BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE.
38. This office is primarily concerned with the administration of the Buildings Ordinance which controls the construction of buildings by the public. Little more than a skeleton staff was available during the year to deal with an increasing volume of work.
39. Very little reconstruction work was commenced during the Military Administration, owing to shortage of materials, skilled labour and transport.
40. The early part of the year was taken up principally with inspections of dangerous buildings, and the serving of notices for either demolition or erection of shoring.
41. Owing possibly to the high cost of labour and materials property owners showed little inclination to clear sites of building debris. However, towards the end of 1946, as more building materials became available, plans for rehabilitation works, alterations, additions, and new buildings were submitted by the public in steadily increasing numbers.
42. From 1st May 1946 to 31st March 1947, 2,006 plans were deposited of which 1,984 were approved. Of the approved plans 1,386 concerned work in Hong Kong, and the remaining 598 plans concerned work in Kowloon.
43. The 1,386 approved plans for works in Hong Kong dealt with 1,944 buildings as follows:-
Demolition of damaged buildings 19 buildings Rehabilitation of damaged buildings.. 940 buildings Alterations and additions to existing buildings 786 buildings New European type houses. 7 buildings New Chinese type tenements. 64 buildings New semi-European type buildings. 4 buildings New non-domestic buildings 124 buildings Total. 1,944 buildings44. The 598 approved plans for works in Kowloon dealt with 1,090 buildings as follows:-