No_6_June_1969 — Page 7

news review

Housing Board to spend S$129.8 million

Singapore's Housing and Development Board expects to spend about S$129.8 million on this year's phase of its second five-year development programme.

The 1969 budget estimates show that the Board's expenditure on low-cost housing will be S$104,308,200 and on the urban redevelopment programme S$25,545,000. These costs last year were respectively S$77,228,400 and S$25,990,000.

In the low cost housing programme, the major portion of the money (S$35,108,200) is for land acquisition and S$30 million for Toa Payoh estate. The Queenstown cemetries and Queenstown de- velopment are expected to take up some S$10 million and the Kallang Basin industrial estate another S$8 million.

In the urban renewal plans, the northern pre- cincts have been allotted S$14.9 million, which is S$5 million more than the probable actual expen- diture for 1968. The southern precinct spending is S$8,425,000 - S$3 million less than last year's sum.

Besides carrying out its own development pro- gramme the Board will also take on S$92.8 million worth of agency works on behalf of the Govern- ment and statutory bodies. Some of the main agency works are: East Coast reclamation S$25 million; Urban Renewal Department - S$33 million; Kallang reclamation S$7,740,000; and Jurong industrial estate - S$7.8 million.

Yaumatei plan shows more open space

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A revised draft outline zoning plan for the Yau- matei district of Kowloon has been made public by Hong Kong's Town Planning Board. It provides a statutory land use pattern and major road frame- work within which the use and development of land may be legally controlled.

The plan covers 176 acres in which the present population of about 176,000 is expected to rise to about 200,000 when the area is fully developed.

It provides for a reclamation in the Yaumatei typhoon ancharage which will allow the extension of Tong Mi Road plus 7.2 acres of open space and 8.3 acres of cargo handling and access roads. A further 4.2 acres of public open space is provided between Waterloo Road and Kansu Street.

Most of the 93.2 acres of land zoned for re- sidential use is already developed. The Yaumatei civic centre now being developed is within the 12.1 acres zoned for Government and community use.

Further expansion of Miramar Hotel

Work is about to start on phase IV of the ex- pansion scheme for the Miramar Hotel, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It will add 180 rooms to the hotel,

Part of Singapore's Toa Payoh estate where some 15,000 housing this year a further 15,000 units will be added. The complete project, units are now occupied by more than 90,000 people. By the end of costing about S$ 100 million, will house 750,000 by 1971

Far East BUILDER, June 1969

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