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ahead and the first block is now nearing completion. We are already piling at Cheung Sha Wan and Wong Tai Sin (West) and site formation is progressing well at Shek Kip Mei and Valley Road. By November of this year we shall have completed Kwun Tong; and three other estates with accommodation for some 32,000 people will be under construction. Piling or site formation will be under way on three more estates planned for a further 36,000 people.
Mr. WATSON can be relied on to come up with constructive suggestions. This year he has suggested cheap flats going up to 30 or 40 storeys, amendment of the building regulations and the acceptance of densities of 4,000 or more to the acre. Subject to certain conditions, which present no difficulty on a large site, there is nothing in the building regulations to prevent 30 to 40 storey buildings today. Site densities well in excess of 4,000 to the acre are all too common in some of the re-developed areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong. I would not be prepared to recommend to Government any increase in the very high densities and building volumes already permitted by the Building Regulations, but I would welcome higher buildings if the site coverage is correspondingly decreased.
I can assure Mr. WATSON that members of my department have for some years been casting envious glances at the wide open spaces of the New Territories. As you are aware, there are 12 Resettlement Blocks at Tai Wo Hau Stage I, six under construction in Stage II and Estates are planned at Kwai Chung and Yuen Long; the possibilities of Junk Bay are being investigated. Estates in these areas must be carefully integrated with other development and even if a fast transportation system was available, there are other problems to be overcome before transfer of tens of thousands of urban dwellers to rural housing estates can be effected.
Some Members appear to be under the misapprehension that the Town Planning Board gives no consideration to the views or suggestions of the public, unless they come forward as objectors. Members may recollect that in October 1959 a press notice was issued inviting the public to make suggestions as to how the Dockyard Released Land and the Central Reclamation areas should be developed. Subsequently, a circular letter was issued to many public and private bodies—including this Council—setting out the preliminary decisions of the Town Planning Board on the principles to be followed in the planning of the area, and inviting comments and advice. The interest shown by many of these bodies was most pleasing and all their suggestions were most carefully considered; many of them being embodied in the draft plan.
Whilst on this subject of town planning, I should like to assure Dr. LEE, Mr. WATSON and others that there is absolutely nothing in our Central Areas Town Plan to inhibit a monorail. On the contrary, it could fit in with such a scheme very easily. With due deference to Mr. SALES, I am not prepared to voice in public either the details or the broad concepts of Town Planning Board considerations any more than has been done already.
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Mr. WATSON said that the Advisory Committee on Public Transport does not appear to have concerned itself with the future. They have in fact made a start on this work during the six months since the Committee was appointed, but the Chairman has said publicly on several occasions that the Committee is not prepared to go into the economics and practicability of a rapid transit system without a survey which measures present needs and makes a reasonable forecast of future growth. The first step is a survey—which may take two years—and before that is undertaken, it must be planned carefully. The present position is that the transport undertakings have replied to a comprehensive questionnaire on their methods of operation and planning. Replies are being studied to determine the scope, nature, and desirability of a survey. The object would be to show whether present resources are used to the best effect, to give a measure of future growth in demand, and to indicate what type of public transport will be needed to meet it.
On the subject of Squatter Clearance, I would refer Mr. BERNACCHI to the quarterly reports of the Resettlement Department, which provide full details of the land cleared and the reasons for its clearance. A request for clearance is only made when funds have been voted for the carrying out of a project in the Public Works programme. If we can supply any further particulars, I shall be pleased to assist.
From Squatter Clearance we turn to Slum Clearance and I would refer Mr. WATSON to the Press Release of 23rd October, 1959. This may have left much unsaid, but Mr. WATSON has said part of it—“slum clearance can only be accomplished with the co-operation and participation of the private land-owners who own most of the land in the Urban Area” and, as Mr. WATSON says, Government “would have to offer considerable incentives”. In agreeing with him, I suggest that in the light of our previous experience “considerable incentives” may be an understatement.
Some Members complained of the lack of progress on the construction of new markets, and the under-expenditure on the Urban Amenities Block Vote. In each case, reference was made to the shortage of staff in the Architectural Branch of the Public Works Department.
As far as markets are concerned, this is not really correct. Of the four markets in Category B of the Printed Estimates, the Public Works Department is still awaiting approved schedules of accommodation for Shek Tong Tsui and Kowloon City. The schedule for North Point was
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50
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ahead and the first block is now nearing completion. We are already piling at Cheung Sha Wan and Wong Tai Sin (West) and site formation is progressing well at Shek Kip Mei and Valley Road. By November of this year we shall have completed Kwun Tong; and three other estates with accommodation for some 32,000 people will be under construction. Piling or site formation will be under way on three more estates planned for a further 36,000 people.
Mr. WATSON can be relied on to come up with constructive sugges- tions. This year he has suggested cheap flats going up to 30 or 40 storeys, amendment of the building regulations and the acceptance of densities of 4,000 or more to the acre. Subject to certain conditions, which present no difficulty on a large site, there is nothing in the build- ing regulations to prevent 30 to 40 storey buildings today. Site densities well in excess of 4,000 to the acre are all too common in some of the re-developed areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong. I would not be prepared to recommend to Government any increase in the very high densities and building volumes already permitted by the Building Regulations, but I would welcome higher buildings if the site coverage is correspondingly decreased,
I can assure Mr. WATSON that members of my department, have for some years been casting envious glances at the wide open spaces of the New Territories. As you are aware there are 12 Resettlement Blocks at Tai Wo Hau Stage I, six under construction in Stage II and Estates are planned at Kwai Chung and Yuen Long; the possibilities of Junk Bay are being investigated. Estates in these areas must be carefully integrated with other development and even if a fast trans- portation system was available there are other problems to be overcome before transfer of tens of thousands of urban dwellers to rural housing estates can be effected.
Some Members appear to be under the misapprehension that the Town Planning Board gives no consideration to the views or suggestions of the public, unless they come forward as objectors. Members may recollect that in October 1959 a press notice was issued inviting the public to make suggestions as to how the Dockyard Released Land and the Central Reclamation areas should be developed. Subsequently a circular letter was issued to many public and private bodies--including this Council-setting out the preliminary decisions of the Town Plan- ning Board on the principles to be followed in the planning of the area, and inviting comments and advice. The interest shown by many of these bodies was most pleasing and all their suggestions were most carefully considered; many of them being embodied in the draft plan.
Whilst on this subject of town planning I should like to assure Dr. LEE, Mr. WATSON and others that there is absolutely nothing in our Central Areas Town Plan to inhibit a monorail. On the contrary,
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
73
it could fit in with such a scheme very easily. With due deference to Mr. SALES I am not prepared to voice in public either the details or the broad concepts of Town Planning Board considerations any more than has been done already.
Mr. WATSON said that the Advisory Committee on Public Trans- port does not appear to have concerned itself with the future. They have in fact made a start on this work during the six months since the Committee was appointed but the Chairman has said publicly on several occasions that the Committee is not prepared to go into the economics and practicability of a rapid transit system without a survey which measures present needs and makes a reasonable forecast of future growth. The first step is a survey-which may take two years-and before that is undertaken it must be planned carefully. The present position is that the transport undertakings have replied to a comprehen- sive questionnaire on their methods of operation and planning. replies are being studied to determine the scope, nature and desirability of a survey. The object would be to show whether present resources are used to the best effect, to give a measure of future growth in demand, and to indicate what type of public transport will be needed to meet it.
These
On the subject of Squatter Clearance I would refer Mr. BERNACCHI to the quarterly reports of the Resettlement Department, which provide full details of the land cleared and the reasons for its clearance. A request for clearance is only made when funds have been voted for the carrying out of a project in the Public Works programme. If we can supply any further particulars I shall be pleased to assist.
From Squatter Clearance we turn to Slum Clearance and I would refer Mr. WATSON to the Press Release of 23rd October, 1959. This may have left much unsaid but Mr. WATSON has said part of it-"slum clearance can only be accomplished with the co-operation and participa- tion of the private land-owners who own most of the land in the Urban Area" and, as Mr. WATSON says, Government "would have to offer considerable incentives". In agreeing with him I suggest that in the light of our previous experience "considerable incentives" may be an understatement.
Some Members complained of the lack of progress on the construc- tion of new markets, and the under-expenditure on the Urban Amenities Block Vote. In each case reference was made to the shortage of staff in the Architectural Branch of the Public Works Department.
As far as markets are concerned this is not really correct. Of the four markets in Category B of the Printed Estimates the Public Works Department is still awaiting approved schedules of accommodation for Shek Tong Tsui and Kowloon City. The schedule for North Point was
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