Buildings Department public services arrangement
To align with the work arrangement announced by the Government yesterday, the Buildings Department (BD) announced today (February 28) that it will implement targeted measures to reduce social contact and infection control measures and gradually resume more public services from next Monday (March 2) in an orderly manner. These services mainly include handling of public reports on building safety and unauthorised building works, critical statutory submissions for new building works, registration of building professionals and contractors, advisory services for licensing authorities, and the implementation of the Mandatory Building and Window Inspection Schemes and the Operation Building Bright 2.0. In this connection, the handling time of the services may still be longer than usual.
The Building Information Centre at 2/F and the Receipt and Enquiry Counters at the ground floor of the BD Headquarters at North Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon will be reopened between 10am to 4pm from Monday to Friday to provide services. The services will include inspection and copying services for private building records, receipt of documents and handling of enquiries from members of the public. There will be limits on the number of customers to be served in order to reduce social contact. In addition, a drop-in box and a tender/quotation box will be provided at G/F of the BD Headquarters from 9.30am to 5.30pm from Monday to Friday to supplement the counter services.
Based on experience gained in the past two weeks, the Receipt and Dispatch Counter services at the office of the BD’s New Buildings Divisions on 7/F, 14 Taikoo Wan Road, Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong (NBDs Office) will be enhanced. Thus, the drop-in counter located at NBDs Office will be open from 9am to 2.30pm, for receiving statutory submissions and related documents and forms for new building works on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and for the applicants to collect the processed plans and related documents on Tuesday or Thursday by appointment.
The meeting rooms (except for meetings essential to meet statutory requirements such as Minor Works Contractors Registration Committee meetings) and interview rooms in the BD’s offices will remain closed to the public until further notice.
The department appeals to the public to minimise visiting the BD’s offices in person unless they genuinely require BD public services urgently. The public can call 1823 to make emergency reports. For general enquiries and other reports, they may call 1823 or inform the department by email (enquiry@bd.gov.hk), online reporting (eform.one.gov.hk/form/bd0001/en), fax (2537 4992) or post (North Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon). In addition, electronic information can be submitted to the BD via receipt@bd.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, February 28, 2020