from Treasury the responsibility of collecting rates on the shops and since then inclusive rents have been charged. All rents of shops were reviewed in March 1961 and it was decided to continue with rebates. for the time being as the position had not improved sufficiently to justify higher rents being charged.
145. The public entertainment licence for the Assembly Hall was renewed and lettings increased during the year. The private kinder- gartens being run on the Estate took advantage of the introduction of special morning hire rates to use the hall for dancing and physical education.
146. The population which increased by 237 during the year numbers 12,973, which when counting children under 10 as half a unit makes a total of 11,109 against the unit capacity of the estate of 12,263.
SAI WAN ESTATE
147. This Estate of 638 flats built on the steep hill drawing its flushing water from wells suffered from water shortage last year, but the position has improved this year making rationing unnecessary.
148. The community centre is now fully used. The Boys and Girls Club Association moved from a ground floor room to a larger one on the first floor to give greater space to the 400 or so children who daily use the library. The room vacated has been made available for tenants to hire, and has proved most popular for family parties.
149. The unit capacity of this Estate is 3,894 and this is occupied by a total of 4,154 persons, an increase of 90 over last year's figure. When children under 10 are counted as half a unit, the total is 3,428 units.
SO UK ESTATE
150. The first flats on this Estate were taken over in May 1960 and letting proceeded rapidly, as the lowest rented flats were all in this section and there were few refusals. Preference was given when alloca- ting the lowest rent flats to families with the lowest incomes and the more prosperous applicants were held in reserve for similar sizes of flats in later blocks which carried a higher rent. Not so popular have been the point blocks where the additional rent charged for the more open view and airiness does not seem to have been appreciated. This applies particularly in the 5 person flats which proved to be an awkward shape for such a confined space as 35 sq. ft. per unit. At 31st March, 1961, 2,840 flats out of a total of 2,867 handed over had been let.
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