Page 118 of 150
220
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
of this a recommendation was made recently to Government for the inclusion of the following items in the Public Works Programme:
a children's playground,
a covered playground and children's library,
ten tennis courts, booking office and changing rooms, two squash courts,
a running track, field athletics facilities, and bowling greens.
The future Public Works Programme is still under consideration and it is not known whether all these items will be included, or by what date they could be completed.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Referring to the last paragraph of your reply, may I inquire how future is the future Public Works Programme you were referring to?
CHAIRMAN:-The reference, Sir, is to the Public Works Programme for the coming financial year-1963/64.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you. I thought it was somewhere in the distant future.
MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:-
(a) Is the Chairman able to assure this Council that, to make good the present deficiency in Tsim Sha Tsui, the area now occupied by the Whitfield Barracks will be properly planned so as to include adequate open space for parks and playgrounds?
(b) When will this Council be consulted about the new lay-out?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
In reply to the first part of the question, I am able to give an assurance that the Town Planning Board is now considering the area, which includes Whitfield Barracks and Tsim Sha Tsui, and that it will be properly planned. However, I must point out that if the ratio of open space to built-up area is judged by standards in some other countries, it is unlikely that even the whole of the Whitfield Barracks area would be sufficient to make up the deficiency of open space in the surrounding areas. I would add that in Hong Kong and Kowloon, it is the planning aim to obtain one acre in every ten for parks and playgrounds, but whether or not it will be possible to achieve this aim in this part of Kowloon is not yet known.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
221
In reply to the second part of the question, I shall ask the Town Planning Board at its next meeting if it is possible as yet to state when it is intended to invite the comments of this Council and other bodies concerning the new lay-out. There is, of course, no doubt that the views of this Council will be invited on the layout in due course.
(At this point Mr. BERNACCHI, with the permission of the Chairman, left the meeting).
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, is that yardstick of one acre for every ten to be applied, as far as it is possible to do so, in districts throughout the urban areas of the Colony, where a deficiency exists by that standard?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-I believe so, Mr. Chairman.
MR. SALES:-Thank you, Mr. Chairman. May I ask whether you are prepared to make representations once again to Government on behalf of this Council that a representative from this Council sit on the Town Planning Board?
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, I must rule that question out of order.
MR. SALES: May the question be minuted?
CHAIRMAN:-By all means.
MR. SALES: --Thank you.
Mr. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:-
(a) When is work likely to start on the playground along Ma Tau Wei Road?
(b) May this Council be assured that the area set aside there for this purpose has not been further reduced?
Page 119 of 150
Page 118 of 150
220
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
of this a recommendation was made recently to Govern- ment for the inclusion of the following items in the Public Works Programme:
a children's playground,
a covered playground and children's library,
ten tennis courts, booking office and changing rooms, two squash courts,
a running track, field athletics facilities, and bowling
greens.
The future Public Works Programme is still under con- sideration and it is not known whether all these items will be included, or by what date they could be completed.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Referring to the last paragraph of your reply, may I inquire how future is the future Public Works Programme you were referring to?
CHAIRMAN:-The reference, Sir, is to the Public Works Programme for the coming financial year-1963/64.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you. I thought it was somewhere in the distant future.
MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question :-
(a) Is the Chairman able to assure this Council that, to make good the present deficiency in Tsim Sha Tsui, the area now occupied by the Whitfield Barracks will be properly planned so as to include adequate open space for parks and playgrounds?
(b) When will this Council be consulted about the new
lay-out?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
In reply to the first part of the question, I am able to give an assurance that the Town Planning Board is now consider- ing the area, which includes Whitfield Barracks and Tsim Sha Tsui, and that it will be properly planned. However, I must point out that if the ratio of open space to built-up area is judged by standards in some other countries, it is unlikely that even the whole of the Whitfield Barracks
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
221
area would be sufficient to make up the deficiency of open space in the surrounding areas. I would add that in Hong Kong and Kowloon, it is the planning aim to obtain one acre in every ten for parks and playgrounds, but whether or not it will be possible to achieve this aim in this part of Kowloon is not yet known.
In reply to the second part of the question, I shall ask the Town Planning Board at its next meeting if it is possible as yet to state when it is intended to invite the comments of this Council and other bodies concerning the new lay- out. There is, of course, no doubt that the views of this Council will be invited on the layout in due course.
(At this point Mr. BERNACCHI, with the permission of the Chairman, left the meeting).
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, is that yardstick of one acre for every ten to be applied, as far as it is possible to do so, in districts throughout the urban areas of the Colony, where a deficiency exists by that standard?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-I believe so, Mr. Chairman.
MR. SALES-Thank you, Mr. Chairman. May I ask whether you are prepared to make representations once again to Government on behalf of this Council that a representative from this Council sit on the Town Planning Board?
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, I must rule that question out of order.
MR. SALES: May the question be minuted?
CHAIRMAN:-By all means.
MR. SALES: --Thank you.
Mr. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:-
(a) When is work likely to start on the playground along Ma
Tau Wei Road?
(b) May this Council be assured that the area set aside there
for this purpose has not been further reduced?
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.