ENG-1953 — Page 133

SOCIAL SERVICES

valuable and encouraging experience on which to base an expansion of effort in the field of Government sponsored housing.

Town Planning. A preliminary planning report for Hong Kong was prepared by Sir Patrick Abercrombie in 1948, and this sets out the main lines along which long term development should proceed. The main intentions of this report have been followed but in view of the great increase in population beyond the limit of 2,000,000 envisaged in the report, and such major projects as the proposed new airfield and reclamations, some quite substantial divergencies have been necessary. The main changes at present contemplated are large industrial centres at Tsun Wan and on the east side of Kowloon Bay, which will amount to new towns. If the present tendency for the popula- tion to increase is kept up, it may be necessary to build a new settlement in the beautiful and fertile valley of Shatin.

Within the preliminary pattern the preparation of outline development plans is undertaken in the Public Works depart- ment by a small unit co-ordinating the work of the various branches of the department on planning problems. The plans set out the principles to be followed in the improvement of the district concerned and are then broken down into greater detail on layout plans.

As the Government owns the free-hold of virtually all land in the Colony, it is in a position to implement most of its planning provisions by direct covenants with the lessees, in so far as undeveloped land is concerned. In the case of developed land, the application of any planning requirements to which a property does not already conform is carried out either by including new covenants in a lease when it comes up for renewal or, if necessary, by re-entering upon the land and paying compensation. Up to the present, however, planning control of the type exercised in the United Kingdom is not applied in Hong Kong.

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