Civil Affairs Bureau does not mention the recovery of private playground land

Civil Affairs Bureau does not mention the recovery of private playground land

The Public Consultation on the Private Playground Contract Review conducted by the Home Affairs Bureau ended on September 19 last year. A total of 4,250 submissions were received from 5611 groups or individuals. The Civil Affairs Bureau announced the results of the consultation yesterday. The private playground contract policy deals with the contract land held by private sports clubs. The most 3,739 submissions touched on relevant issues, of which 91% expressed support. In other words, the Government has no intention of reclaiming private playground land.

Consultation results 90% support to maintain the status quo

The Civil Affairs Bureau pointed out that it was noted that the sports contribution of the private sports clubs was generally affirmed. Some people think that the private sports clubs should make greater contributions to the development of sports in Hong Kong through the land they use and the quality sports facilities. At the same time, there are voices that urge the government to strengthen supervision of private sports clubs and ensure that the operation of private sports clubs is more in line with the dual needs of sports development and land use.

3,404 submissions support the current use of the leased land. The rationale includes that private sports will make a significant contribution to promoting sports, charity, promoting racial harmony, attracting overseas talent, enhancing livability, promoting the economy, creating employment opportunities and historical value. .

The 335 submissions did not support the proposal. The main reason was that private sports would occupy land resources but only serve a small group of members. The use of land was not high. Some of the proposals require the Government to reclaim land with low usage rate and use it for other purposes. .

In addition, 91% of the 2,863 opinions were opposed to the “one-third of the market value of the private sports clubs that are suitable for renewal”. The majority of the 2,863 opinions were opposed to private sports clubs and related parties. They said that the proposal would increase their financial burden. And pushing up the membership fees, making private sports a special place for a smaller number of people.

The Government has not reclaimed the private playground land and only asked them to improve the open arrangements. For example, the private sports clubs should be further open to the public, including opening 30% of the facilities to eligible bodies and co-organising public participation activities with the organisations. At least 240 hours.