No_4_April_1968 — Page 7

Mental hospitals planned in New Territories

A NEW home for mentally defective children is to be built in the New Territories of Hong Kong at a cost of about HK$3.8 million. The first of its kind, it will be located at Siu Lam near the Tai Lam Chung Re- servoir and will be known as the Siu Lam Hospital for the Mentally Handicapped.

Work on the formation of a site for the home is expected to start this month.

When it is completed by the end of next year the new home will initially be able to accommodate about 200 children.

The entire cost of the project will be met by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club. Government will pay for the up-keep of the home and its recurrent cost. An additional HK$20,000 has also been donated by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club for an extra site nearby in anticipation of future expansion of the home so that it will eventually be able to accommodate some 300 children.

The children's mental home will consist of two hospital blocks each two storeys high, an administration and kitchen block of three storeys as well as four blocks of quarters ranging from two to four storeys for the sisters and other staff.

Also to be constructed nearby will be a Prisons Department mental hospital, for which site formation will begin at about the some time.

Draft outline zoning plan for Ma Wan Island

HONG KONG'S Town Planning Board has produced a draft plan for Ma Wan Island, which is between It Tsing Yi Island and the northern part of Lantau. provides a framework for more detailed planning of the island.

A significant feature of the plan is the special provision for recreation and holiday facilities which could, when developed, attract large numbers of visi- tors. The possibility of private developers constructing and operating a small gauge tramway on the island is foreseen.

The draft plan shows 25.9 acres of land for private open space such as zoological gardens, amuse- ment parks, a holiday camp and a small golf course. An area of 33 acres on the central and eastern parts of the island, including three beaches, is zoned for pub- lic recreational use.

Seven acres are earmarked for commercial and re- sidential purposes including hotels, restaurants, shops, cinemas and other buildings. This area is centrally situated close to the beaches on the east of the island. The two villages, Ma Wan and Tin Liu, will remain and provision has been made for their limited expan- sion within the 33 acres zoned for this purpose.

Some 16.9 acres have been reserved for residential use and it is intended that buildings in these areas should be restricted to two storeys or 25 ft. in height.

Singapore contractors to build Xmas Island houses?

A TEAM of Singapore contractors is visiting Christ- mas Island to submit tenders for the construction of 1,000 units of workers' quarters. The quarters are for people employed in the island's phosphate industry, the

Far East BUILDER, April 1968.

S.E. elevation of prison mental hospital

The prison mental hospital will be able to accom- modate about 120 inmates. It will consist of one three-storey observation and administration block, two chronic unit blocks each two storeys high and a sick patients block of two storeys. In addition, there will be some seven houses ranging from two to four storeys high to provide living quarters for the staff working there. The cost of building the hospital is estimated to be about HK$41⁄2 million.

Architects for both projects are Spence Robinson.

majority of whom are Singapore citizens.

The project is being undertaken by the Singapore Housing and Development Board at the request of the British Phosphate Commissioners, a mining company owned by the British, Australian and New Zealand Governments.

This is the first time the board has undertaken agency work to build housing units outside Singapore. Building materials will be supplied from Singapore and the board's staff will supervise construction.

Building plans approved in February

DURING February the Building Authority approved a total of 26 new building plans of all types in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. In the same period, 62 newly-completed buildings were certified for occupation as compared with 67 in the preceding month. Of these new buildings, four were for domes- tic purposes, 30 for non-domestic purposes, and 28 for combined domestic and non-domestic use.

A total of eight dangerous buildings was under complete demolition in the month. In addition, the Building Authority also approved the demolition of four buildings.

Cost of new building work in the colony during February was HK$40,437,075, while a total of HK$1,101,244 was spent on site formation work. In the same period 64 new buildings of all types were erected. This total includes three factories and godowns, three offices and shops, 53 houses and flats, and five other buildings of mixed accommodation.

In January new building work totalled HK$61,- 478,362 and site formation HK$1,513,413. Buildings erected numbered 95 four factories and godowns. 10 offices and shops, 71 houses and flats and 10 others.

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