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# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
## MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 4th July, 1961, were confirmed.
## PAPERS
THE CHAIRMAN laid upon the table the following papers:-
(1) Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of July 1961.
(2) Urban Council and Urban Services Department Statistical report for the period 1st April, 1961, to 30th June, 1961.
(3) Report by the Commissioner for Resettlement on the progress of clearance and resettlement operations during the period 1st April, 1961, to 30th June, 1961.
## QUESTIONS
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
"Many residents who are regular users of the Mong Kok Ferry have complained that there are no toilet facilities at the Mong Kok Ferry Pier; since this Pier is used every day by a large number of commuters, will the Chairman inquire from the Public Works Department when it will be possible to install adequate toilet facilities?”
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
"My friend, the Director of Public Works, informs me that there are no plans for installing toilet facilities on this pier. It would not be easy to find a site for these on the pier itself.
It has been decided to carry out an inspection of the area immediately adjacent to the pier, and if a suitable site can be found I am prepared to recommend to the Public Works Sub-Committee, for inclusion of funds in next year's estimates, the construction of a small public latrine there.
There is a public bathhouse and latrine at the corner of Canton Road and Nelson Street, 200 yards from the pier, and another at Portland Street just off Shan Tung Street. Passengers on the ferry who are residents of Mong Kok will no doubt be aware of these. However, for the benefit of strangers I will, if you wish, ask my friend, the Director of Public Works, to put up a notice on the pier indicating where the nearest public toilet facilities can be found."
115
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:--With regard to the last sentence of your reply, Mr. Chairman, I do so wish, not for my benefit but for the benefit of the public, that a notice should be posted. I understand that this is purely a temporary measure pending the results of the inspection.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:
"Will the Chairman please state whether the Urban Services Department has a Five-Year Development Plan for the developmental aspects of the Department's responsibilities; if not, would the Director of Urban Services agree to prepare such a Five-Year Development Plan for consideration by the various Urban Council Select Committees?"
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
"As Members are aware, we do have a programme for future markets, public latrines and bathhouses, and swimming pools. It is not, however, based on any time factor, but is decided primarily on priority of need and is considered by Government on those grounds. Of course this plan is not inflexible and the Council can decide later to alter as they wish the order of priority of the various items in the list.
There is, however, no overall 5-year development plan in the department. While such a plan could possibly be prepared for certain aspects of urban services, such as the ones just mentioned, I do not think that it would be feasible to lay down a forward plan for some of the other responsibilities such as cemeteries, crematoria, abattoirs, bathing beaches, the City Hall, etc. In their case it would be very difficult to forecast when the facilities provided by them are going to prove inadequate, as so much depends on the rate of growth of the Colony. In the case of urban bathing beaches, apart from comparatively minor improvements to the existing beaches, there can, I think, be no future plans for major development because we have reached the end of our supply. Although I have said that in some cases it may be possible to have a 5-year development plan, I do not think that the practical effect would be worth the effort. There would be no guarantee that the plan would proceed according to schedule, because the matter would be entirely dependent upon the state of the Colony's financial position, which might necessitate the deferment of items which had been inserted in the plan for a particular year. This would throw the whole plan progressively more out of gear as time passed.
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Page 65 of 110
114
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MINUTES.
The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 4th July, 1961, were confirmed.
PAPERS.
THE CHAIRMAN laid upon the table the following papers:-
(1) Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban
Services Department for the month of July 1961. (2) Urban Council and Urban Services Department Statistical report for the period 1st April, 1961, to 30th June, 1961. (3) Report by the Commissioner for Resettlement on the progress of clearance and resettlement operations during the period 1st April, 1961, to 30th June, 1961.
QUESTIONS.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
"Many residents who are regular users of the Mong Kok Ferry have complained that there are no toilet facilities at the Mong Kok Ferry Pier; since this Pier is used every day by a large number of commuters, will the Chairman inquire from the Public Works Department when it will be possible to install adequate toilet facilities?”
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
"My friend, the Director of Public Works, informs me that there are no plans for installing toilet facilities on this pier. It would not be easy to find a site for these on the pier itself.
It has been decided to carry out an inspection of the area immediately adjacent to the pier, and if a suitable site can be found I am prepared to recommend to the Public Works Sub-Committee, for inclusion of funds in next year's estimates, the construction of a small public latrine there.
There is a public bathhouse and latrine at the corner of Canton Road and Nelson Street, 200 yards from the pier, and another at Portland Street just off Shan Tung Street. Passengers on the ferry who are residents of Mong Kok will no doubt be aware of these. However, for the benefit of strangers I will, if you wish, ask my friend, the Director of Public Works, to put up a notice on the pier indicating where the nearest public toilet facilities can be found."
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
115
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:--With regard to the last sentence of your reply, Mr. Chairman, I do so wish, not for my benefit but for the benefit of the public, that a notice should be posted. I understand that this is purely a temporary measure pending the results of the inspection.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question : ·
"Will the Chairman please state whether the Urban Services Department has a Five-Year Development Plan for the developmental aspects of the Department's responsibilities; if not, would the Director of Urban Services agree to pre- pare such a Five-Year Development Plan for considera- tion by the various Urban Council Select Committees?"
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
"As Members are aware, we do have a programme for future markets, public latrines and bathhouses, and swimming pools. It is not, however, based on any time factor, but is decided primarily on priority of need and is considered by Government on those grounds. Of course this plan is not inflexible and the Council can decide later to alter as they wish the order of priority of the various items in the list.
There is, however, no overall 5-year development plan in the department. While such a plan could possibly be pre- pared for certain aspects of urban services, such as the ones just mentioned, I do not think that it would be feasible to lay down a forward plan for some of the other responsibilities such as cemeteries, crematoria, abattoirs, bathing beaches, the City Hall, etc. In their case it would be very difficult to forecast when the facilities provided by them are going to prove inadequate, as so much depends on the rate of growth of the Colony. In the case of urban bathing beaches, apart from compara- tively minor improvements to the existing beaches, there can, I think, be no future plans for major development because we have reached the end of our supply. Although I have said that in some cases it may be possible to have a 5-year development plan, I do not think that the practical effect would be worth the effort. There would be no guarantee that the plan would proceed according to schedule, because the matter would be en- tirely dependent upon the state of the Colony's financial position, which might necessitate the deferment of items which had been inserted in the plan for a particular year. This would throw the whole plan progressively more out of gear as time passed.
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