Over-height homes primary targets in illegal structures crackdown

The Development Bureau has proposed a step-by-step plan for dealing with the thorny problem of illegal structures in the New Territories.

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam stressed that the proposal must not be mistaken for an "amnesty".

She said there are only two kinds of structures - legal and illegal.

In a document submitted to the Legislative Council on Wednesday, the bureau proposed a triage system, with illegal structures sorted into groups.

Highest priority will be given to removal of illegal structures that pose "an obvious hazard or imminent danger" to life and property, those currently still under construction, and newly completed.

The next order of priority is given to illegal structures with "higher potential risks". Those include village houses built without certificates of exemption from the Lands Department or the approval of the Building Authority.

Also included in the list are enclosed rooftop structures covering more than half of the roofed area, as well as projecting structures attached to unauthorized works. These comprise "the first round of targets".

The rest will be handled in later, subsequent phases. The bureau will introduce a registration scheme to collect more detailed information, so as to make progressive removal plans. The owners of illegal building works must register and appoint an expert to attest to the safety of the structures as well.

The proposed plan made clear houses of four stories or more are going to be among "the first to be targeted" under the "higher potential risks" category.

This is a clear rejection to Heung Yee Kuk's demand. The advisory body of New Territories villages has taken a strong stand in opposition to the government's policy on removal of unauthorized construction works. It argued that houses built on ports of land under the block government lease have no height limit.

Cheung Hok-ming, vice-chairman of Heung Yee Kuk, said he finds the proposals acceptable as far as the government's willingness to allow self-registration of structures that do not pose an immediate safety concern.

He said the Heung Yee Kuk will try to persuade villagers to cooperate.

Vice-Chairman of the Sheung Shui District Rural Committee Hau Fuk-tat charged that the Heung Yee Kuk failed to protect villagers.

Chairman of the Shap Pat Heung Rural Committee Leung Fuk-yuen estimated that there are over a thousand houses of four stories or more in his village alone.

Cheung said he is also worried that removing houses of four stories or higher will bring financial burdens to poor villagers.

Legislator Lee Wing-tai however questioned whether the self-registration policy is not at variance with the policy in urban districts. He described it as "half amnesty".

In its document the bureau also proposed that certain environmental facilities and structures deemed necessary amenities will be permitted in both new and exempted New Territories houses without prior permission. These include solar-energy equipment, security gates and canopies.

The bureau will define existing unauthorized works as those completed before a "specified date". The date is yet to be set before the removal scheme started. The bureau will announce a time table of the removal plan later.

China Daily

(HK Edition 06/23/2011 page1)