XN000022-1984-07-26 — Page 11

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OPERATION AGAINST ILLEGAL EXTENSIONS

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THE GOVERNMENT IS TO MOUNT LARGE-SCALE OPERATION AGAINST

A 20-STOREY BUILDING IN SAN PO KONG WHICH HAS NEARLY 650 ILLEGAL EXTENSIONS.

THE BUILDING, SAN PO KONG MANSION,

SAN PO KONG MANSION, IS AT THE JUNCTION OF CHOI HUNG ROAD AND YIN HING STREET AND HAS ABOUT 590 UNITS OF ACCOMMODATION.

ORDERS WILL BE ISSUED UNDER THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE REQUIRING OWNERS OF THE UNITS TO REMOVE ALL UNAUTHORISED BUILDING WORKS AND STRUCTURES WHICH INCLUDE · ·

* 19 FLAT ROOF STRUCTURES AT THE FIRST FLOOR LEVEL;

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445 CAGES AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES ON THE FOUR ELEVATIONS OF THE BUILDING AND

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190 CANOPIES AND RACKS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE SAID THE ORDERS WOULD BE ISSUED TOMORROW (FRIDAY). OWNERS WOULD BE GIVEN ONE MONTH TO START THE WORK AND A FURTHER TWO MONTHS TO COMPLETE IT.

HE SAID ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO GOVERNMENT ORDERED THE OWNERS TO REMOVE DEFECTIVE REINFORCED CONCRETE FEATURES ON THE OUTSIDE WALLS AS THEY WERE CONSIDERED LIABLE TO BECOME DANGEROUS.

+NO ACTION HAS YET BEEN TAKEN IN RESPONSE TO THE GOVERNMENT ORDER,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THIS, TOGETHER WITH THE RECEIPT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT ILLEGAL BUILDING ACTIVITIES, PROMPTED FURTHER DETAILED SURVEYS TO BE CARRIED OUT.

CONSEQUENTLY, A LARGE NUMBER OF ILLEGAL BUILDING EXTENSIONS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT SOME OF THEM ARE IN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITION.

THEY ALSO OBSTRUCT LIGHTING AND VENTILATION AND POSE A HEALTH HAZARD.

+THE PROLIFERATION OF ILLEGAL STRUCTURES ON THE EXTERNAL WALLS HAS NOW REACHED THE STAGE WHERE IT IS ENVIRONMENTALLY UNACCEPTABLE,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

+THE BUILDING IS REGARDED AS ONE OF THE WORST IN THE AREA AS REGARDS MASS BREACHES OF THE BUILDING LAW,+ HE ADDED.

HE SAID IT HAD BEEN DECIDED THAT THE ILLEGAL EXTERNAL STRUCTURES SHOULD BE REMOVED ON A PRIORITY BASIS.

IF THE OWNERS DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE REMOVAL ORDER

CONTRACTORS WOULD BE EMPLOYED AND THE COSTS BORNE BY THE OWNERS.

THEY COULD START WORK IN OCTOBER AND HAVE IT COMPLETED BY NEXT APRIL.

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