ENG-2011 — Page 285

Infrastructure Development and Heritage Conservation | 241

The Hong Kong Housing Society assists the Government in administering a $1 billion Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Elderly Owners. Recipients may use the subsidy under the scheme to repair their premises or repay their outstanding loans with the Buildings Department, the Urban Renewal Authority or the Hong Kong Housing Society, which were made to keep their premises in proper condition. The scheme has received 12 036 applications since its inception in May 2008. Of these, 8937 applications involving $239 million were approved.

The Development Bureau also worked with the Hong Kong Housing Society and the Urban Renewal Authority in reviewing the arrangements for five other financial assistance schemes operated by the two organisations. The five schemes have since April 2011 been consolidated into an 'Integrated Building Maintenance Assistance Scheme', which provides building owners with enhanced one-stop support.

The Buildings Department continued to serve statutory orders on owners and occupiers of dilapidated buildings requiring them to repair defects in their buildings.

In 2011, some 796 such statutory orders were served and repairs to 790 buildings were carried out. With completion of the 10-year programme for removing unauthorised building works (UBWs) in March 2011, most of the UBWs that endangered public safety had been removed.

The Buildings Department stepped up its enforcement policy on UBWs in 2011 to take into account the latest state of Hong Kong's buildings, the public's desire for stronger action against UBWs, and the need for these structures to be removed in a more orderly way.

Since April 2011, action had been stepped up to remove UBWs on rooftops and podiums as well as those in backyards and lanes. Other UBWs that were continued to be removed included those on cantilevered slab balconies and unauthorised large signboards. In addition, steps were taken to prevent the building of new UBWs and to create greater public awareness of the dangers and nuisances UBWS cause.

Major Actions Against UBWs

During the year, 38 275 cases of UBWs were dealt with; 9 176 statutory removal orders were served and 17 879 UBWs were removed. A total of 2 264 offenders were prosecuted. 2 378 cases were adjudicated, resulting in 1794 convictions and fines totalling $6.82 million.

Urban Renewal

The purpose of urban renewal is to improve the living conditions in old urban areas and to prevent them from decaying further, while preserving their characteristics and social networks as far as practicable.

The Development Bureau formulates policy on urban renewal and oversees the work of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), a statutory body established in May 2001 with a mandate to conduct urban renewal.

Page 285Page 286