XN000022-1988-05-29 — Page 7

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SUNDAY, MAY 29, 1988

"SOME OF THESE SIGNS WERE FOUND DANGLING PRECARIOUSLY ON WORN AND RUSTY SUPPORTS. THEY NOT ONLY POSED A SERIOUS THREAT TO LIFE AND LIMB, BUT THEY WERE ALSO AN EYESORE - A VISUAL POLLUTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT," MR LAWRENCE NOTED.

STILL ON HIS FAVOURITE SUBJECT, MR LAWRENCE SAID: "THE ECONOMY NOW HAS THE WHEREWITHAL TO PAY FOR THE NECESSARY MEASURES TO STEM AND REVERSE THE TIDE OF WORSENING POLLUTION, AND TO RECRUIT SUFFICIENT MANPOWER FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MORE EFFECTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION MEASURES.

"WE ONLY HAVE ONE ENVIRONMENT, AND WE MUST PROTECT IT."

ANOTHER ENVIRONMENTAL AREA OF CONCERN TO MR LAWRENCE

19

THE

PROBLEM OF UNAUTHORISED BUILDING WORKS (UBW).

TO THE

ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT IS NOT EASY TO FIND A SOLUTION PROBLEMS POSED BY THE PROLIFERATION OF ILLEGAL BUILDING WORKS IN A CITY THAT HAS SOME OF THE WORLD'S HIGHEST POPULATION DENSITIES, AND PREMIUM LAND PRICES, MR LAWRENCE HAS NOW FORMED A PRIORITY UNIT то TACKLE THE OLD PROBLEM IN A NEW WAY.

SINCE IT WAS SET UP IN NOVEMBER 1987, THE PRIORITY UNIT НАЯ DEALT WITH SOME 540 COMPLAINTS ON URGENT "WORKS-IN-PROGRESS" CASES, AND CARRIED OUT 1,200 INSPECTIONS.

THE UNIT HAS BEEN ABLE TO RESPOND TO ALL THESE COMPLAINTS IN A MATTER OF DAYS.

A HIGH COMPLIANCE RATE HAD BEEN ACHIEVED THROUGH PERSUASION OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND THE SERVICE OF REMOVAL ORDERS. A TOTAL OF 124 ORDERS HAVE BEEN SERVED DURING THIS PERIOD, MORE THAN 50 PER CENT OF WHICH HAVE SO FAR BEEN COMPLIED WITH VOLUNTARILY.

ASKED TO COMPARE THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WORK OF BOO WHEN HE FIRST JOINED IN 1965 AND AT PRESENT, MR LAWRENCE REMINISCED: "WE HAD AT THE TIME ONLY ABOUT 28 BUILDING SURVEYORS, AND NEARLY OF THEM WERE ENGAGED IN PROCESSING BUILDING PLANS.

ALL

"NOW WE HAVE 104 BUILDING SURVEYORS, WITH LESS THAN HALF INVOLVED IN SUCH DUTIES BUT NOW HANDLING A VERY MUCH GREATER VOLUME OF WORK. NEW BUILDINGS ARE NOW MUCH MORE SOPHISTICATED THAN THEY WERE IN 1965.

"FOR MANY YEARS MOST OF OUR EXPERTISE WENT INTO WORK INVOLVING CONTROL OF NEW DEVELOPMENT, BUT FROM TIME TO TIME WE HAD ΤΟ ESTABLISH NEW SPECIALIST UNITS TO DEAL WITH NEW PROBLEMS.

THE

/"IN FACT,