demand was a marked increase in the submissions of plans for new buildings and, significantly, the number of plans approved for industrial and domestic buildings was the highest for some years. This general trend in building continues to rise. Plans for 3 hotels were approved and other proposals were submitted for the adaptation of buildings, under construction or about to commence, to hotel purposes. The demand for hotel accommodation led to the introduction of certain concessions under the Buildings Ordinance which allow, in effect, an increase in floor area over that permissible in normal domestic buildings, coupled with an area to be devoted at ground floor level for the accommodation of passenger and vehicular traffic generated by the hotel with the object of relieving the public streets of this burden.
5.13. The general upsurge of activity in the building development field has brought about a significant increase in pressure upon the Office. In addition, building submissions for certain areas now have to be considered in relation to proposals under the mass transit scheme, the long term road study and urban renewal, all of which have placed further work on the staff. Unavoidable delays due to this have been caused in the processing of plans and particularly to building proposals in the western and central districts of Hong Kong, where the first urban renewals district is situated.
5.14. Several interesting private development projects were either completed or under construction during the year. An 800 bedroom hotel was completed adjacent to the Ocean Terminal in Kowloon. This building was originally designed for offices, domestic flats and shops but converted during construction to a hotel and shopping scheme in view of the shortage of hotel rooms. Construction work was commenced on an unusual circular apartment building of 31-storeys at May Road. A building of 26-storeys containing 400 flats designed to low-cost housing standards was completed at Fortress Hill Road to house some 2,800 employees of an electric company. Four 20-storey blocks, containing a total of 304 middle income group flats, were completed at Peacock Road. This scheme includes car-parking and children's playing facilities on ground and lower ground floors. The Sheng Kung Hui Secondary School at Oi Kwan Road contains 24 classrooms and has an interesting column-free octagonal auditorium to house 1,000 persons. Another secondary school completed at Cloud View Road contains 24 classrooms with an assembly hall supported on large cantilevers to minimize site formation costs.
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