TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 1977
NEW BUILDING PLAN PROCESSING TIME REDUCED
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THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS SUCCEEDED IN SLASHING THE TIME REQUIRED FOR PROCESSING NEW BUILDING PLANS TO SIXTY DAYS OR LESS, UNDER A NEW STREAMLINED SYSTEM INTRODUCED LAST OCTOBER.
AND THE HEAD OF THE P.W.D.'S BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE, MR. E.T. KENNARD SAID THIS EVENING THAT FEW, IF ANY, COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD COULD BETTER THIS.
ADDRESSING A DINNER MEETING OF THE SOUTH KOWLOON LIONS CLUB, HE SAID THE CHANGE HAD BEEN QUITE A RADICAL ONE AND HAD NOT BEEN WITHOUT ITS PROBLEMS.
→BUT I CAN SAY THAT AFTER SIX MONTHS EXPERIENCE AND A NUMBER OF REFINEMENTS TO THE SYSTEM THE PROCESSING OF PLANS IS NOW QUICKER AND MORE EFFICIENT, HE SAID.
UNDER THE NEW CENTRALISED SYSTEM, ALL GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROCESSING OF BUILDING PLANS IS CO-ORDINATED BY THE P.W.D.'S BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE WHICH OBTAINS ALL COMMENTS AND APPROVALS FROM OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES WITHIN A SET TIME AND THEN PROVIDES THE DEVELOPER WITH A COMPREHENSIVE AND COMPLETE REPLY ON ALL ASPECTS OF HIS PROPOSAL WITHIN SIXTY DAYS OR LESS.
IN CASES WHERE THE ORGINAL PLAN DID NOT MEET LEGAL OR LEASE REQUIREMENTS, THE REVISED PROPOSAL COULD BE APPROVED WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF RESUBMISSION PROVIDED THE DEVELOPER COULD MAKE THE NECESSARY AMENDMENT WITHOUT DRASTICALLY CHANGING THE BASIC OUTLINE, HE SAID.
GIVING AN IDEA OF THE SCOPE AND COMPLEXITY OF THE JOB, MR. KENNARD SAID THAT WITHIN THE SIXTY-DAY PERIOD B.0.0. SURVEYORS NOT ONLY HAD TO INSPECT THE SITE AND ADJOINING BUILDINGS, BUT ALSO HAD TO CHECK THE PLANS AGAINST OVER ONE HUNDRED DIFFERENT ASPECT APART FROM THE SCRUTINY THAT TOOK PLACE WITHIN THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE P.W.D.'S HIGHWAYS OFFICE.
+ IN ADDITION, WE MAY ALSO HAVE TO CONSULT A SERIES OF OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES SUCH AS THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY, EDUCATION, URBAN SERVICES, LABOUR, TOWN PLANNING AND THE CROWN LANDS AND SURVEY DEPARTMENTS TO SORT OUT ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
+ONE MUST ALSO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT DUE TO HOLIDAYS AND WEEKENDS, WE MAY HAVE AS FEW AS FORTY-TWO WORKING DAYS TO COMPLETE THE ASSESSMENT, HE ADDED.
FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SYSTEM WERE BEING EXAMINED TO CUT THE TIME BETWEEN THE APPROVAL OF PLANS AND THE GRANTING OF CONSENT TO COMMENCE WORK, HE SAID.
/MR. KENNAND