OLDER ESTATES GUIDED BY METROPLAN AS FAR AS POSSIBLE.

HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE PROCESS WOULD BE DIFFICULT AND LONG, "AND MUCH OF WHAT WE PLAN IN THE METROPLAN CANNOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL THE END OF THE NINETIES AND IN THE EARLY PARTS OF THE NEXT CENTURY."

"AND IT WILL INVOLVE NEW POLICIES OR

AT

LEAST EXTENSIONS OF

OLD ONES."

SIR DAVID SAID: "THE METROPLAN IS A MATTER OF CONCERN FUNDS AND AND BEARING IN MIND THE HUGE INVESTMENT OF PUBLIC

PUBLIC REQUIRED, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE IN WHAT IT IS SEEKING TO ACHIEVE.'

TO ALL EFFORTS SUPPORT

/HE SAID