Following is a question by the Hon Ip Kwok-him and a reply by the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr Michael Suen, in the Legislative Council today (June 18):
Question:
In reply to my question in February this year, the Administration indicated that signboards overhanging from buildings would constitute a form of occupation of unleased government land if they protruded over the streets, and the owners of such signboards were required to obtain relevant licences under the law. However, the Administration advised that it had no plan to enforce such a requirement. At the meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee of the Central and Western District Council on the 22nd of last month, a government official revealed that the Administration intended to impose charges on the relevant property owners of the World Wide House and the Queen's Theatre in Central for the huge electronic advertisement signboards on the exterior walls of the two buildings, which have occupied government land. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) given that there are numerous huge signboards in Wan Chai District which occupy government land and the Government has not imposed charges on their owners, of the reasons for its planning to selectively impose charges on the relevant property owners of the two buildings mentioned above; and
(b) whether it will expeditiously conduct a study on imposing charges on the owners of huge signboards which occupy government land; if it will not, of reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Advertisement signboards protruding over streets not only help promote businesses but has also become one of the characteristics of Hong Kong's cityscape over time. It is estimated that there are over 200,000 such signboards.
Most advertisement signboards are building works and are currently subject to prescribed structural safety controls. Earlier, the Administration has considered introducing a signboard registration system to further ensure the structural safety of signboards. However, during the course of considering the implementation details, we have found that the simplest and most effective way is to subsume the relevant control under the building control system. In fact, if our proposals in the Buildings (Amendment) Bill introduced into the Legislative Council at the end of April are adopted, the erection of most advertisement signboards will be categorized as minor works. We consider that the proposals in the Buildings (Amendment) Bill would achieve the objective of ensuring the safety of signboards and that an additional signboard registration system is not necessary. A separate registration system will only increase the financial burden of business people or signboard owners as they have to bear various costs relating to licence renewal of signboards, insurance and declaration of ownership. The Government will also need considerable resources to establish a registration scheme. Hence, we consider that it is not necessary to implement a registration system to ensure the structural safety of signboards.
As regards issuing licences for signboards overhanging unleased land under the Land (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 28), this will involve a number of complex and practical problems. These include the intended coverage of Cap. 28, the read across implications on other forms of occupation of Government land, the need for an administrative structure to operate a licensing scheme and the cost of compliance for the community. We will need to examine these issues thoroughly and to discuss with relevant bodies before consideration may be given to issue licences for signboards overhanging Government land under the Ordinance. We will review the regulation system over signboards from time to time.
With regard to the Hon. Ip Kwok-him's specific questions, the following information is relevant:
(a) the Lands Department has received applications from the owners of the signboards in question for approval because parts of the signboards protrude over Government land. These applications are still under consideration by the Lands Department in consultation with relevant Government departments. No decision has been made; and
(b) the Administration is considering how best to handle applications from owners of signboards overhanging Government land. The Administration's deliberation will include the feasibility of imposing charges on such activity.
End/Wednesday, June 18, 2003
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