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on the part of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee and the USD to solve this problem, but the truth is that the nature and the size of the problem is such that a solution will not be easily achieved.
The answers to Mr. FUNG's question in seriatim are as follows:--
(a) In July 1984, the Department sought approval for a project from the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee and for allocation of funds from the Finance Select Committee to build a temporary market under the flyover at Tung Chau Street so that the Sham Shui Po Market could be redeveloped in situ. Members of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee approved the project in principle but doubted the viability of the site. The request for funds was subsequently withdrawn.
As the Department is not absolutely sure whether this site under the flyover is the only suitable site for a temporary market, and as the Department continues to explore other suitable sites for this temporary reprovisioning purpose, no recommendation has been proposed to the Council to use this flyover site as a temporary market. However, the USD has not ruled out completely the use of the site for a temporary market.
(b) Following from (a) above, although the Department is not sure whether this piece of land under the flyover is a viable site for a temporary market, we would like to keep the option open as a reserve. Besides, it will take at least 18 months lead time to plan a temporary market even if we decide now to go ahead with the project. Therefore, the Council could not use the land in the next 18 months. Rather than leaving the land idle for the moment the Department has agreed to its temporary use by the Land and Works Branch as a car park on condition that we can get the piece of land in 18 months time, if we need it.
(c)
The gross floor area of this piece of land below the flyover is approximately 4,100 m2. Taking the size of each mini stall to be 5 m2 according to the new standard, it is estimated that about 400 mini stalls can be accommodated there with additional minimum ancillary facilities such as a loading and unloading bay, a refuse collection area, toilets, office, etc.
As mentioned earlier, the Department looked not only for a site for a temporary market, but also a site for a second market in the Sham Shui Po District and a third market, if possible. Taking the Sham Shui Po East Sub-District as a whole as distinct from the Cheung Sha Wan Sub-District, it will need at least two markets as big as the existing Sham Shui Po Market to decant the hawkers in the Pei Ho Street area. Accepting the existing Sham Shui Po Market site as the ideal one for developing into a new market, the second market should ideally be located in the area neighbouring the Mong Kok District to supplement
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the demand for market facilities in Mong Kok District north of Tai Kok Tsui area.
The Department is also contemplating a site in Maple Street/Yu Chau Street area for this second market to absorb the extra 200 wet goods hawkers in that area and the 32 tenants of the Boundary Street Market which the Department intends to pull down. Our efforts in locating possible sites for a temporary market which must be viable and suitable for accommodating the tenants of the existing Sham Shui Po Market have been unsuccessful, as the Sham Shui Po District is a well-developed district and almost every piece of land is densely populated. Unless Council can persuade the Government to proceed by way of resumption of private land by demolishing residential buildings which is a lengthy and costly process, it is almost impossible to acquire suitable sites for the markets we need.
(d) The barracks site at Yen Chau Street has been considered, but found to be unsuitable for building a market, because it is situated in isolation in an industrial area separated from the residential area by major trunk roads which form a natural barrier against market-goers. Besides, the area is zoned for Government buildings with social welfare facilities. It needs very strong justifications to convince the Town Planning Board that the land should be changed to market use.
I regret having to paint such a gloomy picture, but can assure Mr. FUNG that the MST Committee will continue to press for a solution to the problem. I am glad Mr. FUNG raised this question as it keeps the market needs of Sham Shui Po in focus, and I trust that my Committee will continue to press for an answer.
MR. FREDERICK K. K. FUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I have four follow-up questions. Firstly, the project has been under planning for 8 years and it seems impossible to find other available sites for another market. Is my worry warranted that the project may not materialize despite repeated planning. Another question refers to answer (c). The site referred to between Maple Street and Yu Chau Street is actually the Maple Street Playground. I want to know how long does the deliberation take for the committee to come to a decision. The third question also refers to (c). Dr. Tu mentioned that unless we could convince the Government to resume private land and to demolish residential building, otherwise, there would be no solution. In this connection, has the Council attempted to liaise with the Government to explore such possibility and what is the Government's reaction? The fourth question refers to paragraph (b): Dr. Tu mentioned that it takes about 18 months lead time to plan for a market. However, according to a paper presented in July 1984, it was said that if the MST Select Committee approved, it took only 10 months to plan a new market. So can we use that as an evidence to indicate that it takes only 12 months lead time to plan for a new market instead of 18 months. I think it is more flexible to grant the land for car-parking purpose on a monthly basis if the planning lead
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on the part of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee and the USD to solve this problem, but the truth is that the nature and the size of the
problem is such that a solution will not be easily achieved.
The answers to Mr. FUNG's question in seriatim are as follows:--
(a) In July 1984, the Department sought approval for a project from the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee and for allocation of funds from the Finance Select Committee to build a temporary market under the flyover at Tung Chau Street so that the Sham Shui Po Market could be redeveloped in situ. Members of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee approved the project in principle but doubted the viability of the site. The request for funds was subsequently
withdrawn.
As the Department is not absolutely sure whether this site under the flyover is the only suitable site for a temporary market, and as the Department continues to explore other suitable sites for this temporary reprovisioning purpose, no recommendation has been proposed to the Council to use this flyover site as a temporary market. However, the USD has not ruled out completely the use of the site for a temporary market.
(b) Following from (a) above, although the Department is not sure whether this piece of land under the flyover is a viable site for a temporary market, we would like to keep the option open as a reserve. Besides, it will take at least 18 months lead time to plan a temporary market even if we decide now to go ahead with the project. Therefore, the Council could not use the land in the next 18 months. Rather than leaving the land idle for the moment the Department has agreed to its temporary use by the Land and Works Branch as a car park on condition that we can get the piece of land in 18 months time, if we need it.
(c)
The gross floor area of this piece of land below the flyover is approx- imately 4 100 m2. Taking the size of each mini stall to be 5 m2 according to the new standard, it is estimated that about 400 mini stalls can be accommodated there with additional minimum ancillary facilities such as a loading and unloading bay, a refuse collection area, toilets, office, etc.
As mentioned earlier, the Department looked not only for a site for a temporary market, but also a site for a second market in the Sham Shui Po District and a third market, if possible. Taking the Sham Shui Po East Sub-District as a whole as distinct from the Cheung Sha Wan Sub- District, it will need at least two markets as big as the existing Sham Shui Po Market to decant the hawkers in the Pei Ho Street area. Accepting the existing Sham Shui Po Market site as the ideal one for developing into a new market, the second market should ideally be located in the area neighbouring the Mong Kok District to supplement
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the demand for market facilities in Mong Kok District north of Tai Kok Tsui area.
The Department is also contemplating a site in Maple Street/Yu Chau Street area for this second market to absorb the extra 200 wet goods hawkers in that area and the 32 tenants of the Boundary Street Market which the Department intends to pull down. Our efforts in locating possible sites for a temporary market which must be viable and suitable for accommodating the tenants of the existing Sham Shui Po Market have been unsuccessful, as the Sham Shui Po District is a well developed district and almost every piece of land is densely populated. Unless Council can persuade the Government to proceed by way of resumption of private land by demolishing residential buildings which is a lengthy and costly process, it is almost impossible to acquire suitable sites for the markets we need.
(d) The barracks site at Yen Chau Street has been considered, but found to be unsuitable for building a market, because it is situated in isolation in an industrial area separated from the residential area by major trunk roads which form a natural barrier against market-goers. Besides, the area is zoned for Government buildings with social welfare facilities. It needs very strong justifications to convince the Town Planning Board that the land should be changed to market use.
I regret having to paint such a gloomy picture, but can assure Mr. FUNG that the MST Committee will continue to press for a solution to the problem. I am glad Mr. FUNG raised this question as it keeps the market needs of Sham Shui Po in focus, and I trust that my Committee will continue to press for an
answer.
MR. FREDERICK K. K. FUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I have four follow-up questions. Firstly, the project has been under planning for 8 years and it seems impossible to find other available sites for another market. Is my worry warranted that the project may not materialize despite repeated planning. Another question refers to answer (c). The site referred to between Maple Street and Yu Chau Street is actually the Maple Street Playground. I want to know how long does the deliberation take for the commitiee to come to a decision. The third question also refers to (c). Dr. Tu mentioned that unless we could convince the Government to resume private land and to demolish residential building, otherwise, there would be no solution. In this connection, has the Council attempted to liaise with the Government to explore such possibility and what is the Government's reaction? The fourth question refers to paragraph (b): Dr. Tu mentioned that it takes about 18 months lead time to plan for a market. However, according to a paper presented in July 1984, it was said that if the MST Select Committee approved, it took only 10 months to plan a new market. So can we use that as an evidence to indicate that it takes only 12 months lead time to plan for a new market instead of 18 months. I think it is more flexible to grant the land for car-parking purpose on a monthly basis if the planning lead
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