Grounds Update

As you are all no doubt aware the two wonderful cricket grounds at PKVR will be taken back by Government next week. As a result I am sure you are concerned about what the HKCA is doing to address this matter. I have taken responsibility to find solutions and I am pleased to provide this update on the situation.

For the past several months, I have been working with several government departments in an attempt to find not only short term but long term solutions. The key departments I have been dealing with are Lands Department, LCSD, and Home Affairs Department.

The current situation is as follows:-

The HKCA will have a new ground at PKVR after it has been re-developed as a recreational area to serve the community of Diamond Hill. It will be almost international size with a grandstand to accommodate 5,000 people. It will be an artificial wicket, and for the first time in the world have an artificial outfield. There will be lights and two cricket nets.

We will have to share this facility with football and rugby. It will be available in 2010-11.

A new club house will hopefully be constructed starting in 2008. In April next year, the HKCA with Ricky Aitken's help will lay a grass square to compliment the artificial wicket. It will be located to enable the ground to meet "international" standards, thereby allowing Hong Kong to host international events.

This will be available in the 2008-09 season.

A new short term tenancy (STT) site has been found at Tseng Kwan O, a five minute walk from the MTR. It is not a large ground but will be ideal for school, youth and ladies cricket.

A lease for this ground is being prepared by the District Lands Office, Sai Kung and if the conditions are acceptable we could begin preparing it early in the year. The length of lease will be about three years.

An application for a site on the old Kai Tak Airport site has been made and we are awaiting feedback from the Lands Department. It is hoped during the first of next year we can be provided a site for development in time for 2008-09 season.

After numerous discussions with government, it has transpired that the only way we can get a long term lease on a ground, i.e. longer than 3-4 years, is to locate a landfill site.

After visiting a number of sites, Gin Drinkers Bay in the Kwai Chung/Tsuen Wan area offers the HKCA an exciting new possibility. The site is large enough for an international sized ground. It is a little difficult to access, but it is at least in the urban area. A lease of up to 20 years can be negotiated. This provides us with the added benefit of being able to seek development funding from the ICC and ACC.

An initial feasibility study will shortly be carried out, with a view of getting Kwai Tsing District Council and then Town Planning approval to lease the site by the middle of next year.

Development of this ground could then possibly beginning late 2008, early 2009.

The following map shows the landfill at Gin Drinker's Bay in the Kwai Chung/Tsuen Wan district.

An application for an STT has been made for a site on Lamma and we are awaiting government feedback.

Sites in Yuen Long, Lantau, and Shatin have also been visited, but all were found to be unsuitable.

A further request has been made to Lands to identify other sites and as of the date of writing nothing has been received back.

The key aim of my activities is to:-

I hope this provides members with an overview of the current situation.

A further report will be provided in the first quarter of next year.