XN000022-1978-06-07 — Page 20

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 1978

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B.0.0. TO REMOVE ALL ILLEGAL STRUCTURES IN NEW BUILDINGS

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THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE IS HAVING ALL ILLEGAL STRUCTURES IN ALL NEW BUILDINGS SYSTEMATICALLY REMOVED, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON. DAVID MCDONALD, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. LI FOOK-WO, HE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE THAT ROOF AREAS WERE INCLUDED IN DEVELOPERS' SALE BROCHURES EITHER AS PART OF A UNIT FOR SALE, OR AS A SEPARATE ITEM.

ALTHOUGH

+THIS PRACTICE IN ITSELF DOES NOT CONTRAVENE ANY LAW. THE HIGH PRICES PAID FOR SOME FLAT ROOFS SUGGESTS THERE MAY BE AN INTENTION TO CHANGE THE USE OF THE FLAT ROOF BY ERECTING ACCOMMODA- TION ILLEGALLY, MANY PEOPLE VALUE THE AMENITY PROVIDED BY A FLAT ROOF SIMPLY AS A GARDEN OR SITTING OUT AREA, MR. MCDONALD SAID.

+ACTION, SHOULD THEREFORE BE DIRECTED AGAINST THOSE WHO BREAK THE LAW AND CURRENTLY THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE IS HAVING ALL ILLEGAL STRUCTURES IN ALL NEW BUILDINGS SYSTEMATICALLY REMOVED.+

MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT THIS POLICY HAD RECEIVED SOME PUBLICITY WHICH HAD SERVED TO ALERT THE PUBLIC AS TO THE TRUE SITUATION AS REGARDS ROOF SPACES AND IT WAS INTENDED TO EMBARK ON A PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE PITFALLS RELATED TO THE ERECTION OF ILLEGAL STRUCTURES GENERALLY.

THE FIRST PUBLICATION, DEALING WITH THE PARTICULAR SUBJECT OF FLAT-ROOF SPACES, WOULD BE ISSUED NEXT MONTH, HE SAID.

MR. MCDONALD POINTED OUT THAT FOR THE PRESENT AT LEAST IT WAS LOGISTICALLY NECESSARY FOR THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE TO CONFINE ITS ATTENTION TO ILLEGAL STRUCTURES ERECTED ON OR AFTER AUGUST 1975 OR THOSE WHICH POSED A POSITIVE LIFE RISK.

+THE B.0.0. IS NOT THEREFORE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE DIFFICULT QUESTION OF CHANGES OF USE WITHIN BUILDINGS, ALTHOUGH SOME LEASE ENFORCEMENT ACTION IS BEING TAKEN BY THE REGISTRAR GENERAL IN SOME OF THE WORST CASES,+ HE SAID.

HOWEVER, MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT A FURTHER EXPANSION OF THE E.0.0. WAS ENVISAGED LATER IN THIS FINANCIAL YEAR WHICH WOULD ENABLE MORE RESOURCES TO BE BROUGHT TO BEAR ON BREACHES OF THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE.

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