XN000022-1972-09-29 — Page 3

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Friday, September 29, 1972

TIME LIMIT FOR APPROVAL OF BUILDING PLANS TO BE EXTENDED

Legislation is to be introduced shortly to extend the time limit for the approval of building plans from the present 28 days to 60 days.

The measures are being introduced to protect the public, as building plans are now so complicated that they require very detailed consideration.

The Principal Government Building Surveyor, Mr. J.G. Stean, said today there is no practical or safe way to simplify the checking of submissions.

"This is particularly true in the structural field, where checking is already restricted to points of principle and spot checks of calculations,"

he said.

To enable the proposed legislation to be brought in, the Governor in Council has made regulations extending for another three months the operation

of the Buildings (Amendment) Ordinance 1972.

The effect of these regulations is to continue in force the legislation introduced last July which suspended the statutory time limits for occupation permits, consents to commence work and approval of plans which are contained

in the Buildings Ordinance.

This was done when staff of the Building Ordinance Office was diverted

to emergency duties sonnested with the June rainstorus.

Although most of the staff have returned to normal duties, there is an accumulated backlog of applications for approval of plans which cannot be dealt with in the period of 28 days stated in the Ordinance.

/However,