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patience and show forbearance. Only in time, with better employment opportunities, higher levels of education and well-defined aspirations for a better life on the part of those now broadly classified as hawkers, as well as a clearly stated expectation by the public in general that hawkers too are expected to bear their citizenship obligations, will there be substantial progress in solving this grave problem.
In the meantime, let us approach the matter in a practical way. They are street traders in effect. As such, they have acquired benefits at public expense, but have not incurred the normal business overheads nor have they been subjected to the usual forms of taxation, all of which their competitors in the nearby shops and markets shoulder and pay while the people who live there pay rates too. So, the community has a right to hope that they will at least help to defray in part the cost of regulating the conditions in the streets and locations where they are trading, without depending altogether on their neighbours to do so for them as there must be a limit to the hidden subvention they enjoy from the public at large. After all, even under the proposed revision of fees and charges, it is only a minor part of the cost that they are asked to pay, very far from the entire bill. Consequently, in the interest of the community as a whole, they should regard the new levels as logical and inevitable. And, they will be respected by the community for doing their duty as the good and hard-working citizens that they are in reality.
PAPER
The following paper was laid on the table:
Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of November 1975.
QUESTION
(1) MR. PETER P. F. CHAN asked the following question (in English):—
May I ask whether Borrowed Area No. 10 at To Kwa Wan can be developed into—
(a) a recreational area for children residing in that district; or
(b) a hawker bazaar so that on-street hawkers can be resited there
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127
as a temporary measure pending the use of the site by the Highways Office of the PWD?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):
Mr. Chairman, Borrow Area No. 10 is earmarked for development as a recreation ground, to be known as "To Kwa Wan Recreation Ground", with facilities for both active and passive use and will include mini-soccer pitches, basketball pitches, children's playground, rest garden, etc. The northern part of the site is meanwhile temporarily allocated to the PWD Highways Office as a works area for various projects such as the San Shan Interchange, the East Kowloon Way and the Airport Tunnel. The Highways Office will be moving into the site in mid 1976 and is likely to remain there till at least mid-1982. But the southern portion of Borrow Area No. 10 is being made available for immediate development in stages for recreational purposes, subject to inclusion of an item for this purpose in the Public Works Programme.
The Recreation and Amenities Select Committee has decided that, for Stage I of the development, two mini-soccer pitches, two basketball courts and changing facilities should be provided. Other facilities which include a children's playground, rest garden and more active games pitches will be provided in the later stages. In arriving at this decision, the Committee considered the comparative need for active games and children's playgrounds in this neighbourhood and came down in favour of active games to cater for young factory workers in the industrial area of To Kwa Wan.
On the question of using part of the site for development as a hawker bazaar, Borrow Area No. 10 is zoned as open space and is not suitably located for development as a hawker bazaar or market, since the present hawking pattern is mainly centred around the southern part of Pau Cheung Street and Kowloon City Road close to the existing To Kwa Wan Market. There is currently a proposal in the markets building programme to reprovision the To Kwa Wan Market which I understand will go some way towards providing for on-street hawkers in the vicinity. I am sure Mr. CHAN is well aware of this
Page 79 of 154
Page 79 of 154
126
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
patience and show forbearance. Only in time, with better employment opportunities, higher levels of education and well-defined aspirations for a better life on the part of those now broadly classified as hawkers, as well as a clearly stated expectation by the public in general that hawkers too are expected to bear their citizenship obligations, will there be substantial progress in solving this grave problem.
In the meantime, let us approach the matter in a practical way. They are street traders in effect. As such, they have acquired benefits at public expense, but have not incurred the normal business overheads nor have they been subjected to the usual forms of taxation, all of which their competitors in the nearby shops and markets shoulder and pay while the people who live there pay rates too. So, the community has a right to hope that they will at least help to defray in part the cost of regulating the conditions in the streets and locations where they are trading, without depending altogether on their neighbours to do so for them as there must be a limit to the hidden subvention they enjoy from the public at large. After all, even under the proposed revision of fees and charges, it is only a minor part of the cost that they are asked to pay, very far from the entire bill. Consequently, in the interest of the community as a whole, they should regard the new levels as logical and inevitable. And, they will be respected by the community for doing their duty as the good and hard-working citizens that they are in reality.
PAPER
The following paper was laid on the table:
Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of November 1975.
QUESTION
(1) MR. PETER P. F. CHAN asked the following question (in English):—
May I ask whether Borrowed Area No. 10 at To Kwa Wan
can be developed into-
(a) a recreational area for children residing in that
district; or
(b) a hawker bazaar so that on-street hawkers can be
resited there
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
127
as a temporary measure pending the use of the site by the Highways Office of the PWD?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):
Mr. Chairman, Borrow Area No. 10 is earmarked for develop- ment as a recreation ground, to be known as "To Kwa Wan Recreation Ground", with facilities for both active and passive use and will include mini-soccer pitches, backetball pitches, children's playground, rest garden, etc. The northern part of the site is meanwhile temporarily allocated to the PWD Highways Office as a works area for various projects such as the San Shan Interchange, the East Kowloon Way and the Airport Tunnel. The Highways Office will be moving into the site in mid 1976 and is likely to remain there till at least mid-1982. But the southern portion of Borrow Area No. 10 is being made available for immediate development in stages for recreational purposes, subject to inclusion of an item for this purpose in the Public Works Programme.
The Recreation and Amenities Select Committee has decided that, for Stage I of the development, two mini-soccer pitches, two basketball courts and changing facilities should be provided. Other facilities which include a children's playground, rest garden and more active games pitches will be provided in the later stages. In arriving at this decision, the Committee considered the compara- tive need for active games and children's playgrounds in this neighbourhood and came down in favour of active games to cater for young factory workers in the industrial area of To Kwa Wan.
On the question of using part of the site for development as a hawker bazaar, Borrow Area No. 10 is zoned as open space and is not suitably located for development as a hawker bazaar or market, since the present hawking pattern is mainly centred around the southern part of Pau Cheung Street and Kowloon City Road close to the existing To Kwa Wan Market. There is currently a proposal in the markets building programme to reprovi- sion the To Kwa Wan Market which I understand will go some way towards providing for on-street hawkers in the vicinity. I am sure Mr. CHAN is well aware of this
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.