ENG-2006 — Page 273

Land, Public Works and Utilities | 225

comments and the Government's responses to them was published in November 2005. The concept plan will be revised where appropriate to take into account public

comments.

Lantau Development

A concept plan for Lantau has been drawn up by the Lantau Development Task Force to provide a clear and balanced planning framework for the future development of the island. A few key development themes and proposals were released for public consultation between November 2004 and February 2005. The response has been positive and a report summarising the public comments and the Government's responses was published in November 2005. The concept plan will be revised where appropriate to take into account public views.

Building Development

The Private Sector

Quality buildings are necessary features of a prosperous and modern metropolis. The Buildings Department facilitates and promotes the construction and maintenance of quality buildings and strive to make the resulting environment safe and healthy for the community as a whole.

During the year, work on superstructures started at 139 building sites, involving a total gross floor area of 1.82 million square metres. A total of 811 buildings, with a combined gross floor area of 2.5 million square metres, were completed at a cost of $25.6 billion compared with 785 buildings, with a gross floor area of 2.22 million square metres, built at a cost of $25.9 billion, in 2005.

The SkyPlaza at Chek Lap Kok and the Tung Chung Cable Car projects were also completed during the year. Major construction works in progress at year-end included the conversion of existing monuments at the former Marine Police Headquarters in Tsim Sha Tsui into a heritage hotel and shopping complex.

During the year, 26 447 reported cases of unauthorised building works (UBWs) were dealt with, 32 711 orders requiring their removal were issued and 48 479 UBWS were removed. Prosecutions of offenders for failing to comply with removal orders numbered 3 042. There were 1997 convictions involving fines amounting to $7.8 million.

To tackle the problem of existing UBWS, the Buildings Department continued its 'blitz' clearance operations, demolishing in one go all external UBWs including large. glass panel walls, large TV screens, large signboards and UBWs on cantilevered slab balconies in a number of buildings in populated districts. Some 1 169 buildings were dealt with in the 'blitz' in 2006. The programme to remove illegal rooftop structures on single staircase buildings continued. Illegal rooftop structures on 704 such buildings were removed in 2006, compared with 402, 632, 713, 714 and 705 in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 respectively.

To raise community awareness of liability issues caused by UBWs, the department issued 8 498 statutory warning notices that could be registered against