TNAG-2661-FCO40-3857-Future-of-Hong-Kong-British-Consulate-General-1992 — Page 155

RESTRICTED

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE BTC HONG KONG

TELNO 127

OF 0614OOZ JULY 92

RESTRICTED

FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR SBTC FROM HUM (AUSS)

MY TELNO 199: FUTURE BRITISH CONSULATE-GENERAL

-

95

176654

MDHOAN 6917

M Waskow 8/1

Mi Marr's

e pa

Hardball

1 WE DISCUSSED PLANNING FOR THE NEW CONSULATE-GENERAL BUILDING WHEN I WAS IN HONG KONG A SHORT TIME AGO. I THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN AGREED THAT THE NEXT STEP SHOULD BE AN EARLY VISIT BY A MEMBER OF OED TO DISCUSS THE PROJECT WITH YOU: IN PARTICULAR HE WOULD TAKE YOU THROUGH THE PLANS RELATING TO THE FARRELL DESIGN AND DEAL WITH ANY REMAINING CONCERNS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. THAT WAS THE BACKGROUND TO OUR DECISION TO DESPATCH WHITTLE TO HONG KONG LAST WEEK. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THAT AT YOUR MEETING WITH HIM IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO MAKE GREATER PROGRESS.

2. A PART OF OUR PROBLEM IS THAT YOU HAVE NEVER SET OUT ON PAPER THE FULL RANGE OF YOUR CONCERNS. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AT LAST WEEK'S MEETING YOU RAISED FOR THE FIRST TIME A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS WHICH EFFECTIVELY TAKE US BACK TO SQUARE ONE AS FAR AS THE OVERALL CONCEPTION OF THE PROJECT AND THE ELABORATION OF THE

DESIGN BRIEF ARE CONCERNED. I HAVE TO REMIND YOU THAT THE

DESIGN BRIEF WAS THE PRODUCT OF A PROCESS OF VERY THOROUGH CONSIDERATION AND CONSULTATION. IT IS AN UNFORTUNATE RESULT OF

THE TIMING OF YOUR APPOINTMENT THAT YOU HAVE NOT COME IN UNTIL THIS STAGE. BUT THE EARLIER EXERCISE COVERED ALL LONDON DEPARTMENTS WHICH WILL BE INVOLVED IN OPERATIONS ON THE SITE OF THE CONSULATE-GENERAL, INCLUDING THE BRITISH COUNCIL: YOUR PREDECESSOR: YOUR STAFF AND IN PARTICULAR YOUR MANAGEMENT OFFICER: AND ALL OTHERS CONCERNED IN HONG KONG. OED COORDINATED THIS EXERCISE, AND AT ALL CRUCIAL POINTS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ESTABLISHED PRACTICE, IT WAS ENDORSED BY AN INTER-DEPARTMENTAL STEERING COMMITTEE CHAIRED AT AUS LEVEL. WE CANNOT SIMPLY SET

ASIDE ALL THIS WORK AND START AGAIN FROM SCRATCH.

3. WHERE THE CHOICE OF DESIGN IS CONCERNED, THERE HAS BEEN A SIMILAR PROCESS OF INTENSIVE SCRUTINY, INVOLVING IN ADDITION AN OUTSIDE ARCHITECTURAL CONSULTANT. IT WAS THE FIRM VIEW OF OED, ENDORSED BY THE STEERING COMMITTEE, THAT THE FARRELL DESIGN WILL

1

PAGE

RESTRICTED

HKD 406/1

16

기