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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
At the present time there are five major public sports grounds in the urban area equipped with floodlighting. They are the Hong Kong Stadium and Southorn Playground on Hong Kong Island, and the Choi Hung Road, Po On Road and MacPherson Playgrounds in Kowloon.
In furtherance of the Urban Amenities Select Committee's policy of providing more floodlit recreation facilities, the department is now including the provision of floodlights in all new projects where the expenditure can be justified. The first such project to benefit from this new policy is likely to be the new children's playground on the rooftop of Wan Chai Market, which is being floodlit to enable it to stay open until 10.00 p.m. or later. Other projects which are due to be floodlit include the games area in the new Chatham Road Garden, Tsing Chau Street Playground in Hung Hom, the proposed Ma Tau Chung Playground close to Ma Tau Wei Housing Estate, and the projected Healthy Village Playground at North Point.
In addition, it is proposed to seek the inclusion of an item in the Public Works Programme to cover the provision, by stages, of floodlighting in Victoria Park, King George V Memorial Park in Hong Kong, Fa Hui Park, Maple Street Playground and Playground No. 3 in Kwun Tong Resettlement Estate.
(6) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:—
(a) Will Government consider increasing the amenity block vote so as to cover the cost of recreational facilities which must be provided without delay in the new resettlement estates?
(b) Will you please give this Council an estimate of what such facilities will cost in the estates under construction as well as in those already occupied where there are none or not enough of them?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows: --
With your permission, Sir, I will endeavour to answer the second part of the question first.
The department is now engaged in working out the estimated cost of providing all the new resettlement estates with basic recreation facilities such as children's playgrounds,
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
341
rest gardens and games pitches. This task will take several weeks, and at this stage I cannot do more than say that the provision of these basic facilities will undoubtedly require a considerably greater rate of expenditure than hitherto: possibly amounting to between 1 and 1.5 million dollars a year if the estates in the New Territories are included.
As regards the first part of the question, it was my intention to make a joint approach with the Commissioner for Resettlement to Government on the question of additional funds as soon as we have collected the necessary information. An increase in the size of the urban amenities block vote would be one answer, but an alternative might be to provide funds to cover the cost of basic recreational facilities in the building vote for each estate.
This latter alternative is a suggestion which has not yet been referred to the Commissioner for Resettlement, the Resettlement Select Committees, or the Colonial Secretary.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, was this not the procedure followed previously whereby the recreational amenities were in fact part of the cost of resettlement estates?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-The position for some years, Mr. Chairman, has been that the playgrounds are formed, serviced and fenced as part of the cost of resettlement estates, but not equipped.
MR. SALES: Thank you. In the circumstances, Sir, would you make these representations as early as possible, because the estimated cost of a new estate at Tsuen Wan is just $2 million if I recall, and the block vote cannot take that in its stride?
CHAIRMAN:-That point, Sir, is appreciated.
(7) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question :-
What decision has Government taken to provide open space in the New Territories for development as parks, playgrounds and other amenities for outdoor activity which urban dwellers may use?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:·
It is, I think, appreciated by everyone engaged in planning in the recreational field that there is insufficient space on Hong Kong Island or in Kowloon in which to provide
Page 182 of 382
342
Page 181 of 382
340
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
At the present time there are five major public sports grounds in the urban area equipped with floodlighting. They are the Hong Kong Stadium and Southorn Playground on Hong Kong Island, and the Choi Hung Road, Po On Road and MacPherson Playgrounds in Kowloon.
In furtherance of the Urban Amenities Select Committee's policy of providing more floodlit recreation facilities, the department is now including the provision of floodlights in all new projects where the expenditure can be justified. The first such project to benefit from this new policy is likely to be the new children's playground on the rooftop of Wan Chai Market, which is being floodlit to enable it to stay open until 10.00 p.m. or later. Other projects which are due to be floodlit include the games area in the new Chatham Road Garden, Tsing Chau Street Play- ground in Hung Hom, the proposed Ma Tau Chung Play- ground close to Ma Tau Wei Housing Estate, and the projected Healthy Village Playground at North Point.
In addition, it is proposed to seek the inclusion of an item in the Public Works Programme to cover the provision, by stages, of floodlighting in Victoria Park, King George V Memorial Park in Hong Kong, Fa Hui Park, Maple Street Playground and Playground No. 3 in Kwun Tong Resettlement Estate.
(6) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:—
(a) Will Government consider increasing the amenity block vote so as to cover the cost of recreational facilities which must be provided without delay in the new resettlement estates?
(b) Will you please give this Council an estimate of what such facilities will cost in the estates under construction as well as in those already occupied where there are none or not enough of them?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows: --
With your permission, Sir, I will endeavour to answer the
second part of the question first.
The department is now engaged in working out the estimated cost of providing all the new resettlement estates with basic recreation facilities such as children's playgrounds,
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
341
rest gardens and games pitches. This task will take several weeks, and at this stage I cannot do more than say that the provision of these basic facilities will un- doubtedly require a considerably greater rate of expenditure than hitherto: possibly amounting to between 1 and 1.5 million dollars a year if the estates in the New Territories are included.
As regards the first part of the question, it was my intention to make a joint approach with the Commissioner for Resettlement to Government on the question of additional funds as soon as we have collected the necessary informa- tion. An increase in the size of the urban amenities block vote would be one answer, but an alternative might be to provide funds to cover the cost of basic recreational facilities in the building vote for each estate.
This latter alternative is a suggestion which has not yet been referred to the Commissioner for Resettlement, the Reset- tlement Select Committees, or the Colonial Secretary.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, was this not the procedure followed previously whereby the recreational amenities were in fact part of the cost of resettlement estates?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-The position for some years, Mr. Chairman, has been that the playgrounds are formed, serviced and fenced as part of the cost of resettlement estates, but not equipped.
MR. SALES: Thank you. In the circumstances, Sir, would you make these representations as early as possible, because the estimated cost of a new estate at Tsuen Wan is just $2 million if I recall, and the block vote cannot take that in its stride?
CHAIRMAN:-That point, Sir, is appreciated.
(7) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question :-
What decision has Government taken to provide open space in the New Territories for development as parks, play- grounds and other amenities for outdoor activity which urban dwellers may use?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:·
It is, I think, appreciated by everyone engaged in planning in the recreational field that there is insufficient space on Hong Kong Island or in Kowloon in which to provide
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