Three property owners fined over $250,000 in total for not complying with removal orders
Three owners were convicted and fined $251,000 in total at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts on Tuesday (July 28) for failing to comply with removal orders issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).
The Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts, the Kwun Tong Law Courts Building
The first case involved the erection of a lightwell structure, partial removal of a beam and opening formed on the floor at a composite building on Lock Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), two removal orders were served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO.
Failing to comply with the removal orders, the owner had been prosecuted by the BD and was fined upon conviction by the court. As the owner persisted in not complying with the removal orders, the owner was prosecuted for the second time, and was fined $139,950 in total, of which $89,950 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued upon conviction by the court.
The second case involved unauthorised structures on the flat roof of a composite building on Fu Yan Street, Kwun Tong. As the UBWs were carried out without prior approval and consent from the BD, a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO. Failing to comply with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted by the BD and fined $59,900 in total, of which $9,900 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued.
The third case involved the erection of a floor slab on the cockloft, removal of a staircase to the cockloft and a door opening formed in the staircase enclosure wall at a composite building on Pitt Street, Yau Ma Tei. As the UBWs were carried out without prior approval and consent from the BD, and they affected the fire-resisting construction of the building, contravening the Building (Construction) Regulation, a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO. Failing to comply with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted by the BD and was fined $51,150 in total, of which $41,150 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued.
A spokesman for the BD said today (July 31), "UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take stringent enforcement action and instigate prosecutions against owners again if they persist in not complying with removal orders 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.
Source: AI-found images
Approved Kwai Chung Outline Zoning Plan amended
The Town Planning Board today (July 31) announced amendments to the approved Kwai Chung Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).
The amendments mainly involve (i) rezoning a site at the junction of Lei Muk Road and Kwok Shui Road from "Other Specified Uses" ("OU") annotated "Buildings with Historical and Architectural Interests Preserved for Social Welfare Facility Use", "Open Space" and an area shown as 'Road' to "Residential (Group A)5"; (ii) revision to the building height restriction of the "OU" annotated "Columbarium" ("OU(Columbarium)") zone at Tsing Tsuen Road; (iii) rezoning three strips of land at Tsing Tsuen Road from "Green Belt" and "Industrial" ("I") to "OU(Columbarium)"; (iv) rezoning three parcels of land near Wing Kei Road and to the east of Tsuen Wan Chinese Permanent Cemetery (TWCPC) from "OU(Columbarium)", "OU" annotated "Cemetery" ("OU(Cemetery)") and "OU" annotated "Funeral Parlours and Crematorium" ("OU(FPC)") to "I"; (v) rezoning a parcel of land to the east of TWCPC from "OU(Cemetery)" and "I" to "OU(FPC)"; and (vi) rezoning a site at Wo Yi Hop Road from "OU" annotated "Business" to "Residential (Group E)2".
The Notes and Explanatory Statement of the OZP are amended to take into account the above amendments. Opportunity is also taken to update the general information of various land use zones and the planning scheme area, where appropriate.
The draft Kwai Chung OZP No. S/KC/33, incorporating the amendments, is available for public inspection during office hours at (i) the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, (ii) the Planning Enquiry Counters, (iii) the Tsuen Wan and West Kowloon District Planning Office, and (iv) the Kwai Tsing District Office.
Any person may make written representations in respect of the amendments to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before September 30, 2026. Any person who intends to make a representation is advised to read the Town Planning Board Guidelines No. 29C on "Submission and Processing of Representations and Further Representations" (TPB PG-No. 29C).
Submission of a representation should comply with the requirements set out in TPB PG-No. 29C. In particular, the representer should take note of the following:
* If the representer fails to provide his or her full name and the first four alphanumeric characters of his or her Hong Kong identity card or passport number as required under TPB PG-No. 29C, the representation submitted shall be treated as not having been made; and
* The Secretariat of the Town Planning Board reserves the right to require the representer to provide identity proof for verification.
The Guidelines and the submission form are available at the above locations (i) and (ii) and the Town Planning Board's website (www.tpb.gov.hk).
Copies of the draft Kwai Chung OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centre in North Point. The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed on the Town Planning Board's website (www.tpb.gov.hk).
