ENG-1965 — Page 212

170

PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

BUILDINGS

A general slowing down in the rate of building expansion in the Colony, which began early in the year, had the effect of slowing down the construction rate on a number of government building projects. Expenditure during the year amounted to approximately $17 million on government low-cost housing; $104 million on resettlement estates and factories; and $95 million on other building works. As in previous years the work was helped forward by private architects and quantity surveyors.

The programme of resettlement and government low-cost housing continued to progress during the year. In all, some 40 eight-storey and 16 16-storey resettlement blocks, providing domestic accom- modation for 118,000 people, were completed. Five 24-classroom resettlement estate schools for primary education, and five seven- storey flatted factories providing about 458,000 square feet of working area were also completed. Within the resettlement estates, shops, social welfare centres and estate offices were provided on the ground floors of domestic blocks. Top floor schools were also provided in some of the eight-storey blocks.

=

At the end of the year, a total of six eight-storey and 46 16-storey domestic blocks, 21 estate schools and five seven-storey factories were in course of construction at Tsz Wan Shan, Ham Tin, Shau Mau Ping, Shek Lei, Ngau Tau Kok, Yuen Long and Shek Pai Wan estates. In the government low-cost housing programme, the five remaining seven to 12-storey domestic blocks at Valley Road Estate and five 12 to 20-storey 'domestic blocks at Wong Tai Sin (East) Estate were completed, providing accommodation for some 18,800 people. In addition, 11 domestic blocks of 12 to 20 storeys were under construction at Ngau Tau Kok and Tsz Wan Shan at the end of the year.

On Hong Kong Island one secondary school, two primary schools, one secondary technical school, the Western District Magistracy, an Urban Services depot, 154 Marine Police rank and file quarters at Aberdeen, an office block in the former Naval Dockyard, 124 service flats in MacDonald Road and four blocks of senior staff quarters at Magazine Gap were all completed.

In Kowloon two secondary modern schools were converted to secondary technical schools and major alterations were carried