1976 — Page 27

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

and fully qualified to carry out their important functions. For this reason, study and training courses are run all the time and meat inspection staff are required to pass the examination of the Royal Society of Health.

Only by working in this way can the Council be assured that it is safeguarding public health at source. It must always do all in its power to control the quality of food sold here however costly it may be to do so. Indeed, the Council must strive in every way to ensure that food is fit for human consumption without ever compromising standards.

(Messrs. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN & Edmund W. H. CHOW arrived at this point)

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 April 1976.

QUESTION

(1) MR. H. M. G. FORSGATE asked the following question (in English):-

When will the next stage of the development of Kowloon Park proceed?

Are there any Town Planning proposals likely to affect its total redevelopment?

MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-

Mr. Chairman, Stage II of the Kowloon Park development is divided into three phases. The facilities to be provided in, and the construction schedule for, each of these phases are as follows:

(a) Phase I includes an active games area with a mini-soccer pitch, basketball and volleyball courts and changing/toilet facilities and rest gardens. Work on it is due to start in June and is expected to be completed by December this year;

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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(b) Phase II which consists of a children's playground and rest gardens is scheduled to start in September 1976 and be completed in February 1977;

(c) Phase III which consists of a classical Chinese garden and teahouse, an aviary and a music bowl is programmed for construction in January next year and to be completed by December.

I am advised by the Director of Urban Services that recent town planning proposals contained in a new draft outline zoning plan for Tsim Sha Tsui are likely to have considerable effect on the development of Kowloon Park. The major proposals in the new draft zoning plan concerning the old Whitfield Barracks site are:

(a) Definite proposals have been made as regards the sites for the Tsim Sha Tsui Kaifong School and Hall, the Swimming Pool Complex, Police Station and a site for Government, Institutional and Community use. These are now mainly located on the northern part of the old Whitfield Barracks site.

(b) It is proposed that a strip of land running parallel to and fronting part of Nathan Road should be zoned for commercial development, restricted to one and two storey shops with basements to be covered by the park at roof level. Ample access to the park from Nathan Road would be provided. The present intentions are to have an amenity strip some 50 ft. wide between Nathan Road and the Police Station.

(c) The Town Planning Board appreciates the importance of keeping the old Whitfield Barracks site as open as possible and has therefore decided that no high-rise development should be permitted on this site. These zoning proposals will inevitably have some effect on the development of Kowloon Park. The proposed strip for commercial development along the Nathan Road side of the site would encroach on the garden areas and require the re-location of the mini-soccer pitch and basketball/volleyball courts in Phase I of the Park development. This would necessitate revising the design and is likely to cause a delay of 1 to 2 months. The proposed siting of the Kaifong hall and school and the Swimming Pool Complex on the northern part of the old Whitfield Barracks site would...

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