dance halls, restaurants, gaming houses, bars and the like, with the object of ensuring that the relevant building regulations were being observed, the premises were structurally sound and that the means of fire escape were satisfactory.
5.18. During the year the full impact of the amendments to the Places of Public Entertainment Regulations, which came into effect at the beginning of 1970, was felt, the new requirement that all temporary structures provided in connection with public entertainment be inspected by a professional officer giving rise to a substantial increase in the time devoted to such work. Since over 300 temporary entertainment structures are erected each year, the majority of these being in conjunction with festivals, it follows that there are times when the professional staff is under considerable stress, having to deal with a large number of structures all requiring inspection, and many requiring re-inspection, prior to a common, or near-common, opening date.
5.19. Having regard for the continuing short-fall in the Building Surveyor establishment referred to in para. 5.30, the increasing time absorbed by the licensing inspections mentioned in paras. 5.17 and 5.18, the growing number of complex development proposals and the influence, of which the Office is obliged to take note, that the Urban Renewal, Mass Transport and Long Term Road Studies is having on private development submissions, there is no doubt that over the year the professional staff of the Office was under greater pressure than ever before. In consequence, it proved physically impossible reasonably to contain the processing of new plans submissions to within the 28-day statutory approval period; indeed, on average there were over 180 submissions overdue at any one time during the year.
5.20. With a view to assisting the early commencement of building works, towards the middle of the year authorized architects were invited to submit their foundation plans for approval at the same time as they submitted their general building plans, this with the intention that if there were no overwhelming objections to the general plans early approval and consent would be given to the foundation works. Architects and developers welcomed this move and a number of them have taken advantage of it, they thereby having been able to commence work on site several months sooner than would have otherwise been the case.
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dance halls, restaurants, gaming houses, bars and the like, with the object of ensuring that the relevant building regulations were being observed, the premises were structurally sound and that the means of fire escape were satisfactory.
5.18. During the year the full impact of the amendments to the Places of Public Entertainment Regulations, which came into effect at the beginning of 1970, was felt, the new requirement that all temporary structures provided in connection with public entertainment be inspected by a professional officer giving rise to a substantial in- crease in the time devoted to such work. Since over 300 temporary entertainment structures are erected each year, the majority of these being in conjunction with festivals, it follows that there are times when the professional staff is under considerable stress, having to deal with a large number of structures all requiring inspection, and many requiring re-inspection, prior to a common, or near-common, opening date.
5.19. Having regard for the continuing short-fall in the Building Surveyor establishment referred to in para. 5.30, the increasing time absorbed by the licensing inspections mentioned in paras. 5.17 and 5.18, the growing number of complex development proposals and the influence, of which the Office is obliged to take note, that the Urban Renewal, Mass Transport and Long Term Road Studies is having on private development submissions, there is no doubt that over the year the professional staff of the Office was under greater pressure than ever before. In consequence, it proved physically impossible reasonably to contain the processing of new plans submissions to within the 28-day statutory approval period; indeed, on average there were over 180 submissions overdue at any one time during the year.
5.20. With a view to assisting the early commencement of building works, towards the middle of the year authorized architects were invited to submit their foundation plans for approval at the same time as they submitted their general building plans, this with the intention that if there were no overwhelming objections to the general plans early approval and consent would be given to the foundation works. Architects and developers welcomed this move and a number of them have taken advantage of it, they thereby having been able to commence work on site several months sooner than would have otherwise been the case.
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