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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR YOUNG (in English):-Mr Chairman, from the answer given, it appears that because of the wish to increase the capacity of this stadium by 43%, there has been a delay. Is the Council convinced that the delay in the readiness of this project is worth the extra capacity so created?
MR FUNG (in English):—Mr Chairman, I believe that in order to have an internationally accepted stadium for football matches and so on, the provision of a 50,000 spectator seating capacity is a necessity. I do not think the delay is entirely due to this increase in the capacity. It is a matter of Government machinery taking its time in sorting out the problem.
4 MR F. K. Hu asked the following question (in English):-When will the proposed site in Aberdeen for a Velodrome be handed over to the Urban Council and what is the present schedule of the design and construction of this Velodrome?
MR LAWRENCE H. L. FUNG, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-The site measuring about 6.4 acres for the proposed velodrome is currently being used by the Ocean Park Ltd as an open air car park. This site has, since 1970, been zoned as public open space in the Aberdeen Outline Zoning Plan. However, in April 1975, the Government decided to lease the site to the Ocean Park Ltd for a period of five years commencing on 2 January 1976. In May 1975, the Chairman, Urban Council, in a letter to HE the Governor, expressed the Council's disappointment with this decision.
On 23 October 1978, the Secretary for the Environment reaffirmed that the site in question would be allocated to the Urban Council in January 1981 for development as a velodrome.
The proposed schedule of accommodation and the actual design of the velodrome are still being considered. Although no final decision has been taken by the Council, the Recreation Development Sub-Committee, at its meeting on 3 October 1978, agreed that the proposed velodrome should be an outdoor facility in view of the weather in Hong Kong, and that the Department should write to the International Federation of Amateur Cycling to obtain the international requirements for a velodrome. When the necessary information is available, the Public Works Department will be requested to prepare sketch plans and provide estimates of cost.
It is hoped that all necessary arrangements can be completed by January 1981 when the site will be available for construction work to start. It is expected that roughly two and a half years will be necessary for the construction work to be completed. This means that the velodrome should be ready by mid-1983.
While on this subject, I wish to mention that another site of about 3.5 acres to the southeast of the Car Park site (i.e. the existing children's playground within the Ocean Park) was formerly proposed for a joint Urban Council/Ocean Park development, but was subsequently granted to the Ocean Park by Government together with the temporary lease of the Car Park site.
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5 MISS CECILIA L. Y. YEUNG asked the following question (in Cantonese): It is noted that a number of stalls on the first floors in Hong Kong and Kowloon Markets have been vacant for a long time. Can the Council be informed of what steps are being taken by the department in order to make use of these vacant stalls for other purposes?
MR PETER P. F. CHAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND ABATTOIRS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question concerns the number of vacant stalls in Urban Council markets. The present position is that, out of a total of 2,859 market stalls (1,504 in Hong Kong and 1,355 in Kowloon), it has not been possible to let 109 (33 in Hong Kong and 76 in Kowloon), that is, slightly less than 4%. This figure does not include 26 stalls in the newly completed Haiphong Road Market which will probably be let in the near future and a small number of vacant stalls in other markets which are also likely to be let in the near future. I should also mention that there are other market stalls which, though let, are not fully used or used only for storage.
The stalls which have been vacant for some time are in four markets and the situation in these can be summarized as follows:
Wong Tai Sin Market
Out of 347 stalls, 76 are vacant. The reason for this is the competition from hawkers operating in the vicinity. It is expected that the situation will improve when these hawkers are resited into the new temporary market in Tai Shing Street. The situation in the Wong Tai Sin Market will be kept under close observation and, if there is no improvement after the hawkers in the area have been resited, the Department will give further thought to the conversion of the stalls for some other use.
Wan Chai Market
Out of 60 stalls on the first floor, 22 are vacant. Here again, the reason is competition from hawkers and fresh provision shops in the vicinity. The market itself is due to be re-constructed on an enlarged site within the next two to three years and, at this stage, it would not be economical to make substantial alterations to the market to enable the vacant stalls to be used for other purposes.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR YOUNG (in English):-Mr Chairman, from the answer given, it appears that because of the wish to increase the capacity of this stadium by 43%. there has been a delay. Is the Council convinced that the delay in the
readiness of this project is worth the extra capacity so created?
MR FUNG (in English):—Mr Chairman, I believe that in order to have an internationally accepted stadium for football matches and so on, the pro vision of a 50,000 spectator seating capacity is a necessity. I do not think the delay is entirely due to this increase in the capacity. It is a matter of Government machinery taking its time in sorting out the problem.
4 MR F. K. Hu asked the following question (in English):-When will the proposed site in Aberdeen for a Velodrome be handed over to the Urban Council and what is the present schedule of the design and construction of
this Velodrome?
MR LAWRENCE H. L. FUNG, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOP. MENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-The site measur ing about 6.4 acres for the proposed velodrome is currently being used by the Ocean Park Ltd as an open air car park. This site has, since 1970, been zoned as public open space in the Aberdeen Outline Zoning Plan. However, in April 1975, the Government decided to lease the site to the Ocean Park Ltd for a period of five years commencing on 2 January 1976. In May 1975, the Chairman, Urban Council, in a letter to HE the Governor, expressed the Council's disappointment with this decision.
On 23 October 1978, the Secretary for the Environment reaffirmed that the site in question would be allocated to the Urban Council in January 1981 for development as a velodrome.
The proposed schedule of accommodation and the actual design of the velodrome are still being considered. Although no final decision has been taken by the Council, the Recreation Development Sub-Committee, at its meeting on 3 October 1978, agreed that the proposed velodrome should be an outdoor facility in view of the weather in Hong Kong, and that the Department should write to the International Federation of Amateur Cycling to obtain the international requirements for a velodrome. When the necessary information is available, the Public Works Department will be requested prepare sketch plans and provide estimates of cost.
It is hoped that all necessary arrangements can be completed by January 1981 when the site will be available for construction work to start. It is expected that roughly two and a half years will be necessary for the construc- tion work to be completed. This means that the velodrome should be ready by mid-1983.
While on this subject, I wish to mention that another site of about 3.5 acres to the southeast of the Car Park site (ie the existing children's play-
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ground within the Ocean Park) was formerly proposed for a joint Urban Council/Ocean Park development, but was subsequently granted to the Ocean Park by Government together with the temporary lease of the Car
Park site.
5 MISS CECILIA L. Y. YEUNG asked the following question (in Cantonese): It is noted that a number of stalls on the first floors in Hong Kong and Kowloon Markets have been vacant for quite a long time. Can the Council be informed of what steps are being taken by the department in order to make use of these vacant stalls for other purposes?
MR PETER P. F. CHAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND ABATTOIRS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question concerns the number of vacant stalls in Urban Council markets. The present position is that, out of a total of 2,859 market stalls (1,504 in Hong Kong and 1,355 in Kowloon), it has not been possible to let 109 (33 in Hong Kong and 76 in Kowloon), that is, slightly less than 4%. This figure does not include 26 stalls in the newly completed Haiphong Road Market which will probably be let in the near future and a small number of vacant stalls in other markets which are also likely to be let in the near future. I should also mention that there are other market stalls which, though let, are not fully used or used only for storage.
The stalls which have been vacant for some time are in four markets and the situation in these can be summarized as follows:
Wong Tai Sin Market
Out of 347 stalls, 76 are vacant. The reason for this is the competition from hawkers operating in the vicinity. It is expected that the situation will improve when these hawkers are resited into the new temporary market in Tai Shing Street. The situation in the Wong Tai Sin Market will be kept under close observation and, if there is no improvement after the hawkers in the area have been resited, the Department will give further thought to the con- version of the stalls for some other use.
Wan Chai Market
Out of 60 stalls on the first floor, 22 are vacant. Here again, the reason is competition from hawkers and fresh provision shops in the vicinity. The market itself is due to be re-constructed on an enlarged site within the next two to three years and, at this stage, it would not be economical to make substantial alterations to the market to enable the vacant stalls to be used for other purposes.
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