Minutes of the 16th Meeting of the Community Building Committee of the Council (2016-2019)

Date : 6 September 2018 (Thursday) Time : 2:30 p.m. Venue : Yau Tsim Mong District Council Conference Room 4/F, Government Offices 30 Luen Wan Street Mong Kok,

Present:

Chairman Mr WONG Kin-san

Vice-chairman Mr LAU Pak-kei

District Council Members Mr IP Ngo-tung, Chris, JP Mr CHOW Chun-fai, BBS, JP Mr JO Chun-wah, Craig Ms WONG Shu-ming, MH Mr CHUNG Chak-fai Ms KWAN Sau-ling Mr CHAN Siu-tong, MH, JP Mr CHUNG Kong-mo, BBS, JP Mr YEUNG Tsz-hei, Benny, MH Mr CHOI Siu-fung, Benjamin Mr HUNG Chiu-wah, Derek Mr YU Tak-po, Andy

Co-opted Members Mr CHIN Chun-wing Mr KONG Pui-wai Mr SHUM Chu-wah Mr KONG Ching-boon Miss LEE Man-na Ms YIP Chun-chun, Daisy

Representatives of the Government Miss CHUNG Ka-wing, Assistant District Officer (Yau Tsim Home Affairs Department Rainy Mong) (2) Mr NG Wing-keung, Henry Senior Liaison Officer (1), Yau Tsim Home Affairs Department Mong District Office Ms Esther POON Senior Community Relations Officer Independent Commission (Kowloon West) Against Corruption Miss CHAN Chong-lai, Ann Assistant District Social Welfare Officer Social Welfare Department (Kowloon City/Yau Tsim Mong) 2 Mr WONG Kai-wing, Sergeant, Police Community Relations Police Force Terence Office (Mong Kok District) Mr YAU Sai-yuen Deputy District Leisure Manager (Yau Leisure and Cultural Services Tsim Mong) 2 Department

In Attendance:

Mrs ARON Laura Liang, JP District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong) Home Affairs Department

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Ms CHUNG Wai-sze, Senior Liaison Officer (2), Yau Tsim Home Affairs Department Margaret Mong District Office Ms TANG Tsui-yee, Senior Town Planner/Yau Tsim Mong Planning Department Caroline Ms SUEN Pui-ling, Sabrina Senior Executive Officer (Planning) Leisure and Cultural Services Special Duty Department Mr HUNG Ho-man, Mason Executive Officer (Planning) Special Leisure and Cultural Services Duty Department Mr TAM Ka-kei, Eric Senior Transport Officer/Yau Tsim Transport Department Mong Ms TSUI York-wan, Winnie Property Services Manager/Tsim Sha Architectural Services Tsui and Department Mr WONG Kam-hung Property Services Officer/Tsim Sha Architectural Services Tsui/1 Department Mr LEE Ka-chun Engineer/Transport, Security and Electrical and Mechanical Central Services 3/6 Services Department Mr CHAN Wai-yin Divisional Commander/Kowloon South Fire Services Department Division Mr KAO Chung-lei Assistant Division Officer (Fire Service Fire Services Department Installations Task Force) Mr CHOI Wing-yiu Senior Station Officer (Fire Service Fire Services Department Installations Task Force) Mr LOK Wan-pak, Henry Assistant Secretary (Heritage Development Bureau Conservation) 1, Commissioner for Heritage’s Office Ms MOK Yuk-ha, Christine Assistant Curator I (Monument Development Bureau Building) 3, Antiquities and Monuments Office

Secretary Miss TSANG Ka-ki, Kathy Executive Officer I (District Council), Home Affairs Department Yau Tsim Mong District Office

Absent:

Mrs LO FOK Yuk-chun, Chief School Development Officer Education Bureau Alice (Yau Tsim and Mong Kok) Ms CHOW Tsz-tung, Abby Police Community Relations Officer Hong Kong Police Force (Yau Tsim District)

Opening Remarks

The Chairman welcomed all to the meeting. He welcomed Mrs Laura ARON, District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong), who would sit in on the meeting. Besides, he reported that for the Hong Kong Police Force (“HKPF”), Mr Terence WONG, Sergeant, Police Community Relations Office (Mong Kok District), would stand in for Ms WAN Hiu-ting, Frennie. Meanwhile, Ms Abby CHOW, Police Community Relations Officer (Yau Tsim

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District) of the HKPF, and Mrs Alice LO, Chief School Development Officer (Yau Tsim and Mong Kok) of the Education Bureau, were absent due to other commitments.

Item 1: Confirmation of Minutes of Last Meeting

2. The minutes of the last meeting were confirmed without amendments.

Item 2: Financial Position of Yau Tsim Mong District Council (“YTMDC”) Funds as at 27 August 2018 (YTMDC CBC Paper No. 29/2018)

Item 3: Applications from Specified Organisations for 2018-2019 YTMDC Funds (YTMDC CBC Paper No. 30/2018)

Item 4: Applications from Non-specified Organisations/Mutual Aid Committees/ Owners’ Corporations/Owners’ Committees for 2018-2019 YTMDC Funds (3rd Phase) (YTMDC CBC Paper No. 31/2018)

Item 5: Applications from YTMDC Working Groups/Organising Committees for 2018-2019 YTMDC Funds (YTMDC CBC Paper No. 32/2018)

Item 6: Applications from Committees under Yau Tsim Mong District Office for 2018-2019 YTMDC Funds (YTMDC CBC Paper No. 33/2018)

3. The Chairman said that as Items 2 to 6 were all related to YTMDC Funds, he proposed all these items be discussed together. There was no objection. He reminded Members to fill in the Declaration of Interests Form, copies of which were on the table, if necessary. He then welcomed Mr Henry NG, Senior Liaison Officer (1), and Ms Margaret CHUNG, Senior Liaison Officer (2), of the Yau Tsim Mong District Office (“YTMDO”).

4. For Item 2 (Paper No. 29/2018), Members noted the financial position of the YTMDC-funded projects under the Community Involvement Programme as at 27 August 2018.

5. The Chairman said that according to Order 48(12) of the YTMDC Standing Orders, the chairmen of the committees under the YTMDC should decide “whether a committee member (other than committee chairmen) who had disclosed an interest in a matter might speak or vote on that matter, might remain at the meeting as an observer, or should withdraw from the meeting.” He, in the capacity of the Chairman of the Community Building Committee (“CBC”), decided that a Member who had disclosed an interest in a matter might speak or vote on that matter. He then asked whether Members of the Committee agreed that he, the Chairman of the Committee, might speak or vote on a matter if he had disclosed an interest in the matter. There was no objection from Members.

6. For Item 3 (Paper No. 30/2018), the Chairman invited Members to endorse an

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allocation of $822,563 from YTMDC Funds for five specified organisations in the district to organise 23 activities in the current year and to recommend to the YTMDC an allocation of $359,150 for two of the specified organisations which had applied for funding support in the same period to organise two activities (nos. S17 and S18 at the annex). There was no objection.

7. For Item 4 (Paper No. 31/2018), the Chairman invited Members to endorse an allocation of $1,079,686 from YTMDC Funds for 58 non-specified organisations and mutual aid committees/owners’ corporations/owners’ committees in the district to organise 59 activities from November 2018 to February 2019. There was no objection.

8. For Item 5 (Paper No. 32/2018), the Chairman invited Members to endorse an allocation of $3,426,951 from YTMDC Funds for the Working Group on Ethnic Affairs, the Working Group on Promotion of Tourism and Local Community Economy, the Festival Celebration Organising Committee, the Organising Committee on Cultural Arts Events and the Environmental Improvement Campaign Organising Committee under the YTMDC to organise a total of 15 activities in the current year. There was no objection.

9. For Item 6 (Paper No. 33/2018), the Chairman invited Members to endorse an allocation of $3,172,833 from YTMDC Funds for the Yau Tsim Mong (“YTM”) District Youth Programme Committee, the YTM East Area Committee, the YTM South Area Committee, the YTM West Area Committee, the YTM North Area Committee, the YTM District Fight Crime Committee, the YTM District Fire Safety Committee, the YTM Road Safety Campaign Organising Committee and the YTM Healthy City Executive Committee under the YTMDO to organise a total of 34 activities in the current year. There was no objection.

10. The Chairman said that at the meeting held on 28 August 2018, the Working Group on Community Funds had preliminarily considered the applications for YTMDC Funds in Items 3 to 6 (Paper No. 30/2018 to Paper No. 33/2018), and had agreed to recommend them to the CBC. As some applications in Items 3, 5 and 6 involved an amount exceeding $100,000, they should be submitted to the YTMDC meeting to be held on 27 September 2018 for endorsement. There was no objection.

(Ms KWAN Sau-ling joined the meeting at 2:45 p.m.)

Item 7: Calling for Prompt Commencement of Construction of Leisure Park to the North of Sorrento (YTMDC CBC Paper No. 34/2018)

11. The Chairman said that the written responses from the Lands Department (“LandsD”), the Planning Department (“PlanD”), the Leisure and Cultural Services ----- Department (“LCSD”) and the Highways Department (Annexes 1 to 4) had been emailed to Members for their perusal on 3 September and 5 September 2018 respectively. He then welcomed:

(i) Ms Caroline TANG, Senior Town Planner/Yau Tsim Mong of the PlanD; and

(ii) Ms Sabrina SUEN, Senior Executive Officer (Planning) Special Duty, Mr

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Mason HUNG, Executive Officer (Planning) Special Duty, and Mr YAU Sai-yuen, Deputy District Leisure Manager (Yau Tsim Mong) 2, of the LCSD.

12. Mr CHAN Siu-tong provided supplementary information on the paper. He raised the following views and enquiries: (i) it had already been said a decade before that the LCSD would build a leisure park at the site to the north of Sorrento for residents’ use. However, the site had later been acquired to cater for the construction of the Express Rail Link (“XRL”) project. While the current temporary use of the site was expiring soon, the plan to provide leisure facilities had not yet been commenced; (ii) at the meeting of the Traffic, Transport and Housing Committee held in July, the Transport Department (“TD”) had proposed the provision of 700 parking spaces there as a temporary use. In this connection, Mr Derek HUNG had consulted the residents in the vicinity of Kowloon Station and joined meetings of the owners’ committees concerned, during which everyone had expressed strong dissatisfaction; (iii) he was dissatisfied with the proposed provision of parking spaces at the site as a temporary use without consultation; and (iv) he asked whether the site would still be used for providing leisure facilities under the latest plan, and whether any timetable was available. He hoped that the departments concerned would explain the situation as he did not want to keep waiting endlessly.

13. Mr Derek HUNG provided supplementary information on the paper. He raised the following views: (i) this item had been discussed at the meetings of the District Facilities Management Committee held in 2012 and 2014; (ii) the residents in the vicinity of Kowloon Station were deeply concerned about the use and leisure facility planning of the site after it was returned to the LandsD; (iii) even though there might not be any concrete planning for the site in the near future, he would like to know whether the principle of using the site as an open space in the long run had been changed; and (iv) he hoped that temporary uses of the site would be studied lest land resources be wasted, which would also be helpful in explaining the situation to nearby residents.

14. Ms Caroline TANG responded as follows:

(i) The site to the north of Sorrento was zoned as “open space” on the approved South West Kowloon Outline Zoning Plan No. S/K20/30. The zone was intended primarily for the provision of outdoor open-air public space for active and/or passive recreational uses serving the needs of local residents as well as the general public. Nevertheless, the implementation and roll out of the open space was subject to various factors such as the priority of resource allocation set by the LCSD.

(ii) At this stage, the long-term planning intention of the site was still open space uses. Under this principle, the Government would adopt an open mind and suitably consider putting the site to appropriate temporary uses after taking into account the actual circumstances and balancing different community needs.

15. Ms Sabrina SUEN responded that when planning for a new open space, the LCSD would not only make reference to the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines but also take into account other factors, including the relevant facilities currently available across the territory and on the district level, relevant policy objectives, utilisation of existing facilities, population changes, views of the District Councils, sites available for use, cost-effectiveness, and technical feasibility, etc. The LCSD had noted the views on the open space to the north

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16. Mr Derek HUNG raised the following views: (i) he was pleased that the PlanD had reiterated the long-term use of the site as an open space remained unchanged; (ii) the LCSD said that it would take into account factors such as population changes when planning for a new open space. With residents beginning to move into a number of large-scale housing estates in the vicinity of the site, the population grew significantly, so did the demand for leisure facilities. Therefore, he hoped that the leisure facilities would be built as soon as possible; and (iii) the residents explicitly opposed TD’s proposed provision of 700 parking spaces at the site as a temporary use. He hoped that the short-term uses of the site would benefit nearby residents and make optimal use of land resources, for example, to be used by district organisations or under the Community Garden Programme.

(Mr KONG Pui-wai joined the meeting at 2:55 p.m.)

17. Mr CHAN Siu-tong raised the following views: (i) he welcomed the long-term policy of using the site as an open space; (ii) he would like to have a thorough deliberation on suitable temporary uses of the site. After consulting nearby residents, however, he noted that they explicitly opposed the provision of 700 parking spaces there; and (iii) the previous temporary use of the Man Cheong Street site was a good example of making optimal use of land resources, serving as a valuable reference.

18. Ms WONG Shu-ming raised the following views: (i) concerning TD’s provision of 700 parking spaces at the site as a temporary use, she believed that nearby residents would not give away any inch of the site in this regard; (ii) she hoped that the departments concerned would fully implement the plan for building a leisure park at the site; and (iii) she hoped that the site would be temporarily used in a suitable way as soon as possible.

(Mr Chris IP joined the meeting at 2:58 p.m.)

19. Mr Benny YEUNG asked what other procedures would have to be completed so that leisure facilities could be built at the site, and how long the works would take.

(Mr KONG Ching-boon joined the meeting at 2:59 p.m.) (Mr CHIN Chun-wing joined the meeting at 3:00 p.m.)

20. The Chairman said that according to the representative of the LCSD, if there was a clear aspiration, the department would consider building leisure facilities at the site. He said that the Members submitting the paper had already raised their strong request, so he hoped that the works would be commenced as soon as possible.

21. Ms Sabrina SUEN responded as follows:

(i) There were a number of considerations in determining an appropriate time to implement a project. In 2007, the LCSD had consulted the YTMDC on the development scope of the open space and gained Members’ support. However, the site had been acquired later in order to cater for the XRL project.

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(ii) The Five-year Plan for Sports and Recreation Facilities had been announced in the Policy Address in January 2017, under which the open spaces at Hoi Fan Road and Hoi Fai Road in Tai Kok Tsui as well as on the harbourfront in Hung Hom were projects in the YTM District. Besides, $8 billion had been set aside in the 2018-19 Budget for providing district facilities, under which the Hoi Ting Road Joint User Complex was a project in the YTM District. The above projects needed to be implemented as soon as possible. Therefore, the LCSD would implement different projects according to resource allocation and priority.

22. The Chairman asked what else the LCSD would have to consider before developing the open space to the north of Sorrento. He hoped that the LCSD would advise the YTMDC on any subsequent actions which should be taken. Members had already expressed their strong request by submitting the paper, but the LCSD had adopted the same old attitude.

23. Ms Sabrina SUEN responded that the considerations had already been explained in detail. The site was still under temporary use, which was within the purview of the LandsD. Therefore, the LCSD was not in a position to respond to the enquiries relating to temporary land use planning.

24. Ms Caroline TANG responded that a mechanism was in place for handling temporary uses. After the site was returned to the LandsD, interested parties in need could apply to the LandsD for leasing it on a short-term basis as one of the temporarily vacant government sites then available for community, institutional or non-profit-making purposes. As long as the proposed use was not contradictory to the long-term planning intention, and was not incompatible with the land uses in the vicinity, the PlanD would not normally raise any objection.

25. Mr Derek HUNG said that over a decade had passed since the YTMDC had supported the long-term plan to use the site for leisure in 2007. The current temporary use of the site was expiring soon. He hoped that as the lead department, the LCSD would always bear in mind this development direction. Although the LCSD had to manage other development projects at the same time, he hoped that it would at least set a schedule for the commencement of the works at the site as soon as possible, with a view to responding to the requests from nearby residents and the District Councillor of the constituency concerned.

26. Mr Benny YEUNG asked what else the PlanD would have to consider before supporting the use of the site for leisure, and what other procedures would have to be completed so that the LCSD could implement the project.

27. Ms Caroline TANG responded that in respect of planning, as the site was already zoned as public open space on the outline zoning plan, there was no need to apply for rezoning or zoning. The site would be returned to the LandsD after the expiry of the current temporary use and allocated by the LandsD to the LCSD for use. By then, the project would be subject to design and project implementation by the departments concerned.

28. Ms Sabrina SUEN said that since the YTMDC had supported and agreed to the long-term development scope of the site, the LCSD had been carrying out project planning, with a view to facilitating detailed planning after the site was returned to the LCSD. The LCSD was aware of TD’s interest in providing more public parking spaces at various

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government facilities and public open spaces, and was awaiting TD’s response before confirming the development scope of the open space.

29. The Chairman said that the YTMDC had explicitly raised objection to the provision of parking spaces at the site. Instead of consulting the TD, the LCSD should tell the TD that the site was not suitable for being a carpark.

30. Ms WONG Shu-ming raised the following views: (i) she reiterated that the residents were extremely against the provision of parking spaces at the site; (ii) she understood that the LCSD had to manage other projects at the same time, while hoping that a schedule would be set for the commencement of the project at the site as soon as possible; and (iii) she hoped that the LCSD would consider the views of the YTMDC when consulting the TD.

31. Mr CHAN Siu-tong considered that the project implementation of the open space was slow, and the progress was not open and transparent, which would give people an impression that there was hardly any progress. The residents in the vicinity of Kowloon Station had explicitly expressed their strong objection to the provision of 700 parking spaces at the site as it would cause congestion. He hoped that the Government would implement the policy of providing open space as soon as possible instead of studying or discussing the proposal any further.

32. Ms Sabrina SUEN said that this policy had not been put forward by the LCSD and added that the To Wah Road site would still be used as an open space in the long run. The Government advocated the “single site, multiple use” model, requiring cooperation among departments. Therefore, the LCSD was awaiting further information from the TD for its study. This did not concern TD’s proposed provision of 700 parking spaces at the site as a temporary use, which had been mentioned by Members. The LCSD had noted Members’ views and would implement the project in due course.

33. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the PlanD and the LCSD for joining the discussion on this item.

Item 8: Shameless KMB, Incompetent Government, Helpless Citizens Wall of Bus Terminus at Elements Yet to be Repaired 15 Months after being Damaged (YTMDC CBC Paper No. 35/2018)

34. The Chairman said that the written response in English from the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (“KMB”) and the written response from the MTR Corporation ----- Limited (“MTRCL”) (Annexes 5 and 6) had been emailed to Members for their perusal on 5 ----- September 2018. Besides, the written response in Chinese from the KMB (Annex 7) was on the table for Members’ perusal. He then welcomed:

(i) Mr Eric TAM, Senior Transport Officer/Yau Tsim Mong of the TD;

(ii) Ms Winnie TSUI, Property Services Manager/ and Yau Ma Tei, and Mr WONG Kam-hung, Property Services Officer/Tsim Sha Tsui/1, of the Architectural Services Department (“ArchSD”);

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(iii) Mr LEE Ka-chun, Engineer/Transport, Security and Central Services 3/6; and

(iv) Mr CHAN Wai-yin, Divisional Commander/Kowloon South Division, Mr KAO Chung-lei, Assistant Division Officer (Fire Service Installations Task Force), and Mr CHOI Wing-yiu, Senior Station Officer (Fire Service Installations Task Force), of the Fire Services Department (“FSD”).

35. Mr Derek HUNG provided supplementary information on the paper. He raised the following views and enquiries: (i) repairs of the wall at the Kowloon Station Public Transport Interchange had not yet been completed 15 months after being damaged, at which he was disappointed; (ii) he asked whether it would cause any danger if a track of the fire roller shutter installed on the wall was damaged; and (iii) he hoped that this paper would arouse the attention of the government departments concerned.

36. Mr Eric TAM responded as follows:

(i) In May 2017, a traffic accident involving a KMB bus had occurred at the Kowloon Station Public Transport Interchange. The railings and the wall near the exit of the interchange had been damaged.

(ii) After the accident, while inspecting the site to prepare for repairs, officers of the ArchSD had identified that a track of the fire roller shutter installed on the wall had been damaged. Therefore, they needed to find the responsible person to discuss the repair of the fire roller shutter. However, the fire roller shutter and its tracks had not been set out in the maintenance schedule of the Kowloon Station Public Transport Interchange. Since the MTRCL had carried out a repair of the facilities concerned after the interchange had been transferred to the Government, the TD had asked the MTRCL to take follow-up actions and repair the damaged fire roller shutter and track, the costs of which would be settled by the KMB. Despite being asked for a few times, the MTRCL had said that such arrangements could not be made.

(iii) To serve public interests and avoid closing the bus lay-by twice in the event that the wall and the track of the fire roller shutter could not be repaired at the same time, the TD had obtained an agreement from the government departments concerned to arrange repairs with coordinated efforts. Upon the completion of the works, the KMB would be charged for the repairs. The repairs had been commenced early this month and were expected to be completed in this month.

37. Mr CHAN Wai-yin responded as follows:

(i) In the event of fire, fire roller shutters would function as fire-resistant partitions, inhibiting the spread of fire and smoke.

(ii) Concerning the fire service installations at the Kowloon Station Public Transport Interchange as a whole, there were other major installations to protect people’s safety, including a fire detection system, a fire alarm system, a sprinkler system, a hose reel system and a dynamic smoke extraction system.

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(iii) After the department had noted the damaged track of the fire roller shutter in July this year, the Fire Service Installations Task Force had inspected the site and taken follow-up actions, and would continue to monitor the progress of the repairs until a fire services certificate in relation to the roller shutter had been issued.

38. Miss LEE Man-na said that during the site inspection a couple of days before, she had observed the severely damaged wall as well as a lot of loose tiles on the damaged column, which might hit passers-by. Besides, as the cracks on the column had extended to the ceiling, she worried that a structural problem might arise. Therefore, she asked the departments concerned to check whether the column was tilted.

39. Mr Derek HUNG raised the following views and enquiries: (i) regarding the damaged fire roller shutter in the accident, he would like to know whether yearly inspection was required by the FSD, and when the last time was; (ii) he asked in the event of fire, whether the fire roller shutter would be activated automatically or manually; (iii) the main purpose of fire roller shutters was to inhibit the spread of fire and smoke in the event of fire. However, the track had been damaged so that the roller shutter could not be lowered completely if a fire occurred at present; (iv) fifteen months had passed since the ArchSD had inspected the site after the traffic accident. He believed that no one would have handled the repairs but for him submitting the paper, with which he was dissatisfied; and (v) as the lead department, the TD should be responsible for ensuring timely completion of the works by the end of September.

40. Miss LEE Man-na raised the following views and enquiries: (i) two glass-covered buttons of the fire roller shutter on the damaged wall had been severely damaged. She worried that in the event of fire, no one could break the glass and press the buttons to activate the roller shutter; (ii) the public transport interchange was stuffy, and the ventilation system seemed not operating. She asked which department would follow up on the case; and (iii) the toilet at the public transport interchange had been closed for a prolonged period due to a lack of water supply. She asked which department could resume the water supply for the toilet so that it could be reopened for public use.

41. Mr Eric TAM responded as follows:

(i) The repairs had been commenced on 3 September. The ArchSD had removed the loose tiles and enclosed the location where the repairs took place to ensure smooth works and the safety of pedestrians and vehicles. The works were expected to be completed by the end of September. The repairs involved not only the wall and tiles but also the wires and buttons of the fire roller shutter.

(ii) The ventilation system at the public transport interchange was in normal operating condition. He had inspected the site. Ventilation was affected as the exit of the public transport interchange leading to Lin Cheung Road had been enclosed by hoardings due to the XRL project carried out earlier in the area next to the interchange, so members of the public might find the place stuffy. While the XRL project was nearly completed, the hoardings had already been removed. He believed that the situation would be improved.

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(iii) There was no toilet available for public use at the interchange.

42. Mr CHAN Wai-yin responded as follows:

(i) Under normal circumstances, fire roller shutters were connected to smoke detectors. In the event of fire, smoke detectors would detect smoke, and fire roller shutters would be lowered automatically, creating inhibition.

(ii) Regarding maintenance, under Section 8 of the Fire Service (Installations and Equipment) Regulations (Chapter 95B of the Laws of Hong Kong), the owner of any fire service installation or equipment should keep such fire service installation or equipment in efficient working order at all times, and had such fire service installation or equipment inspected by a registered contractor at least once in every 12 months.

(iii) In the event of fire, the fire roller shutter would be activated automatically, without requiring any manual control by pressing any buttons. The buttons installed on the wall were used by repair workers to control the roller shutter.

43. Mr CHAN Siu-tong said that according to the representative of the FSD, fire service installations should be inspected at least once in every 12 months, but 15 months had passed since the KMB bus had hit the track of the fire roller shutter, and the repairs had not yet been completed. He hoped that the departments concerned would ensure regular and timely inspection, instead of commencing repairs only after Members had submitted any papers.

44. Mr Derek HUNG worried that even if some safety installations were damaged in future, no one would be responsible for repairing them. He asked which department or organisation owned the damaged fire roller shutter and track. The party concerned had not carried out yearly inspection on its installations in accordance with the regulations, which constituted negligence of duties. The consequences of delaying repairs might be very serious.

45. The Chairman said that according to the written response from the KMB, the damaged wall was owned by the Government. He asked which department or organisation owned the fire roller shutter.

46. Mr Derek HUNG had the same question and would like to know which party should be responsible for carrying out yearly inspection on the fire roller shutter but had not done so regularly.

47. Mr Eric TAM responded as follows:

(i) He provided supplementary information on the background of the Kowloon Station Public Transport Interchange. Back then, the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (nowadays known as the MTRCL) had been carrying out the topside development of the Airport Railway project, during which the Kowloon Station Public Transport Interchange had been built. The interchange had been transferred to the Government in 1998.

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(ii) As the interchange and other relevant properties and facilities at Kowloon Station were interconnected, a number of stakeholders were involved in its maintenance and repairs, including the property developer, residents, government departments concerned and public transport operators. Before the opening of the interchange, the stakeholders concerned had reached a maintenance schedule agreement, in which the routine maintenance and repairs as well as cleaning work were set out in the maintenance schedule. Nonetheless, some parts of the document were not entirely satisfactory. Despite the department’s searching efforts, the fire roller shutter and the track mentioned did not exist in the maintenance schedule. Besides, there was no written record confirming whether they were owned by the Government, or whether the developer had transferred the installations, together with the interchange, to the Government.

(iii) A document showed that after the public transport interchange had been transferred to the Government in 1998, the MTRCL had carried out a repair of the fire roller shutter, which had been reported to the FSD.

48. The Chairman said that the representative of the TD had suggested making a claim from the KMB, but as the fire roller shutter and the track were not owned by the Government, he would like to know how to make a claim from the KMB.

49. Mr Eric TAM said that the damaged wall and railings were managed and repaired by the Government. The departments concerned would charge the KMB for the repairs upon completion as the TD considered that the costs should not be paid by public money.

50. The Chairman asked whether the TD would only charge the KMB for repairing the wall but not repairing the fire roller shutter.

51. Mr Eric TAM said that he had already informed the KMB of the payment arrangement when following up on the case with the KMB. The Government did not own the fire roller shutter but would still repair it as no one was responsible for doing so for the time being. The Government would notify the KMB of the costs after the repairs, and the KMB would pay them.

52. The Chairman asked whether the KMB agreed to pay for the repairs.

53. Mr Eric TAM said that the KMB had given a written response, in which it had agreed to pay for the repairs. In the event that the KMB failed to keep its promise, the TD would take legal action.

54. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the government departments concerned for joining the discussion on this item.

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Item 9: Suggestion to Study Revitalisation of Declared Monument of “Former Kowloon British School” (YTMDC CBC Paper No. 36/2018)

55. The Chairman said that the written response from the LandsD and the consolidated written response from the Commissioner for Heritage’s Office (“CHO”) and the Antiquities ----- and Monuments Office (“AMO”) under the Development Bureau (“DEVB”) (Annexes 8 and 9) had been emailed to Members on 3 September 2018 for their perusal. He then welcomed Mr Henry LOK, Assistant Secretary (Heritage Conservation) 1 of the CHO, and Ms Christine MOK, Assistant Curator I (Monument Building) 3 of the AMO, of the DEVB.

56. Mr CHAN Siu-tong provided supplementary information on the paper. He raised the following enquiries: (i) he asked how many docent sessions of the Former Kowloon British School had been held for members of the public, and how effective the docent tour was; (ii) he asked whether advance booking was necessary if members of the public would like to join the docent tour, and whether on-the-spot enrolment was accepted; and (iii) the Former Kowloon British School was situated at a convenient location but failed to attract much public attention. He doubted if the publicity and promotional efforts of the DEVB were effective and asked whether the bureau would consider other purposes for the building to make full use of it.

57. Mr Henry LOK responded as follows:

(i) Owned by the Government, the Former Kowloon British School had been a declared monument since 1991 and used as the AMO headquarters since 1992. The AMO was responsible for carrying out archaeological studies, conservation of declared monuments and historic buildings, as well as relevant education and publicity. Such a use was in line with the heritage value and historic properties of the building.

(ii) The open area of the AMO headquarters was opened for public visits from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. The docent tour of the Former Kowloon British School and 1883 Building of was available to the public at 3:45 p.m. on Fridays (except general holidays). A docent would be arranged for each session. On-the-spot enrolment was accepted, and advance booking was not required. Besides, groups such as charitable organisations, non-profit-making organisations and schools might apply to the AMO for the docent tour of the building. The AMO often publicised the docent tour of the Former Kowloon British School through various means, such as the Internet and media interviews, and would review the publicity strategies in due course.

(iii) In 2017-18, the AMO had held more than 110 docent sessions, with about 1 000 participants in total.

(iv) Generally speaking, the historic buildings that would be included in the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme (“Revitalisation Scheme”) must be those being government-owned, currently unused and with limited commercial feasibility. As mentioned, the Former Kowloon British School had already been used as the AMO headquarters since 1992. The open

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area of the office was opened to the public, and docent service was available so that members of the public could understand the history of the declared monument and appreciate its architectural features. Therefore, the bureau did not intend to include this declared monument in the Revitalisation Scheme.

58. Miss LEE Man-na pointed out that there was no library in the constituencies of Tsim Sha Tsui and the Kowloon Station. Besides, as the museums in the West Kowloon Cultural District were being constructed progressively, where many exhibitions would be held after their completion, members of the public might be interested in books about arts and culture by then. Therefore, she suggested that the Former Kowloon British School be revitalised as a library, with a majority of its collection being these books. The building had used to be a school, and a library’s image would be in line with its former use.

(Ms Daisy YIP left the meeting at 3:45 p.m.)

59. Mr CHAN Siu-tong raised the following views and enquiries: (i) he disagreed that the Former Kowloon British School should be used just as an office building as it was now, but hoped that the DEVB would put more efforts into publicising this building to deepen the understanding of members of the public and tourists; (ii) he suggested that the DEVB introduce docent service for groups or add more itinerary items to attract more visitors; and (iii) there were many popular tourist attractions in the vicinity of Tsim Sha Tsui, such as the revitalised Former Marine Police Headquarters Compound, the Cultural Centre and the Space Museum, while the Former Kowloon British School seemed to be the only desolate place, notwithstanding its publicity value. He hoped that the DEVB would make full use of it.

60. Mr Chris IP considered that different historic buildings had different uses. Revitalising monuments did not necessarily mean that they must be opened for public visits. The Former Kowloon British School being the AMO headquarters was already an example of how monuments could be revitalised.

61. Mr CHUNG Kong-mo said that the AMO using a monument as its office building made perfect sense. Besides, he agreed with Members’ suggestion that the DEVB should step up its publicity efforts.

62. Ms KWAN Sau-ling raised the following views: (i) as the District Councillor of the constituency concerned, she respected the Government’s decision on using the Former Kowloon British School as an office building; (ii) she would like to correct Miss LEE, who had said that there was no library in Tsim Sha Tsui, and pointed out the fact that there was one. She anticipated that public response might be quite strong if the Former Kowloon British School was changed to be a library, so she disagreed with this suggestion; and (iii) she agreed that the DEVB and the Hong Kong Tourism Board should put more efforts into publicising the site.

63. Mr Henry LOK thanked Members for their views, and said that the AMO would from time to time review the publicity and promotional efforts of the buildings and make relevant updates on the website. The bureau noted Members’ suggestions and would actively step up its publicity efforts for the Former Kowloon British School.

64. Mr Derek HUNG pointed out that the Former Kowloon British School was a special landmark situated in the city centre. Many members of the public had told him that they

- 14 - hoped the DEVB would step up its publicity and promotional efforts to let more members of the public understand more about this site and make optimal use of it. Besides, he had once entered the building and seen nothing other than officers working there. There were no display panels with relevant descriptions of the building along the corridors. He considered that improvements should be made so that members of the public could have a deeper understanding of the history of the building.

65. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the DEVB for joining the discussion on this item.

Item 10: Any Other Business

66. There being no other business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 3:54 p.m. The next meeting would be held at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, 8 November 2018.

Yau Tsim Mong District Council Secretariat September 2018

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要求盡快開展擎天半島以北休憩公園的興建

就油尖旺區議會社區建設委員會提出關於標題事宜的查詢及建議，本辦事處現回 覆如下:

為配合高鐵西九龍總站工程, 標題所述的土地自2014年3月份起已以臨時政府撥 地方式交予運輸署興建及用作臨時公共交通交匯處暨旅遊巴士及電單車公共泊 車位。按運輸署於本年8月尾提供的資料表示，其部門待上址的臨時公共交通交 匯處搬遷至連翔道\佐敦道交界的永久公共交通交匯處後，便會清理有關土地上 的構築物及進行還原工程，現預計將於2019年3月底完成還原工程並騰空有關土 地。

有關高鐵總站工程的最新進度、興建休憩公園的時間表等事宜，相信有關部門會 作出回覆。

謝謝！

地政總署鐵路發展組(市區辦事處)

Request for Prompt Commencement of Construction of Leisure Park to the North of Sorrento

Regarding the enquiry and suggestion made by the Community Building Committee of Yau Tsim Mong District Council on the captioned subject, this office would like to reply as follows:

In order to cater for the construction of the West Kowloon Terminus of Express Rail Link, the land, as described in the captioned, has been allocated to Transport Department since March 2014 under a temporary government land allocation for the construction and use as a temporary public transport interchange (“PTI”) and public parking spaces for coach and motorcycle. According to the information provide by Transport Department in late August 2018, after the relocation of the subject temporary PTI to a permanent PTI at the junction of Lin Cheung Road and Jordan Road, they will remove the structures erected on site and reinstate the subject site. They expect that they will complete the reinstatement works and vacate the site by the end of March 2019.

Regarding the updated progress of the construction of West Kowloon Terminus, the time frame for the development of public open space, etc., I trust relevant departments will provide their reply to the Committee.

Thank you.

Railway Development Section (Urban), Lands Department

油尖旺區議會轄下社區建設委員會 第 /2018 號 文 件

2016 至 2019 年 度 油 尖 旺 區 議 會 社 區 建 設 委 員 會

康 樂 及 文 化 事 務 署 就 「 要求盡快開展擎天半島以北休憩公園的興建 」 所 作 的 書 面 回 覆

就 上 述 文 件 的 相關查詢及 建 議 ， 本 署 謹 覆 如 下 ：

2. 康文署在規劃新的休憩用地時，除了參考《香港規 劃標準與準則》外，也會考慮其他因素，包括現時在全港 和地區層面所提供的相關設施、有關的政策目標、現有設 施的使用率、人口變化、區議會的意見、可供使用的土地、 成本效益和技術可行性等。本署已備悉有關連翔道 /佐 敦 道 交界休憩用地的意見，並會不時檢視上述各方面的因素， 以便在設施規劃條件、政策及資源分配的許可下，適時推 展 該 用 地 的 休 憩 項 目 。

3. 此外，本署現正積極跟進發展 油 尖 旺 區 內 的 其 他 休 憩用地（ 包括：紅磡海濱休憩用地工程項目、 大 角 咀 海 輝 道休憩用地工程項目及大角咀海帆道休憩用地工程項目 ）， 因此，現時在 推 展 有 關 連 翔 道 /佐 敦 道 交 界 休 憩 用 地 工程項 目 的 過 渡 期 間 ， 我們未 有 計 劃 使 用 該 處 土 地 作 臨 時 設 施 之 用 。

康 樂 及 文 化 事 務 署 2018 年 8 月

油尖旺區議會 社區建設委員會

要求盡快開展擎天半島以北休憩公園的興建

就你於 2018 年 8 月 22 日的來信，邀請路政署出席於 2018 年 9 月 6 日油尖旺區議會舉行的社區建設委員會會議。 由於有關土地現時用作運輸署 轄下的臨時公共運輸交匯處，而當該臨時公共運輸交匯處遷移後，有關土地的 用途並非由本署管轄。因此，本署不會出席該社區建設委員會會議。

路政署鐵路拓展處

油尖旺區議會 社區建設委員會

九巴無賴、政府無能、市民無助 圓方巴士總站牆壁被撞毀 15 個月仍未維修 (修訂) Shameless KMB, Incompetent Government, Helpless Citizens Wall of Bus Terminus at Elements Yet to be Repaired 15 Months after being Damaged

We would like to reply as below.

A KMB bus of 215X crashed to the wall of Kowloon Station Bus Terminus in May 2017 and a fire shutter (Government’s property) was damaged.

Accident Claims Section of Legal Department (KMB) has followed up with Government. On 2 November 2017, TD requested KMB to undertake the repair cost prior to the works arranged by Architectural Services Department (“ASD”). Then we requested for repair quotation and receipt for assessment & compensation. On 9 January 2018, TD advised us that Government would do the repair work of wall tiles and fire resisting shutter. On 10 August 2018, TD sent us the cost estimation of the claim for compensation.

九龍巴士(一九三三)有限公司 The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited

油尖旺區議會 社區建設委員會

九巴無賴、政府無能、市民無助 圓方巴士總站牆壁被撞毀 15 個月仍未維修 (修訂)

本公司對於二零一七年五月有關一輛巴士的交通意外，導致九龍 站巴士總站牆身受損感到抱歉。我們一直以負責任的態度與政府部門跟 進事件，並願意承擔事故中的維修費用。直至二零一七年十一月二日， 我們獲運輸署通告，要求九巴在建築署安排維修工程之前，先行承擔維 修費用，九巴遂查問有關維修費估算。直至最近二零一八年八月十日， 運輸署告之我們相關估算。由於受損的牆身之業權屬於政府，九巴作為 巴士總站的的使用者，無權亦不宜擅自安排工程。我們會繼續與政府部 門溝通，期望維修工程盡快完成。

九龍巴士(一九三三)有限公司 The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited

2018 年 9 月 6 日 油尖旺區議會會議

建議研究活化法定古蹟「前英童學校」

就上述文件建議,地政總署九龍西區地政處(「本 處」)回覆如下：

根據本處記錄，位於尖沙咀 136 號彌敦道「前英 童學 校」 現為古物古蹟辦事處辦公地方 ， 由政 府產業 署管理。 有關 租金事宜，請 向 政 府產 業署 及古 物古蹟 辦事處查詢。

至於其他查詢涉及古蹟管理事宜，並不屬於地政 總署的工作範疇，相信古物古蹟辦事處會直接回覆。

地政總署 九龍西區地政處

2018 年 8 月 28 日

油尖旺區議會 社區建設委員會

就 建議活化前九龍英童學校的綜合回覆

前九龍英童學校為政府擁有的建築物，於 1991 年 列 為 法定古蹟。 自 1992 年，建築物用作古物古蹟辦事處(下稱 「 古蹟辦」)總部辦 公 大 樓。古蹟辦負 責 考 古、保 育 法定古蹟 和 歷史建築， 以 及 相 關 的 教 育 和 宣傳工作。此用途與建築物 本身的文物價值與歷史性質互相配合。

2. 古蹟辦總部辦事處的 户外空間每天上午九時至下午 六時開放供市民參觀；並於逢 星期五(公眾假期除外)下午三 時四十五分，舉辦「前九龍英童學校及香港天文台 1883 大樓」 公眾導賞團， 每 團 上 限 三 十 人 ，參觀 包括前九龍英童學校內 外部的主要建築特色，並有專人講解。以上的公眾參觀和導 賞團並不影響古蹟辦的日常運作。另外，慈善機構、非牟利 團體、學校等亦可向古蹟辦申請安排導賞團參觀這幢建築 物，申請表可在古蹟辦網頁下載。古蹟辦經常透過不同渠道， 包括網頁、媒體訪問等宣傳前九龍英童學校的 導賞團， 並適 時檢討宣傳策略。

3. 一 般 而 言，納 入「 活化歷史建築伙伴計劃」(下 稱「活 化計劃」)的歷史建築，必須是政府擁有而未有用途的歷史建 築，並且商業可行性有限。正如上文所述，前九龍英童學校 自 1992 年 用作古蹟辦總部辦公大樓，而 辦事處亦開放戶外空 間 及 設導賞服務，讓市民可瞭解這幢法定古蹟的歷史及欣賞 它的建築特色。 因此，我們無意將這幢法定古蹟納入活化計 劃內。

發展局 2018 年 8 月