renewable Crown leases, resumption of land required by Government for public purposes and general valuation work. To perform its duties, the Branch is divided into two Divisions, the Environmental Improvement Division and the Valuation Division, each Division comprising three Sections.
7.18
The work of the Environmental Improvement Division was somewhat disrupted at the beginning of the year because insufficient funds were made available to enable the resumption programme for the urban renewal pilot scheme to continue. In addition, this also prevented negotiations proceeding with owners who had approached Government to acquire their property which had been zoned for public use in the environmental improvement areas. This problem was eventually solved by the provision of substantial supplementary funds in November 1974 when it became possible to re-open negotiations to clear the backlog of work which had accumulated and most of these negotiations were concluded by the end of the year under review. The economic situation does not affect the Valuation Division as it does the Environmental Improvement Division because records always have to be kept up to date and there is a continuous stream of specialist valuations that have to be undertaken.
7.19
In recent years, a number of firms of Chartered Surveyors have opened offices in Hong Kong and the increasing use of professionally qualified estate developers and valuers by the private sector has introduced a greater degree of expertise into land negotiations and appeals and has tended to make the work of the Valuation Branch more complex.
7.20
A short summary of the work carried out within the two Divisions is given below.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT DIVISION
Urban Renewal Section
7.21 The Urban Renewal Section is responsible for the implementation of the Urban Renewal Pilot Scheme which involves the acquisition and clearance of decayed and obsolete property within an area of about 4.86 hectares, in the older part of Western District, Hong Kong. During the year, some 15 properties were acquired by negotiation at an aggregate cost of just under $5M, including tenant's compensation. Resumption notices were gazetted in respect of 7 properties and evidence was given by expert witnesses before 5 Resumption Boards which sat during the year. Compensation awarded by Boards totalled $8,111,952.18 in respect of 44 properties. The Scheme has now reached the stage where all the necessary land has been acquired to enable construction to start on a new road linking Hollywood Road and Queen's Road Central mainly along the alignment of part of Lower Lascar Row. Consideration is also being given to the inclusion of sites in the public auction sales programme and this will make a welcome addition to the programme which is particularly weak in non-industrial sites lying within existing urban areas.
Environmental Improvement Section
7.22
This Section is responsible for the acquisition of land required for Environmental Improvements as proposed on draft and statutory town plans mainly within the Urban Renewal District (Western District), Wan Chai and Yau Ma Tei. Some 59 properties were acquired by negotiation at an aggregate cost of $26,206,089.
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Page 69
renewable Crown leases, resumption of land required by Government for public purposes and general valuation work. To perform its duties, the Branch is divided into two Divisions, the Environmental Improvement Division and the Valuation Division, each Division comprising three Sections.
7.18
The work of the Environmental Improvement Division was somewhat disrupted at the beginning of the year because insufficient funds were made available to enable the resumption programme for the urban renewal pilot scheme to continue. In addition, this also prevented negotiations proceeding with owners who had approached Government to acquire their property which had been zoned for public use in the environmental improvement areas. This problem was eventually solved by the provision of substantial supplementary funds in November 1974 when it became possible to re-open negotiations to clear the backlog of work which had accumulated and most of these negotiations were concluded by the end of the year under review. The economic situation does not affect the Valuation Division as it does the Environmental Improvement Division because records always have to be kept up to date and there is a continuous stream of specialist valuations that have to be undertaken.
7.19
In recent years, a number of firms of Chartered Surveyors have opened offices in Hong Kong and the increasing use of professionally qualified estate developers and valuers by the private sector has introduced a greater degree of expertise into land negotiations and appeals and has tended to make the work of the Valuation Branch more complex.
7.20
A short summary of the work carried out within the two Divisions is given below.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT DIVISION
Urban Renewal Section
7.21 The Urban Renewal Section is responsible for the implementation of the Urban Renewal Pilot Scheme which involves the acquisition and clearance of decayed and obsolete property within an area of about 4.86 hectares, in the older part of Western District, Hong Kong. During the year, some 15 properties were acquired by negotiation at an aggregate cost of just under $5M, including tenant's compensation. Resumption notices were gazetted in respect of 7 properties and evidence was given by expert witnesses before 5 Resumption Boards which sat during the year. Compensation awarded by Boards totalled $8,111,952.18 in respect of 44 properties. The Scheme has now reached the stage where all the necessary land has been acquired to enable construction to start on a new road linking Hollywood Road and Queen's Road Central mainly along the alignment of part of Lower Lascar Row. Consideration is also being given to the inclusion of sites in the public auction sales programme and this will make a welcome addition to the programme which is particularly weak in non-industrial sites lying within existing urban areas.
Environmental Improvement Section
7.22
This Section is responsible for the acquisition of land required for Environmental Improvements as proposed on draft and statutory town plans mainly within the Urban Renewal District (Western District), Wan Chai and Yau Ma Tei. Some 59 properties were acquired by negotiation at an aggregate cost of $26,206,089.
69
Page 69renewable Crown leases, resumption of land required by Government for public purposes and general valuation work. To perform its duties, the Branch is divided into two Divisions, the Environmental Improvement Division and the Valuation Division, each Division comprising three Sections.
7.18
The work of the Environmental Improvement Division was somewhat disrupted at the beginning of the year because insufficient funds were made available to enable the resumption programme for the urban renewal pilot scheme to continue. In addition, this also prevented negotiations proceeding with owners who had approached Government to acquire their property which had been zoned for public use in the environmental improvement areas. This problem was eventually solved by the provision of substantial supplementary funds in November 1974 when it became possible to re-open negotiations to clear the backlog of work which had accumulated and most of these negotiations were concluded by the end of the year under review. The economic situation does not affect the Valuation Division as it does the Environmental Improvement Division because records always have to be kept up to date and there is a continuous stream of specialist valuations that have to be undertaken.
7.19
In recent years, a number of firms of Chartered Surveyors have opened offices in Hong Kong and the increasing use of professionally qualified estate developers and valuers by the private sector has introduced a greater degree of expertise into land negotiations and appeals and has tended to make the work of the Valuation Branch more complex.
7.20
A short summary of the work carried out within the two Divisions is given below.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT DIVISION
Urban Renewal Section
7.21 The Urban Renewal Section is responsible for the implementation of the Urban Renewal Pilot Scheme which involves the acquisition and clearance of decayed and obsolete property within an area of about 4.86 hectares, in the older part of Western District, Hong Kong. During the year, some 15 properties were acquired by negotiation at an aggregate cost of just under $5M, including tenant's compensation. Resumption notices were gazetted in respect of 7 properties and evidence was given by expert witnesses before 5 Resumption Boards which sat during the year. Compensation awarded by Boards totalled $8,111,952.18 in respect of 44 properties. The Scheme has now reached the stage where all the necessary land has been acquired to enable construction to start on a new road linking Hollywood Road and Queen's Road Central mainly along the alignment of part of Lower Lascar Row. Consideration is also being given to the inclusion of sites in the public auction sales programme and this will make a welcome addition to the programme which is particularly weak in non-industrial sites lying within existing urban areas.
Environmental Improvement Section
7.22
This Section is responsible for the acquisition of land required for Environmental Improvements as proposed on draft and statutory town plans mainly within the Urban Renewal District (Western District), Wan Chai and Yau Ma Tei. Some 59 properties were acquired by negotiation at an aggregate cost of $26,206,089.
69
Page 69renewable Crown leases, resumption of land required by Government for public purposes and general valuation work. To perform its duties, the Branch is divided into two Divisions, the Environmental Improvement Division and the Valuation Division, each Division comprising three Sections.
7.18
The work of the Environmental Improvement Division was somewhat disrupted at the beginning of the year because insufficient funds were made available to enable the resumption programme for the urban renewal pilot scheme to continue. In addition, this also prevented negotiations proceeding with owners who had approached Government to acquire their property which had been zoned for public use in the environmental improvement areas. This problem was eventually solved by the provision of substantial supplementary funds in November 1974 when it became possible to re-open negotiations to clear the backlog of work which had accumulated and most of these negotiations were concluded by the end of the year under review. The economic situation does not affect the Valuation Division as it does the Environmental Improvement Division because records always have to be kept up to date and there is a continuous stream of specialist valuations that have to be undertaken.
7.19
In recent years, a number of firms of Chartered Surveyors have opened offices in Hong Kong and the increasing use of professionally qualified estate developers and valuers by the private sector has introduced a greater degree of expertise into land negotiations and appeals and has tended to make the work of the Valuation Branch more complex.
7.20
A short summary of the work carried out within the two Divisions is
given below.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT DIVISION
Urban Renewal Section
7.21 The Urban Renewal Section is responsible for the implementation of the Urban Renewal Pilot Scheme which involves the acquisition and clearance of decayed and obsolete property within an area of about 4.86 hectares, in the older part of Western District, Hong Kong. During the year, some 15 properties were acquired by negotiation at an aggregate cost of just under $5 M. including tenant's compensation. Resumption notices were gazetted in respect of 7 properties and evidence was given by expert witnesses before 5 Resumption Boards which sat during the year. Compensation awarded by Boards totalled $8,111,952.18 in respect of 44 properties. The Scheme has now reached the stage where all the necessary land has been acquired to enable construction to start on a new road linking Hollywood Road and Queen's Road Central mainly along the alignment of part of Lower Lascar Row. Consideration is also being given to the inclusion of sites in the public auction sales programme and this will make a welcome addition to the programme which is particularly weak in non-industrial sites lying within existing urban areas.
Environmental Improvement Section
7.22
This Section is responsible for the acquisition of land required for Environmental Improvements as proposed on draft and statutory town plans mainly within the Urban Renewal District (Western District), Wan Chai and Yau Ma Tei. Some 59 properties were acquired by negotiation at an aggregate cost of $26,206,089.
69
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