Page 164 of 194
310
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Several Members spoke about postwar buildings which develop into slums. New building regulations which require open space to be increased as the building height increases are already in force, but do not become mandatory until 1st January, 1966. Other regulations which set higher standards of lighting and ventilation to kitchens and offices became mandatory on 1st July, 1963.
This new legislation should bring about some improvement, particularly by reducing the excessively high densities of population referred to by Dr. P. F. Woo, but I cannot pretend that it will end all the shortcomings of postwar building. There is nothing in the Building Regulations now to prohibit—or even discourage private enterprise from building flats like those of the Housing Authority. One must assume however that bigger flats, which are easy to divide into cubicles, are financially more attractive.
Dr. Woo also spoke of illegal structures in the yards of tenement and other multi-storey buildings. The Building Regulations lay down the minimum open space to be provided for each domestic building, and before giving an Occupation Permit the Building Authority checks that the statutory open space has been provided and is not cluttered up with illegal buildings. The demand for land being what it is this open space whether at ground level or first floor level—is in great demand for the construction of lean-to sheds or other illegal buildings.
When, a few years ago, the Building Authority approved the plans for new development at Ka Shin Street he noted with pleasure that the space between the buildings was to be planted with trees and used as a playground or recreation space for the tenants. Today it is covered with the illegal buildings to which Dr. Woo referred. These illegal buildings are on private land, owned by a multiplicity of people, and the question of clearance poses very many complex problems.
From postwar slums one can turn easily to another problem of our times—obstructions to pavements, dangers to pedestrians using the pavements, road trenches, and buildings adjacent to sites where demolition or redevelopment is taking place.
Pavement obstructions and road trenches can be taken together; both are necessary evils directly connected with urban redevelopment. Buildings cannot be built without the delivery and storage of building materials, and balconies will continue to be built over pavements. Occupants of new buildings expect—and must be provided with—water, electricity, gas, a connexion to the public sewer, a telephone perhaps, and possibly rediffusion in addition. These essential services can only be provided by digging up the road, and it is not possible to provide them simultaneously, all in the same trench.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
311
As the pace of development grows, and a hundred thousand people live where ten thousand lived a few years ago, all the service mains—water, sewers, gas, electricity—have to be increased in size. In new areas we can, and do, put in larger mains to cope with the anticipated growth, but before the war and just after the war no one could have foreseen the phenomenal growth in our population, and the extremely high densities of population that are now commonplace in urban Kowloon and parts of Hong Kong.
Unless we prohibit redevelopment we can do nothing to prevent roads being dug up and pavements being interfered with by building operations. To improve matters we must find some means of reducing to a minimum the nuisance caused by these operations. There will always be some degree of nuisance; at the moment, I admit, the degree of nuisance is too high.
I have given this matter a great deal of thought during the past year and have had several meetings with other Government departments and my own senior staff. I have also visited some of the worst areas, and I am convinced that in the final analysis we are dependent on the goodwill and civic sense of the contractors and their supervisory staff. With this end in view we have started a course of lectures for contractors and it promises to produce good results. At the same time we have asked the Utility Companies to impress on their contractors the need to reduce public inconvenience to a minimum, and to give such supervision to the works as may be necessary to see that this requirement is complied with. Similar instructions have been issued to the Waterworks and Drainage Offices of the Public Works Department and their contractors. I hope that this attempt to get at the root of the trouble will bear fruit.
So far as building sites are concerned action can be taken,—and is being taken—under the Buildings Ordinance to ensure not only the provision of adequate hoardings and walkways, but also their maintenance in reasonably good condition. If necessary, and as an ultimate sanction, I would be prepared to issue a cease works order against a persistent offender. But I hope that before drastic action of this kind becomes necessary we shall be able to instill in the contractors and their workmen a sense of responsibility towards the general public.
I spoke last year about demolition and its inherent dangers when undertaken on old terrace houses. The situation worsened during the year, and in November we had to take the emergency action referred to by the Honourable F. S. LI.
Old buildings are being endangered not only by the careless demolition of adjoining property, but also by the thoughtless use of piling systems which cause excessive vibration, and by deep excavation without
Page 164 of 194
310
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Page 165 of 194
of 194
Page 164 of 194
310
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Several Members spoke about postwar buildings which develop into slums. New building regulations which require open space to be increased as the building height increases are already in force, but do not become mandatory until 1st January, 1966. Other regulations which set higher standards of lighting and ventilation to kitchens and offices became mandatory on 1st July, 1963.
This new legislation should bring about some improvement, partic- ularly by reducing the excessively high densities of population referred to by Dr. P. F. Woo, but I cannot pretend that it will end all the shortcomings of postwar building. There is nothing in the Building Regulations now to prohibit-or even discourage private enterprise from building flats like those of the Housing Authority. One must assume however that bigger flats, which are easy to divide into cubicles, are financially more attractive.
Dr. Woo also spoke of illegal structures in the yards of tenement and other multi-storey buildings. The Building Regulations lay down the minimum open space to be provided for each domestic building, and before giving an Occupation Permit the Building Authority checks that the statutory open space has been provided and is not cluttered up with illegal buildings. The demand for land being what it is this open space whether at ground level or first floor level-is in great demand for the construction of lean-to sheds or other illegal buildings.
When, a few years ago, the Building Authority approved the plans for new development at Ka Shin Street he noted with pleasure that the space between the buildings was to be planted with trees and used as a playground or recreation space for the tenants. Today it is covered with the illegal buildings to which Dr. Woo referred. These illegal buildings are on private land, owned by a multiplicity of people, and the question of clearance poses very many complex problems.
From postwar slums one can turn easily to another problem of our times-obstructions to pavements, dangers to pedestrians using the pavements, road trenches, and buildings adjacent to sites where demoli- tion or redevelopment is taking place.
Pavement obstructions and road trenches can be taken together; both are necessary evils directly connected with urban redevelopment. Buildings cannot be built without the delivery and storage of building materials, and balconies will continue to be built over pavements. Occupants of new buildings expect—and must be provided with-water, electricity, gas, a connexion to the public sewer, a telephone perhaps, and possibly rediffusion in addition. These essential services can only be provided by digging up the road, and it is not possible to provide them simultaneously, all in the same trench.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
311
As the pace of development grows, and a hundred thousand people live where ten thousand lived a few years ago, all the service mains- water, sewers, gas, electricity-have to be increased in size. In new areas we can, and do, put in larger mains to cope with the anticipated growth, but before the war and just after the war no one could have foreseen the phenomenal growth in our population, and the extremely high densities of population that are now commonplace in urban Kowloon and parts of Hong Kong.
Unless we prohibit redevelopment we can do nothing to prevent roads being dug up and pavements being interferred with by building operations. To improve matters we must find some means of reducing to a minimum the nuisance caused by these operations. There will always be some degree of nuisance; at the moment, I admit, the degree of nuisance is too high.
I have given this matter a great deal of thought during the past year and have had several meetings with other Government departments and my own senior staff. I have also visited some of the worst areas, and I am convinced that in the final analysis we are dependent on the goodwill and civic sense of the contractors and their supervisory staff. With this end in view we have started a course of lectures for contrac- tors and it promises to produce good results. At the same time we have asked the Utility Companies to impress on their contractors the need to reduce public inconvenience to a minimum, and to give such supervision to the works as may be necessary to see that this require- ment is complied with. Similar instructions have been issued to the Waterworks and Drainage Offices of the Public Works Department and their contractors. I hope that this attempt to get at the root of the trouble will bear fruit.
So far as building sites are concerned action can be taken,—and is being taken-under the Buildings Ordinance to ensure not only the provision of adequate hoardings and walkways, but also their main- tenance in reasonably good condition. If necessary, and as an ultimate sanction, I would be prepared to issue a cease works order against a persistent offender. But I hope that before drastic action of this kind becomes necessary we shall be able to instill in the contractors and their workmen a sense of responsibility towards the general public.
I spoke last year about demolition and its inherent dangers when undertaken on old terrace houses. The situation worsened during the year, and in November we had to take the emergency action referred to by the Honourable F. S. LI.
Old buildings are being endangered not only by the careless demoli- tion of adjoining property, but also by the thoughtless use of piling systems which cause excessive vibration, and by deep excavation without
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