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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1976
BUILDING LAWS MUST BE COMPLIED WITH
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THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE TODAY (WEDNESDAY) REMINDED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT PLANS OF ALL NEW PRIVATE BUILDING WORKS MUST BY LAW BE APPROVED BY THE BUILDING AUTHORITY BEFORE WORK COMMERCES.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED THAT THE BASIC PURPOSE OF BUILDING LAWS WAS TO ENSURE THAT BUILDINGS WERE STRUCTURALLY SAFE AND CONFORMED TO MINIMUM ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH STANDARDS.
+THERE CAN BE NO COMPROMISE,+ HE STRESSED, +ALL NEW PRIVATE BUILDING PLANS MUST BE SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL AND CONSENT MUST BE OBTAINED BEFORE COMMENCEMENT OF WORK.+
AS ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS, HE SAID, THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE REGULARLY INSPECTED WORKS IN PROGRESS TO ENSURE THAT THEY WERE BEING PROPERLY CARRIED OUT, AND OCCUPATION PERMITS WERE ONLY ISSUED AFTER THE BUILDING AUTHORITY WAS SATISFIED THAT THE WORKS HAD BEEN COMPLETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE APPROVED PLANS.
THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT PERSONS UNDERTAK ING UNAUTHORISED BUILDING WORKS WERE NOT ONLY LIABLE TO A FINE OF UP TO $2,000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR SIX MONTHS, BUT WOULD LOSE WHAT COULD BE A CONSIDERABLE INVESTMENT SINCE THE ENTIRE UNAUTHORISED WORK WOULD HAVE TO BE DEMOLISHED.
THE WARNING FOLLOWS A CASE HEARD BEFORE MR. PAUL CORFE IN CENTRAL MAGISTRACY THIS MORNING IN WHICH THE TWO OWNERS OF NO. 5 DORSET CRESCENT, KOWLOON TONG, WERE EACH FINED $1,500 FOR CARRYING OUT BUILDING WORKS WITHOUT THE APPROVAL AND CONSENT OF THE BUILDING AUTHORITY.
THE OFFENCE WAS DISCOVERED BY B.0.0. OFFICERS IN JULY LAST YEAR WHEN IT WAS FOUND THAT EXTENSIVE ALTERATIONS WERE BEING MADE TO THE ORIGINAL TWO-STOREY HOUSE AT NO. 5 DORSET CRESCENT.
THESE INCLUDED AN ADDITIONAL STOREY TO THE ORIGINAL HOUSE, A THREE-STOREY EXTENSION AT THE REAR AND THE FRONT, A SINGLE-STOREY ROW OF GARAGES, A TWO-STOREY BLOCK OF GARAGES WITH LIVING ACCOMMODATION OVER EACH GARAGE, AND A SWIMMING POOL.
THE OWNERS WERE SERVED WITH A CEASE WORK ORDER AND SUBSEQUENTLY A DEMOLITION ORDER WHICH HAS NOW BEEN VIRTUALLY COMPLIED WITH.
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