XN000022-1984-06-27 — Page 12

TENESDAY, JUNE 27, 1984

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+ IN RESPONSE TO THE GROWING PROBLEM, A CONTROL AND ENFORCEMENT BRANCH, DEDICATED TO THE TASK OF ENFORCING COMPLIANCE WITH THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE, WAS FORMED WITHIN THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, + MR CHAN SAID.

AS TO THE FUTURE IT WAS INTENDED TO CONTINUE IMMEDIATE ACTION AGAINST ILLEGAL BUILDING WORKS WHICH POSED AN OBVIOUS AND IMMEDIATE DANGER TO LIFE AND LIMB. IT WAS ALSO HOPED TO BE ABLE TO ENLARGE THE CONTROL AND ENFORCEMENT BRANCH TO ENABLE IT TO EXERCISE GREATER CONTROL AND THE LANDS DEPARTMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO ASSIST AS FAR AS POSSIBLE.

+APART FROM THIS, PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN FORMULATED, AND ARE BEING CONSIDERED WITHIN GOVERNMENT, FOR LEGISLATION AIMED AT MORE EFFECTIVE CONTROL OVER ILLEGAL BUILDING WORKS,+ MR CHAN SAID. HE TOLD THE COUNCIL IT WAS DIFFICULT TO QUOTE A PRECISE FIGURE FOR THE NUMBER OF UNAUTHORISED BUILDING WORKS KNOWN TO THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE BECAUSE CASE FILES WERE OPENED ON THE BASIS OF INDIVIDUAL BUILDINGS OR BUILDING COMPLEXES AND MAY REFER TO ONLY ONE OR SEVERAL ILLEGAL WORKS WITHIN THAT PARTICULAR BUILDING OR COMPLEX.

+THERE ARE, HOWEVER, NEARLY 18 000 SUCH FILES ON REPORTED ILLEGALITIES, MR CHAN TOLD COUNCILLORS.

MORE COMMUNITY CENTRES ON WAY

***

THE PROVISION OF COMMUNITY CENTRE FACILITIES WAS MUCH BETTER THAN SOME YEARS AGO AND THERE WOULD BE FURTHER IMPROVEMENT IN THE YEARS AHEAD, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, THE HON DAVID AKERS-JONES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON.

HE NOTED THAT NINE COMMUNITY CENTRES, EIGHT ESTATE COMMUNITY CENTRES AND 17 COMMUNITY HALLS WOULD BE BUILT IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IF FUNDS WERE AVAILABLE.

OF THESE, A COMMUNITY CENTRE, AN ESTATE COMMUNITY CENTRE AND THREE COMMUNITY HALLS WILL BE COMPLETED WITHIN THIS FINANCIAL YEAR.

MR AKERS-JONES WAS REPLYING TO QUESTIONS BY AN UNOFFICIAL MEMBER, THE HON CHAN YING-LUN, REGARDING THE PROVISION OF SUCH FACILITIES AS RECOMMENDED IN THE HONG KONG PLANNING STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES+ AND THE MEASURES BEING TAKEN BY GOVERNMENT TO MEET ANY SHORTFALLS.

+THE REQUIREMENT FOR THESE FACILITIES IS ESTIMATED BY EXAMINING THE POPULATION BUILD-UP AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION, AREA BY AREA AND YEAR BY YEAR, MR AKERS-JONES SAID.

/BASED ON