14 building plans approved in December

     The Buildings Department approved 14 building plans in December, with three on Hong Kong Island, five in Kowloon and six in the New Territories.
 
     Of the approved plans, three were for apartment and apartment/commercial developments, four were for commercial developments, four were for factory and industrial developments, and three were for community services developments.
 
     In the same month, consent was given for works to start on 13 building projects which, when completed, will provide 55 692 square metres of gross floor area for domestic use involving 1 495 units, and 47 657 sq m of gross floor area for non-domestic use. The department has received notification of commencement of superstructure works for one building project.
 
     The department also issued 29 occupation permits, with eight on Hong Kong Island, nine in Kowloon and 12 in the New Territories.
 
     Of the buildings certified for occupation, the gross floor area for domestic use was 377 282 sq m involving 6 121 units, and 81 787 sq m was for non-domestic use.
 
     The declared cost of new buildings completed in December totalled about $20.2 billion.
 
     In addition, two demolition consents were issued.
 
     The department received 2 427 reports about unauthorised building works (UBWs) in December and issued 318 removal orders on UBWs.
 
     The full version of the Monthly Digest for December can be viewed on the Buildings Department's homepage (www.bd.gov.hk).




Special traffic arrangements for 15th National Games triathlon test event

    Police will implement special traffic arrangements in Central and Wan Chai from February 26 (Wednesday) to March 2 (Sunday) to facilitate the 15th National Games triathlon test event.

A. Road closure

    The following roads will be intermittently closed from 5am to 8am on February 28:

– Yiu Sing Street;
– Eastbound Lung Wo Road between southbound Man Yiu Street and northbound Fleming Road;
– Westbound Lung Wo Road between southbound Lung Tat Path and southbound Tim Wa Avenue;
– Eastbound Lung Tat Path;
– Lung Hop Street;
– Legislative Council Road between Legislative Council Complex Car Park exit and westbound Lung Wo Road;
– The slip road of eastbound Central – Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel heading to its Expo Drive exit;
– The slip road of eastbound Man Kat Street heading to Central – Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel portal;
– Expo Drive;
– Expo Drive Central; and
– Expo Drive East.

    The following roads will be closed, except for vehicles with permit:

(1) From 10am on February 26 to 6pm on March 2:

    Expo Drive between Legislative Council Road and Expo Drive Central.

(2) From 2am to 2pm on March 1 and from 8am to 6pm on March 2:

– Yiu Sing Street;
– Eastbound Lung Wo Road between southbound Man Yiu Street and northbound Fleming Road;
– Westbound Lung Wo Road between southbound Lung Tat Path and southbound Man Yiu Street;
– Eastbound Lung Tat Path;
– Lung Hop Street;
– Legislative Council Road between Legislative Council Complex Car Park exit and westbound Lung Wo Road;
– Part of the traffic lanes of the slip road of westbound Central – Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel heading to Central District;
– Part of the traffic lanes of eastbound Man Po Street near Finance Street;
– Part of the traffic lanes of southbound Man Yiu Street between westbound Man Kwong Street and westbound Yiu Sing Street;
– Part of the traffic lanes of southbound Man Yiu Street near westbound Lung Wo Road;
– Part of the traffic lanes of westbound Convention Avenue near northbound Fleming Road;
– The slip road of eastbound Central – Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel heading to its Expo Drive exit;
– The slip road of eastbound Man Kat Street heading to Central – Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel portal;
– Expo Drive;
– Expo Drive Central;
– Expo Drive East; and
– Part of the traffic lanes of northbound Fleming Road between eastbound Harbour Road and westbound Lung Wo Road.

B. Traffic diversions

    In connection with the road closure as mentioned above, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:

(1) From 10am on February 26 to 6pm on March 2:

– Traffic along eastbound Expo Drive heading to Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre will be diverted via eastbound Lung Wo Road and northbound Expo Drive East; and
– Traffic along eastbound Expo Drive heading to Central – Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel will be diverted via eastbound Lung Wo Road.

(2) From 2am to 2pm on March 1 and from 8am to 6pm on March 2:

– Traffic along westbound Hung Hing Road via northbound Expo Drive East heading to Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre will be diverted via southbound Fleming Road and make a u-turn to northbound Fleming Road and westbound Harbour Road;
– Traffic along eastbound Connaught Road Central Flyover heading to Hung Hing Road via Central – Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel will be diverted via eastbound Man Po Street, southbound Man Yiu Street, eastbound Connaught Place, southbound Connaught Place, eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road, eastbound Gloucester Road and northbound Fleming Road;
– Traffic along eastbound Man Kat Street heading to Hung Hing Road via Central – Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel will be diverted via eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road, eastbound Gloucester Road and northbound Fleming Road;
– Traffic along westbound Man Kwong Street heading to eastbound Lung Wo Road via southbound Man Yiu Street will be diverted via southbound Man Yiu Street, eastbound Connaught Place, southbound Connaught Place, eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road, eastbound Gloucester Road and northbound Fleming Road;
– Traffic along eastbound Man Po Street heading to eastbound Lung Wo Road via eastbound Yiu Sing Street will be diverted via southbound Man Yiu Street, eastbound Connaught Place, southbound Connaught Place, eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road, eastbound Gloucester Road and northbound Fleming Road;
– Traffic along eastbound Man Po Street heading to Admiralty or Mid-levels via eastbound Lung Wo Road will be diverted via the slip road of eastbound Man Po Street heading to westbound Finance Street, westbound Finance Street, temporary exit connecting Finance Street and Central – Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel, the slip road of westbound Central – Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel heading to eastbound Man Kat Street, eastbound Man Kat Street, eastbound Connaught Road Central and eastbound Harcourt Road;
– Traffic along southbound Man Yiu Street cannot turn left to eastbound Lung Wo Road and eastbound Yiu Sing Street, vehicles will be diverted via southbound Man Yiu Street, eastbound Connaught Place, southbound Connaught Place, eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road, eastbound Gloucester Road and northbound Fleming Road;
– Traffic along eastbound Man Cheung Street heading to eastbound Lung Wo Road will be diverted via southbound Man Yiu Street, eastbound Connaught Place, southbound Connaught Place, eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road,  eastbound Gloucester Road and northbound Fleming Road;
– Traffic along eastbound Yiu Sing Street and southbound Yiu Sing Street heading to eastbound Lung Wo Road will be diverted via southbound Man Yiu Street, eastbound Connaught Place, southbound Connaught Place, eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road, eastbound Gloucester Road and northbound Fleming Road;
– Traffic along northbound Legislative Council Road cannot turn left to westbound Lung Wo Road. Vehicles will be diverted via southbound Legislative Council Road, eastbound Lung Wui Road, eastbound Fenwick Pier Street, Fenwick Pier Street roundabout, westbound Fenwick Pier Street, Flyover, westbound Harcourt Road, westbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Connaught Place;
– Traffic along northbound Tim Wa Avenue cannot turn left to westbound Lung Wo Road. Vehicles will be diverted via southbound Tim Wa Avenue, northbound Tim Mei Avenue, eastbound Lung Wui Road, eastbound Fenwick Pier Street, Fenwick Pier Street roundabout, westbound Fenwick Pier Street, Flyover, westbound Harcourt Road, westbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Connaught Place;
– Traffic along westbound Lung Wo Road heading to the Chief Executive’s Office via southbound Tim Wa Avenue will be diverted via southbound Lung Tat Path, Convention Avenue, westbound Fenwick Pier Street, Flyover, westbound Harcourt Road, westbound Connaught Road Central and make a u-turn to eastbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Tim Wa Avenue;
– Traffic along eastbound Lung Wui Road cannot turn left to northbound Lung Hop Street;
– Traffic along westbound Fenwick Pier Street cannot turn right to northbound Lung Hop Street. Vehicles will be diverted via Fenwick Pier Street, Flyover, westbound Harcourt Road, westbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Connaught Place;
– Traffic along westbound Convention Avenue heading to westbound Lung Wo Road via northbound Lung Tat Path will be diverted via Convention Avenue, Fenwick Pier Street roundabout, westbound Fenwick Pier Street, Flyover, westbound Harcourt Road, westbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Connaught Place;
– Traffic along westbound Hung Hing Road heading to westbound Lung Wo Road will be diverted to southbound Lung Tat Path, Convention Avenue, Fenwick Pier Street roundabout, westbound Fenwick Pier Street, Flyover, westbound Harcourt Road, westbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Connaught Place; and
– Traffic along southbound Expo Drive East heading to westbound Lung Wo Road will be diverted via southbound Lung Tat Path, Convention Avenue, Fenwick Pier Street roundabout, westbound Fenwick Pier Street, Flyover, westbound Harcourt Road, westbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Connaught Place.

C. Suspension of parking spaces and pick-up/drop-off areas

    All parking spaces and pick-up/drop-off areas on the following roads will be suspended:

(1) From 10am on February 26 to 6pm on March 2:

    All metered parking spaces and pick-up/drop-off areas on Expo Drive.

(2) From 10pm on February 28 to 6pm on March 2:

– All metered parking spaces on Yiu Sing Street and Lung Hop Street;
– All metered parking spaces on the unnamed road near General Post Office;
– Pick-up/drop-off areas on westbound Lung Wo Road near City Hall and near Edinburgh Place; and
– All metered parking spaces and pick-up/drop-off areas on Expo Drive East.

     All vehicles parked illegally during the implementation of the above special traffic arrangements will be towed away without prior warning, and may be subject to multiple ticketing.  

     The Police will make special arrangements depending on the traffic and crowd conditions. Members of the public are advised to use public transport to access the above areas as far as possible. Motorists are advised to exercise patience, and to take heed of instructions of the Police on site.




Correctional officers stop person in custody attacking staff member

     â€‹Correctional officers at Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre stopped a male person in custody attacking a staff member today (February 24).
      
     At 9.32am today, a 36-year-old male person in custody suddenly became emotional and attacked a correctional officer inside a hospital ward. Officers at the scene immediately stopped the assailant and applied OC foam to subdue him after repeated warnings were ignored.
      
     During the incident, the officer being attacked sustained injuries to his hands. After examination and treatment by the institution Medical Officer, he was referred to a public hospital for further treatment. The assailant sustained injuries to his head and hand. He did not need to be sent to a public hospital after examination and treatment by the institution Medical Officer.
      
     The case has been reported to the Police for investigation.
      
     The assailant was sentenced to imprisonment for the offence of theft in November 2024.




Appeal for information on missing man in Sau Mau Ping (with photo)

     Police today (February 24) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Sau Mau Ping.

     Zhou Zhibin, aged 34, went missing after he left his residence in On Tai Estate in the small hours on February 6. His family made a report to Police on February 14.  
     
     He is about 1.7 metres tall, 70 kilograms in weight and of medium build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a dark green jacket, grey trousers and beige sports shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Kowloon East on 3661 0335 or email to rmpu-ke-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.
 
 

Photo  



Strategic Public Policy Research Funding Scheme 2024-25 results announced

     The Chief Executive's Policy Unit (CEPU) announced today (February 24) the results of the Strategic Public Policy Research Funding Scheme (SPPRFS) 2024-25.
 
     The SPPRFS is aimed at encouraging local think tank experts and scholars (including universities and civil society think tanks) to apply their expertise to conduct evidence-based research on key public policy issues, and to facilitate the knowledge transfer of research findings to policy considerations, serving as a channel for the Government to tap the public policy research expertise of society. To raise the effectiveness of the SPPRFS, the CEPU has introduced continuous enhancements to strengthen communication among research talent, relevant field experts and the Government throughout the process of application, approval and research.
 
     A total of 37 applications, covering strategic themes identified by the Government, were received under the SPPRFS 2024-25. On the advice of the Assessment Panel, the CEPU has supported two projects with a total funding of about $7 million. Both projects are in line with the long-term development of initiatives in the 2024 Policy Address. One seeks to enhance Hong Kong's status as an international shipping centre and promote development within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The other project deals with strategic planning of low-altitude infrastructure and air mobility services in the GBA, facilitating the development of a low-altitude economy.
 
     The Public Policy Research Funding Scheme and the SPPRFS are administered by the CEPU. Applications to the SPPRFS are invited once a year in general, and the research projects will last a longer duration. Applications must be made under the specified strategic themes and be in line with the specified research areas. Applications are assessed by an Assessment Panel which comprises experienced academics and professional experts. Research quality and the strategic relevance of the proposal to the public policy development needs of Hong Kong are the principal criteria of assessment. The Assessment Panel will also take into account comments of outside reviewers who are experienced academics and professional experts during the assessment process, and views of relevant government bureaux/departments. A declaration of interests system is in place to ensure that the assessments are fair and impartial.
 
     Details of the funded projects have been uploaded to the CEPU's website (www.cepu.gov.hk/en/PRFS/sppr-granted.html).