# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
# ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order. Our Councillors are now back in session after the summer recess. I trust you have returned to your civic responsibility with greater vigor.
## MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 14 July 1987, were confirmed.
## PAPERS
The following paper was laid on the table:-
(1) Reports to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of July and August 1987.
## QUESTIONS
1. MR. CHOW WAI-KEUNG asked the following question (in English):---The UC Western Complex will be completed at the end of 1988 and the existing Hollywood Road temporary market will be demolished after all the hawkers are resited into the new complex. I would like to know:
(i) What is the planned permanent user of the site?
(ii) Will the development project be well co-ordinated so that the site will not be left vacant for too long?
MR. PAO PING-WING, CHAIRMAN of the CAPITAL WORKS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):---The question concerns what will be the planned permanent use of the Hollywood Road Temporary Market site after the market stalls are decanted into the new UC Sheung Wan Complex in Western by the end of 1988, and whether the development project will be well co-ordinated so that the site will not be left vacant for too long.
The Hollywood Road Temporary Market site with an area of 4,500 m2 is zoned open space which is very valuable in Western District. The site will therefore be reverted to its zoned use immediately after the temporary market ceases to operate. The plan is to develop the site into a district park dedicated to both active and passive recreation in order to redress the acute shortage of such facilities in the area. The schedule of accommodation for the park project is being finalized and will be presented to the Council before design work starts.
In order to speed up the park development, consideration is being given to injecting the part project into one of the existing UC private architect packages. Subject to Council's approval and the formalities for farming out the project, construction is expected to start in early 1989.
Page 51 of 185
2. MR. FAN KAM-PING, on behalf of MR. RONNIE WONG MAN-CHIU asked the following question (in English):-Most bathhouses licensed by this Council contain various pools with different water temperature and of different sizes. The number of people using these pools every day can be very high, particularly during the summer seasons. Unlike public swimming pools, certain hygienic standards have to be complied with in these bathhouses together with pools being run privately. I would like to know whether there are any measures taken to ensure the quality of water is hygienic enough for the general public during the licensing process and after the licence is issued, if we have periodical visits to ensure their compliance with the licensing conditions.
MR. TONG KAM-BIU, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English): This question concerns the setting up and maintenance of hygiene standards for commercial bathhouses.
Under the Commercial Bathhouses (Urban Council) By-laws Cap. 132, no person shall open or maintain a bathhouse without a licence issued by the Council. This piece of legislation also provides, amongst other things, that the licensee of every bathhouse must maintain all parts of the bathhouses, including fittings, equipment and towels, in a clean and wholesome state and in good repair. The licensing requirement also provides that public mains water or water from an approved source shall be used for bathing. The inspecting staff of the USD normally visit the licensed bathhouses on a quarterly basis to ensure that the licensing requirements and conditions are complied with but can do so more frequently where there is a need.
At present, the Department does not carry out any check on the quality of water in the baths. However, consideration is being given to the desirability and practicability of conducting water quality tests to ensure that the pool water is suitable for bathing.
Members may wish to note that in the past three years, there has been no complaints as to cleanliness standards and no report of transmission of disease due to patronage of commercial bathhouses: the department is satisfied that the standard of cleanliness in these bathhouses is generally satisfactory.
A number of bathhouses have the practice of checking the purity of the water in their pools on a regular basis every few hours and this practice is strongly recommended. I would like to remind bathhouses operators that it is a legal requirement for the water to be drained off and the bath emptied, cleaned, and disinfected, after each use in the case of individual baths, and at least once a day in the cost of plunge-baths, Jacuzzis, and other multi-person baths.
94
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order. Our Councillors are now back in session after the summer recess. I trust you have returned to your civic responsibility with greater vigor.
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 14 July 1987, were confirmed.
PAPERS
The following paper was laid on the table:-
(1) Reports to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and
Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of July and August 1987.
QUESTIONS
1. MR. CHOW WAI-KEUNG asked the following question (in English):---The UC Western Complex will be completed at the end of 1988 and the existing Hollywood Road temporary market will be demolished after all the hawkers are resited into the new complex. I would like to know:
(i) What is the planned permanent user of the site?
(ii) Will the development project be well co-ordinated so that the site will not be
left vacant for too long?
MR. PAO PING-WING, CHAIRMAN of the CAPITAL WORKs Select CommITTEE, replied as follows (in English):---The question concerns what will be the planned permanent use of the Hollywood Road Termporary Market site after the market stalls are decanted into the new UC Sheung Wan Complex in Western by the end of 1988, and whether the development project will be well co-ordinated so that the site will not be left vacant for too long.
The Hollywood Road Temporary Market site with an area of 4 500 m2 is zoned open space which is very valuable in Western District. The site will therefore be reverted to its zoned use immediately after the temporary market ceases to operate. The plan is to develop the site into a district park dedicated to both active and passive recreation in order to redress the acute shortage of such facilities in the area. The schedule of accommodation for the park project is being finalized and will be presented to the Council before design work starts.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 51 of 185
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In order to speed up the park development, consideration is being given to injecting the part project into one of the existing UC private architect packages. Subject to Council's approval and the formalities for farming out the project, construction is expected to start in early 1989.
2. MR. FAN KAM-PING, on behalf of MR. RONNIE WONG MAN-CHIU asked the following question (in English):-Most bathhouses licensed by this Council contain various pools with different water temperature and of different sizes. The number of people using these pools every day can be very high, particularly during the summer seasons. Unlike public swimming pools, certain hygienic standards have to be complied with in these bathhouses together with pools being run privately. I would like to know whether there are any measures taken to ensure the quality of water is hygienic enough for the general public during the licensing process and after the licence is issued, if we have periodical visits to ensure their compliance with the licensing conditions.
MR. TONG KAM-BIU, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English): This question concerns the setting up and maintenance of hygiene standards for commercial bathhouses.
Under the Commercial Bathhouses (Urban Council) By-laws Cap. 132, no person shall open or maintain a bathhouse without a licence issued by the Council. This piece of legislation also provides, amongst other things, that the licensee of every bathhouse must maintain all parts of the bathhouses, including fittings, equipment and towels, in a clean and wholesome state and in good repair. The licensing requirement also provides that public mains water or water from an approved source shall be used for bathing. The inspecting staff of the USD normally visit the licensed bathhouses on a quarterly basis to ensure that the licensing requirements and conditions are complied with but can do so more frequently where there is a need.
At present, the Department does not carry out any check on the quality of water in the baths. However, consideration is being given to the desirability and practicability of conducting water quality tests to ensure that the pool water is suitable for bathing.
Members may wish to note that in the past three years, there has been no complaints as to cleanliness standards and no report of transmission of disease due to patronage of commercial bathhouses: the department is satisfied that the standard of cleanliness in these bathhouses is generally satisfactory.
A number of bathhouses have the practice of checking the purity of the water in their pools on a regular basis every few hours and this practice is strongly recommended. I would like to remind bathhouses operators that it is a legal requirement for the water to be drained off and the bath emptied, cleaned, and disinfected, after each use in the case of individual baths, and at least once a day in the cost of plunge-baths, Jacuzzis, and other multi-person baths.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.