Sessional_Paper_1895 — Page 147

143

No. 14

95

No. 132.

HONGKONG.

SCHEME FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE RESUMED AREA IN THE DISTRICT OF TAIPINGSHAN.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of

His Excellency the Governor.

PUBLIC WORKS OFFICE, HONGKONG, 22nd March, 1895.

SIR, I have the honour to subunit a project for the improvement of that portion of Taipingshan resumed by the Government under the provisions of Ordinance No. 8 of 1894, and a report thereon as follows

2. The total area of private property resumed is 272,021 square feet, and the cost of such resump- tion may be taken approximately, pending the settlement of costs, at $800,000.

*

3. It will be observed on reference to the accompanying plan marked A, on which the built area is shewn coloured neutral tint, that some portions of the area are closely built over, and that, owing to the great variation in the levels of the ground, basements exist to a large extent.

4. Further, many of the lanes are very narrow and crooked, preventing the free circulation of air around the buildings, and rendering access for the purpose of efficient scavenging and exercising reasonable supervision over the sanitation of the dwellings most difficult, and in some cases impossible to perform.

5. A careful study of the levels of the ground and the existing state of things will show how impracticable it is to attempt to render this district sanitary without extensive alterations and im- provements.

6. There are some blocks of houses which perhaps leave little to be desired except an increase in the width of the lanes at their backs, but a retention of these intact would prejudicially affect to a large extent the improvement of the district as a whole both from a sanitary and financial point of

view.

7. In considering the general project for the improvement of this district, the various provisions, regarding the height of buildings, the construction of backyards, the occupation of basements, and other sanitary matters recently introduced into the legislation of this Colony, must not be lost sight of. Bearing all these in mind and the utmost importance of not only rendering a district sanitary at the outset but also of providing efficient means for at all times maintaining it in such a condition, I have prepared the plan marked B shewing tinted red the area available for building purposes in the future.

8. Referring to plans A and B, it will be seen that, with the exception of the buildings on Inland Lot 361 and 28 houses erected on Inland Lots 592 and 593, the project involves the demolition of the whole of the buildings within the resumed area.

9. For the sake of reference, I have divided the district into 10 blocks, viz., 4, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K

10. Block A, situated at the north-east corner of the district, is bounded on the north by Square Street, ou the south by Bridges Street, on the east by Ladder Street, and on the west by Tank Lane.

The area of private property resumed in this block is 28,291 square feet, a portion of this it is proposed to utilize for the construction of streets and lanes, leaving 18,144 square feet, divided into 27 lots available for building purposes. These lots are 42 feet in depth by 16 feet in width, appro- ached by streets, 21 feet in width, having a gradient of 1 in 71⁄21⁄2 and abutting on lanes 15 feet in width.

11. Block B, situated to the south of block 4, and bounded on the north by Bridges Street, on the south by Market Street, on the east by Ladder Street and on the west by Tank Lane, is inter- sected by one street 21 feet in width with a gradient of 1 in 7, and by two lanes 15 feet in width.

The area of private property resumed in this block is 34,443 square feet, of which, 26,460 square feet have been divided into 42 building lots, 42 feet in depth and 15 feet in width.

* Not printed.