Typhoon Ragasa Forces Temporary Closure of Multiple Hong Kong Swimming Pools and Recreational Facilities

Temporary closure of some LCSD facilities

​The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (September 25) that due to damages brought about by Super Typhoon Ragasa, the following venues/facilities have been temporarily closed for clearance and urgent repair works until further notice.

Hong Kong Island

1. Eastern District:

－ Chai Wan Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 1pm)

－ Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground (to be reopened at 10am)

－ Chai Wan Park Tennis Court (to be reopened at 8am)

2. Southern District:

－ Pao Yue Kong Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 1pm)

Kowloon

1. Kwun Tong District:

－ Jordan Valley Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 1pm)

2. Sham Shui Po District:

－ Lai Chi Kok Park Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 9am)

－ Sham Shui Po Park Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 10am)

－ Lei Cheng Uk Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 7pm)

3. Wong Tai Sin District:

－ Hammer Hill Road Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 1pm)

－ Hammer Hill Road Sports Ground

－ Artificial Turf Pitch Number 1 - 4 at Morse Park

New Territories

1. Islands District

－Mui Wo Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 1pm)

2. Kwai Tsing District

－ Kwai Shing Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 1pm)

－ North Kwai Chung Jockey Club Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 1pm)

－ Tsing Yi Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 7pm)

3. North District:

－ Fanling Swimming Pool

－ Sheung Shui Swimming Pool

4. Sai Kung District:

－ Tseung Kwan O Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 1pm)

5. Sha Tin District:

－ Ma On Shan Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 9am)

－ Sha Tin Jockey Club Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 11am)

－ Hin Tin Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 7pm)

6. Tsuen Wan District

－Tsuen King Circuit Wu Chung Swimming Pool (to be reopened at 9am)

7. Tuen Mun District:

－ Tuen Mun Swimming Pool

－ The Jockey Club Yan Oi Tong Swimming Pool

－ Tuen Mun North West Swimming Pool

8. Yuen Long District:

－ Yuen Long Swimming Pool

－ Tin Shui Wai Swimming Pool

All gazetted beaches

Source: AI-found images

Property owner fined over $60,000 for not complying with removal order

An owner was convicted and fined $66,040 in total, of which $56,040 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts last Friday (January 9) for failing to comply with a removal order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).

The case involved unauthorised building works (UBWs) with an area of about 45 square metres on the roof of a village house on a lot in D.D.130, Tuen Mun. Since the Lands Department would not issue a certificate of exemption for the UBWs and the UBWs were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO. Failure to comply with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted by the BD.

A spokesman for the BD said today (January 13), "UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who fail to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building and public safety."

Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year's imprisonment, and a further fine of up to $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.