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great cities elsewhere have a division of responsibilities in municipal administration? Would a single urban authority be necessarily the most efficient and appropriate for all the urban areas in Hong Kong? Do Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung have no particular features which distinguish them from the older established urban areas?
I merely pose these questions. I am not concerned to state policy, and what I have said does not imply a particular viewpoint. My intention is to demonstrate that a decision on the administration of a city of a million people is a complex matter requiring the most careful study, and this study must be carried out by Government in due course and at the right time.
The effect of the debating of this motion before us will be to place the Council's views on record, and these views will, of course, be made known to Government.
I feel that Members should consider carefully whether it is desirable that this motion should be pressed to a vote, and for my own part I propose to abstain from voting upon it.
The question was put.
The motion was carried with 13 votes for, nil against and 8 abstentions.
(Mr. BERNACCHI, Dr. LEE and Dr. WOO left at this point)
(2) MR. A. de O. SALES moved the following motion:
That this Council request Government to provide a public square along Nathan Road in the land now occupied by Whitfield Barracks.
He said: When the plans for Whitfield Barracks were presented to this Council for consideration I believe this Council went on record as recommending, among other things, that there should be a public square along Nathan Road. We have not heard from Government, to the best of my knowledge and belief, whether the recommendations made by the Urban Council have been accepted. Because I wish to make a public record of this request for a square along Nathan Road I am putting forward this motion to-day. I feel that in the opportunity which is provided by Whitfield Barracks we should widen Nathan Road and also lay out a public square which could well be a pedestrian precinct so that the opportunity would be given to the local people to spend their time of leisure in pleasant surroundings. It is true that, in
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the re-development of Whitfield Barracks, much land has been set aside as open space, but I think that provision is made along Canton Road rather than Nathan Road for reasons which we need not determine at this juncture but reasons of which we are not ignorant. Consequently, I think that this Council should request Government that a public square should be built, unless it is Government's intention to review the layout of Whitfield Barracks so that the playgrounds could all be located along the Nathan Road side. Sir, I move the motion which stands in my name.
MR. FORSGATE: In rising to second this motion, I would remind this Council of the far-sighted visionary, Sir Matthew Nathan, who had sponsored Nathan's folly many decades ago. We are now in the process of tearing the rather attractive vision which he had to pieces by the erection of a concrete cabin from the south to the north. The area of Whitfield Barracks is, I submit, the last position for us to redress the balance. Along with some other members of this Council we visited the Town Planning Institute and we saw—were shown in confidence part of the lay-out for this area. We were not terribly impressed with the lay-out of it and I submit the time is not far distant when detailed planning will be necessary. Every town has its square, even Hong Kong has its Statute Square, but Kowloon so far has merely a public square somewhere east of Nathan Road and not a very attractive one it is. Edinburgh has its St. Andrews Square, where our colleague Dr. Allison BELL is now sojourning. I submit that if a square leading in from Nathan Road were erected in this area, the dual purpose of commercial liability along with the amenity value would be preserved because it is a matter of record that the commercial value of the buildings around the perimeter of St. Andrews Square are among the most valuable portions of that city. In fact, I would like to place on record that I already have a name for the square, it could quite possibly be called Matthew Nathan Square. With these few words, I beg to second the motion.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: I support the motion moved by Mr. SALES. I think it is an eminently sound suggestion which the residents of Kowloon will be in favour of. I do recall that when the Standing Committee as a whole had discussed the plans for the Tsim Sha Tsui district, it was very strongly proposed by members of this Council that there should be a public square and particularly along Nathan Road. I am not suggesting that this square should be as large as St. Mark's Square in Venice, otherwise Government will have no more land to sell after Whitfield Barracks reverts to Government, but I do feel most strongly, Sir, that this square would be a desirable amenity to the residents of Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei. And perhaps a more suitable place for the square would be towards the Yau Ma Tei end of Whitfield Barracks. We know that there will be a certain space devoted to the
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great cities elsewhere have a division of responsibilities in municipal administration? Would a single urban authority be necessarily the most efficient and appropriate for all the urban areas in Hong Kong? Do Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung have no particular features which dis- tinguish them from the older established urban areas?
I merely pose these questions. I am not concerned to state policy, and what I have said does not imply a particular viewpoint. My inten- tion is to demonstrate that a decision on the administration of a city of a million people is a complex matter requiring the most careful study, and this study must be carried out by Government in due course and at the right time.
The effect of the debating of this motion before us will be to place the Council's views on record, and these views will, of course, be made known to Government.
I feel that Members should consider carefully whether it is desirable that this motion should be pressed to a vote, and for my own part I propose to abstain from voting upon it.
The question was put.
The motion was carried with 13 votes for, nil against and 8 abstentions.
(Mr. BERNACCHI, Dr. LEE and Dr. WOO left at this point)
(2) MR. A. de O. SALES moved the following motion:
That this Council request Government to provide a public square along Nathan Road in the land now occupied by Whitfield Barracks.
He said: When the plans for Whitfield Barracks were presented to this Council for consideration I believe this Council went on record as recommending, among other things, that there should be a public square along Nathan Road. We have not heard from Government, to the best of my knowledge and belief, whether the recommendations made by the Urban Council have been accepted. Because I wish to make a public record of this request for a square along Nathan Road I am putting forward this motion to-day. I feel that in the opportunity which is provided by Whitfield Barracks we should widen Nathan Road and also lay out a public square which could well be a pedestrian precinct so that the opportunity would be given to the local people to spend their time of leisure in pleasant surroundings. It is true that, in
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
283
the re-development of Whitfield Barracks, much land has been set aside as open space, but I think that provision is made along Canton Road rather than Nathan Road for reasons which we need not determine at this juncture but reasons of which we are not ignorant. Consequently, I think that this Council should request Government that a public square should be built, unless it is Government's intention to review the layout of Whitfield Barracks so that the playgrounds could all be located along the Nathan Road side. Sir, I move the motion which stands in my
name.
MR. FORSGATE:-In rising to second this motion, I would remind this Council of the far-sighted visionary, Sir Matthew Nathan, who had sponsored Nathan's folly many decades ago. We are now in the process of tearing the rather attractive vision which he had to pieces by the erection of a concrete cabin from the south to the north. The area of Whitfield Barracks is, I submit, the last position for us to redress the balance. Along with some other members of this Council we visited the Town Planning Institute and we saw-were shown in con- fidence part of the lay-out for this area. We were not terribly im- pressed with the lay-out of it and I submit the time is not far distant when detailed planning will be necessary. Every town has its square, even Hong Kong has its Statute Square, but Kowloon so far has merely a public square somewhere east of Nathan Road and not a very at- tractive one it is. Edinburgh has its St. Andrews Square, where our colleague Dr. Allison BELL is now sojourning. I submit that if a square leading in from Nathan Road were erected in this area, the dual purpose of commercial liability along with the amenity value would be preserved because it is a matter of record that the commercial value of the build- ings around the perimeter of St. Andrews Square are among the most valuable portions of that city. In fact, I would like to place on record that I already have a name for the square, it could quite possibly be called Matthew Nathan Square. With these few words, I beg to second the motion.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-I support the motion moved by Mr. SALES. I think it is an eminently sound suggestion which the residents of Kow- loon will be in favour of. I do recall that when the Standing Committee as a whole had discussed the plans for the Tsim Sha Tsui district, it was very strongly proposed by members of this Council that there should be a public square and particularly along Nathan Road. I am not suggesting that this square should be as large as St. Mark's Square in Venice, otherwise Government will have no more land to sell after Whitfield Barracks reverts to Government, but I do feel most strongly, Sir, that this square would be a desirable amenity to the residents of Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei. And perhaps a more suitable place for the square would be towards the Yau Ma Tei end of Whitfield Barracks. We know that there will be a certain space devoted to the
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