SUNDAY, MAY 16. 1993
1
OPERATION ROLLING STONE TO WEED OUT ILLEGAL STRUCTURES
THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE (BOO) OF THE BUILDINGS AND LANDS DEPARTMENT HAS LAUNCHED A NEW OPERATION THIS MONTH AGAINST ILLEGAL STRUCTURES PROJECTING FROM BUILDING WALLS.
THE OPERATION, CODED-NAMED ROLLING STONE, 18 BOO'S LATEST ENDEAVOUR IN ITS CAMPAIGN TO WEED OUT DANGEROUS. APPENDAGES FOR THE SAFETY OF THE RESIDENTS AND PASSERS-BY.
IT CAME SHORTLY AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF OPERATION CATHERINE WHEEL, A TWO-YEAR EXERCISE DURING WHICH ADVISORY LETTERS WERE SENT TO PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE TARGETTED BUILDINGS, REQUESTING THEM TO REMOVE THEIR ILLEGAL STRUCTURES VOLUNTARILY.
THE EXERCISE HAD RESULTED IN THE DEMOLITION OF 18,444 UNAUTHORISED STRUCTURES FROM 11,079 FLATS IN 52 TARGETTED BUILDINGS.
ONLY 3,011 REMOVAL ORDERS HAD To BE ISSUED TO THOSE WHO IGNORED THE ADVISORY LETTERS.
THE NEW OPERATION HAS PICKED THE BO FUNG GARDENS, A THREE-TOWER BLOCK GARDEN ESTATE AT 1090-1094 KING'S ROAD, QUARRY BAY, AS ITS FIRST TARGET BECAUSE THE BUILDING HAS SOME 840-PLUS UNAUTHORISED BUILDING WORKS {UBW) PROJECTING FROM THE BUILDINGS' EXTERNAL WALLS.
↑
THE UBW, SUCH AS METAL CAGES, CANOPIES METAL RACKS, SOLID EXTENSIONS, STRUCTURES ON APPROVED CANOPIES AND SHOP-FRONT EXTENSIONS, ARE ALL POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND ENVIRONMENTALLY AND) AESTHETICALLY UNDESIRABLE.
A BOO SPOKESMAN SAID THE ADVISORY-LETTER-APPROACH, WHICH HAD ACHIEVED A 55 PER CENT VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE RATE DURING OPERATION CATHERINE WHEEL, HAD BEEN ADOPTED FOR THE NEW OPERATION.
"ADVISORY LETTERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SENT TO OWNERS AND OCCUPIERS OF BO FUNG GARDENS REQUESTING THEM TO TAKE STEPS TO REMOVE THE UNAUTHORISED BUILDING WORKS THEMSELVES.
"TALKS AND MEETINGS WILL ALSO BE HELD WITH OWNERS CORPORATIONS AND MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES OF THE BUILDINGS TO SEEK THEIR CO-OPERATION AND INVOLVEMENT IN MOBILISING THE OWNERS AND RESIDENTS TO REMOVE THE PROJECTING UBWS VOLUNTARILY, HE SAID.
"
FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT RESPOND TO THE ADVISORY LETTERS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, REMOVAL ORDERS WILL BE ISSUED.
+1
"FOR NON-COMPLIANCE, PROSECUTION ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AND THE UBWS WILL BE REMOVED BY GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS IF NECESSARY, HE WARNED.
THE OPERATIONS ON BO PUNG GARDENS WILL BH DIVIDED INTO THREE PHASES. ACTION ON BLOCKS A AND B ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR AND BLOCK C EARLY NEXT YEAR.
"WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF ALL THE OWNERS AND OCCUPIERS, WE HOPE THE WHOLE OPERATION ON THESE BUILDINGS CAN BE COMPLETED AT AN EARLIER DATE,' THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
-
12