1965-HKRS30-8-56_Part02 — Page 5

Amendment

2

4. Regulation 11 of the principal regulations is amended in of regulation paragraph (8) by the insertion, after "(b) the", of the following-

11.

Amendment

of regulation 23.

Revocation

tent of

"front and".

5. Regulation 22 of the principal regulations is amended-

(a)

by the insertion, after sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (1) of the following now sub-paragraph-

"(6) The open space provided pursuant to sub-paragujė

(2) shall be such that no part of the building which|| bounds on such open space at any level shall be within five feet, measured horizontally, of a line| drawn vertically from a point in the boundary c the open space immediately opposite thereto."; (b) by the deletion, in paragraph (2), of "Except as provide: under this regulation no" and the substitution therefor d the following-

"No": and

(c) by the deletion of paragraph (7).

6. Regulation 37 of the principal regulations is revoked and and replace replaced by the following new regulation—

37. (1)

Every building shall be provided with such means of escape in case of emergency as may be required by the intended use of the building.

regulation 37.

Aunendoncat

"Meam of escape.

(2) Without prejudice to paragraph (1), every buik. ing which exceeds six storeys in height or in which the level of the floor of the uppermost storey is more thus fifty-five feet above the level of the ground at the point d' discharge of the main staircase shall, in addition to the main staircase, be provided with a second staircase a means of escape in case of emergency.".

7. Regulation 42 of the principal regulations is amended in of regulation paragraph (1) by the insertion, after "from the front main wall", d

the following-

42.

"or, if any balcony is projected from the front main wall, from the front of every such balcony",

COUNCIL Chamber,

26th April, 1966.

Clerk of Councils.

Explanatory Note.

(This Note is not part of the regulations, but is intended to indicate their general purport).

The position with regard to the enclosure of balconies erected over streets has long been considered unsadsfactory. Paragraph (a) of regulation 11 of the principal regulations provides that every such balcony shall have a parapet or mailing along in front and sides, while paragraph (b) provides that the sides of such a balcony may be enclosed. Full enclosure of such balconies is not expressly prohibited by the regulations and has long been tolerated as a means of providing additional living space. The undesirable practice grew up of carrying out the work of enclosing these balconies after issue of the occupation permit, and in September 1963, in order to discourage this, the Building Authority advised authorized architects that, subject to certain conditions safe-guarding living mandard: in the building, enclosure of balconies would be approved. The legisk- Lian now proposed seeks to clarity the position.

In order to clarify the position of these balconies in law, regulation 4 amends regulation 11 of the principal reguladona so as to provide that not only the gates but also the front of a balcony erected over a street may be enclosed, This amendment, it is hoped, will result in such a balcony being designed as an integral part of the building with consequent improvement la light and air to the habitable spaco.

3. It is recognized that enclosure of balconies erected over a street reduces the space between buildings on both sides of the street. Regulation 2 therefore amends regulation 9 of the principal regulations so as to provide that no balcony ahall be erected over a street which is less than thirty-six feet in width, thus ensuring that where balconies are erected over a street will remain a minimu space of thirty feet between buildings on both sides of the street.

4 Regulation 10 of the principal regulations has been amended to bring it in line with the amendment to regulation 9 and also to put in more logical form the provisions regarding the extent to which balconies and canopies may project over a street. Paragraph (4) of regulation 10 now provides that the maximum projection of any balcony or canopy erected over a street shall be one. beath of the width of the street or ten feet whichever is the less and that no pant of any such balcony or canopy may be within fifteen feet, measured horizontally. of the contre line of the strepi.

Hitherto the proviso, to paragraph (4) of regulation 10 of the principal regulations applied to balconies etected over streets the provisions of regulation 18 thereof, which provides for the setting back above the permitted beight of walls tranting or abutting on streets. This resulted in the practice of erecting a series of balconies of decreasing projection above the permitted height. This is not only extremely unsightly but lends itself to illegal extensions beyond the permitted building line. Paragraph (5) which has been added to regulation 10 in place of the proviso to paragraph (4) seeks to rectify this. It has not been thought becessary to apply paragraph (5) to canopies.

6.

Regulation 22 of the principal regulations provides that every domestic budding on a Class A, B or C site shall have an open space at the rear of portly at the rear and partly at the side of the building. The object of thấy regulation has in the past been defeated by the practice of providing open space consisting largely of "narrow passages connecting wider areas of open space. Regulation 22 has been amended so as to provide that the width of the open space provided under regulation 22 shall at no place be less than five feet.

7. Regulation 37 of the principal regulations provides that a building which is more than six storeys in height shall have, in addition to the main staircase, a second staircase as alternative means of escape. Regulation 6 amends regula- lion 37 of the principal regulations so as to provide that such a staircase shall

■n be required in a building in which the level of the floor of the uppermost storey is more than fifty-five feet above the level of the ground at the point of discharge of the main staircase.