XN000022-1973-06-29 — Page 7

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Friday, June 29, 1973

RE-INTRODUCTION OF STATUTORY TIME LIMIT

FOR APPROVING BUILDING PLANS

Statutory time limits for the approval of all building plans are

to be re-introduced from Sunday (July 1).

Under regulations gazetted today, all new building plans will be

required to be processed within 60 days. In the case of re-submission of

plans, the maximum period for approval will be 30 days except where, in the

opinion of the Building Authority, there has been a major revision of the

former plans. In such an event the 60-day period would apply.

Commenting on the changes, the Principal Government Building Surveyor,

Hr. J.G. Stean, said that plans submitted before July 1, but not dealt with,

will now have to be processed within the limit of the new regulations from

the date on which such plans were submitted.

The old 28-day statutory period which had previously been in force,

was suspended in June last year, following the rainstorn disasters, in order

to relieve pressure of work on the Buildings Ordinance Office.

These

Mr. Stean explained that the increase in the statutory period, compared

to that in operation before the suspension, was necessary to process not only

matters under the Buildings Ordinance, but also other important aspects.

included checks to ensure Mass Transit and Long Term Road Study Proposals were

not adversely affected, all of which was clearly in the public interest.

Every