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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Government Architect hopes to call for tenders during October and let a contract by the end of November or early December with a view to completion by the end of March or early April 1966. I must however warn you, Sir, that this timetable is very tight and there might well be delays outside the control of the Government Architect or the Contractor.
The contract for road works has already been let and the programme of works will necessitate the surrender of the existing playground and garden sometime between December 1965 and March 1966 depending on the progress made by the Contractor.
I am afraid that no assurance can be given that the existing playground and garden will not be closed before the new one is ready. The road works cannot be deliberately slowed down to achieve this purpose, but the existing garden will not be closed until it is absolutely necessary and I can assure you that every effort will be made to complete the new playground and rest garden as quickly as possible.
Constant liaison will be maintained between the Roads Division of the Civil Engineering Office, the Architectural Office and the Urban Services Department to ensure that any temporary loss of facilities will be reduced to a minimum.
MR. SALES: If Mr. CHEONG-LEEN doesn't wish to put Question 12, which stands in my name, I will do it myself (Laughter). While I'm obliged to the Director of Public Works for the assurance that he has given us, may I ask what indeed was the cause that delayed your department putting up to the Public Works Sub-Committee the request made by the Urban Amenities Select Committee that the playground should be accorded the same priority as the Road Works so that the playground would not be closed until the new playground was reprovisioned?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: -Mr. Chairman, I can answer part of that question. I am not aware of any request going to the Public Works Sub-Committee that the two should be phased together, and I do not think it is within the Public Works Sub-Committee's terms of reference. But in a letter dated 23rd November, 1964 to the Director of Urban Services, the Colonial Secretary wrote "I regret that no precise undertaking can be given that the latter (that is the reprovisioning of the playground and rest garden) will be completed before the existing area is required for road widening".
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MR. SALES: Is this Council to understand, Sir, that your department has not properly represented to the Colonial Secretary the repeated views of the Urban Amenities Select Committee that the existing playground should not be closed and the children deprived of playing facilities until the new playground has been reprovisioned?
CHAIRMAN: Sir, it is my impression that any representations which the department was asked to make were made, but I would like to refresh my mind on the subject and refer it to you later in writing.
MR. SALES: Sir, as you yourself are a member of the Urban Amenities Select Committee you must surely be aware of the sentiments of the members of that Select Committee, particularly unofficial members, that the children in Tsim Sha Tsui, particularly along the heavily built-up area in Chatham Road, should not lose the only playground that there is until they can be given alternative facilities. Sir, I ask whether you, as a member of the Urban Amenities Select Committee, were not aware of that sentiment?
CHAIRMAN: Sir, I thought that you were telling me that I would be aware (Laughter).
MR. SALES: These sentiments may have been expressed early in the meeting, long before your scheduled time of arrival (Laughter).
(13) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:
(a) May this Council know when it will be possible for amenity work to be carried out on an extensive basis in Kwun Tong?
(b) What are the recreational facilities now available there?
(c) What are planned for the rapidly increasing population in that district and when will they be ready?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
The development of central Kwun Tong has now reached the stage where it is feasible for the Urban Council to embark on the provision of much-needed amenities, and construction work has just started on an extensive programme of playgrounds, gardens and sitting out areas. Regarding the second part of the question, central Kwun Tong has at present only one small rest garden, but the nearby Kwun Tong Resettlement and Low Cost Housing Estates are served by 4 existing children's playgrounds, 10 basketball and volleyball courts, and one mini-football pitch.
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...
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... (implied, not directly given but following the original format)17
Page 143 of 382
264
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Government Architect hopes to call for tenders during October and let a contract by the end of November or early December with a view to completion by the end of March or early April 1966. I must however warn you, Sir, that this timetable is very tight and there might well be delays outside the control of the Government Architect or the Contractor.
The contract for road works has already been let and the pro- gramme of works will necessitate the surrender of the existing playground and garden sometime between Decem- ber 1965 and March 1966 depending on the progress made by the Contractor.
I am afraid that no assurance can be given that the existing playground and garden will not be closed before the new one is ready. The road works cannot be deliberately slowed down to achieve this purpose, but the existing garden will not be closed until it is absolutely necessary and I can assure you that every effort will be made to complete the new playground and rest garden as quickly as possible.
Constant liaison will be maintained between the Roads Division of the Civil Engineering Office, the Architectural Office and the Urban Services Department to ensure that any temporary loss of facilities will be reduced to a minimum.
MR. SALES: If Mr. CHEONG-LEEN doesn't wish to put Question 12, which stands in my name, I will do it myself (Laughter). While I'm obliged to the Director of Public Works for the assurance that he has given us, may I ask what indeed was the cause that delayed your department putting up to the Public Works Sub-Committee the request made by the Urban Amenities Select Committee that the playground should be accorded the same priority as the Road Works so that the playground would not be closed until the new playground was repro- visioned?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLE WORKS: -Mr. Chairman, I can answer part of that question. I am not aware of any request going to the Public Works Sub-Committee that the two should be phased together, and I do not think it is within the Public Works Sub-Committee's terms of reference. But in a letter dated 23rd November, 1964 to the Direc- tor of Urban Services, the Colonial Secretary wrote "I regret that no precise undertaking can be given that the latter (that is the reprovision- ing of the playground and rest garden) will be completed before the existing area is required for road widening".
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
265
MR. SALES: Is this Council to understand, Sir, that your depart- ment has not properly represented to the Colonial Secretary the re- peated views of the Urban Amenities Select Committee that the exist- ing playground should not be closed and the children deprived of playing facilities until the new playground has been reprovisioned?
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, it is my impression that any representations which the department was asked to make were made, but I would like to refresh my mind on the subject and refer it to you later in writing.
MR. SALES: Sir, as you yourself are a member of the Urban Amenities Select Committee you must surely be aware of the senti- ments of the members of that Select Committee, particularly unofficial members, that the children in Tsim Sha Tsui, particularly along the heavily built-up area in Chatham Road, should not lose the only play- ground that there is until they can be given alternative facilities. Sir, I ask whether you, as a member of the Urban Amenities Select Com- mittee, were not aware of that sentiment?
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, I thought that you were telling me that I would be aware (Laughter).
MR. SALES: These sentiments may have been expressed early in the meeting, long before your scheduled time of arrival (Laughter).
(13) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:
(a) May this Council know when it will be possible for amenity work to be carried out on an extensive basis in Kwun Tong?
(b) What are the recreational facilities now available there? (c) What are planned for the rapidly increasing population
in that district and when will they be ready?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
The development of central Kwun Tong has now reached the stage where it is feasible for the Urban Council to embark on the provision of much-needed amenities, and construction work has just started on an extensive pro- gramme of playgrounds, gardens and sitting out areas. Regarding the second part of the question, central Kwun Tong has at present only one small rest garden, but the nearby Kwun Tong Resettlement and Low Cost Housing Estates are served by 4 existing children's playgrounds, 10 basketball and volleyball courts, and one mini-football pitch.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.