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Fencing a large drop, regulations?

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    706

    Fencing a large drop, regulations?

    Hi,

    Are there any regulations in Hong Kong requiring a fence adjacent to a large drop?

    there is a large (3+ meter) drop from a platform in our village, it's next to a public path and a public staircase goes from the top to the bottom. Now that I have a small child and we walk past this multiple times a day I really realise how dangerous it is.

    I have been told that there is a right of way there and the short term tenancy doesn't allow a fence to be on the edge where the drop is. This seems crazy. The person who has the STT would really like a fence there as it is insanely dangerous, but they were made to take down the one they had previously put up.

    I was thinking there must be a requirement to fence such a dangerous drop, anyone have any ideas?


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Posts
    258

    I thought STT allowed for fences around it's boundaries, so I'm wondering if someone just complained enough to get the removal notice. Perhaps the previous fence was blocking thoroughfare? Are you sure the fence wasn't on public land at all? If it's a government managed slope (check for a plaque on the slope itself) then perhaps that's one way to get a fence put up.
    Or if it's not govt managed, what's the village chief's view? Some are great, but most are useless/lazy/all around horrible, though.


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Posts
    2,485

    Public safety, the environment, and noise pollution are last on the village list of priorities.

    High up are random anonymous complaints to authorities about whatever might have caught someone's eye when they were in a bad mood, fighting over land, cutting down nice fruit/trees for no reason at all, and burning trash.

    shri likes this.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    357

    Make a complaint to 1823, maybe they can help -

    https://www.1823.gov.hk/en


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Posts
    492
    Quote Originally Posted by Cornmeal:
    Public safety, the environment, and noise pollution are last on the village list of priorities.

    High up are random anonymous complaints to authorities about whatever might have caught someone's eye when they were in a bad mood, fighting over land, cutting down nice fruit/trees for no reason at all, and burning trash.
    Haha, do not despair village folk. Same same for city folk with less greenery. Recap: Pavement railings put up by shopowners for safer pedestrian walking on treacherous Peel Street pavement got removed by authorities.

    Or if anyone remembers - there used to be a bistro with indoor/outdoor seating in the old Exc Sq/IFC front courtyard area. Outdoor seating disappeared overnight one day. Someone complained the area was public space so there should be no seating (ala shoes outside your apartment door). The staff told me it was because they asked some random folks taking a breather to vacate the seats when paying customers needed them (not like they were chasing them off for no real need).

    Village life sounds exciting. I will never get tired of saying village chief

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Posts
    492

    Forgot to write what I wanted to post in the first place =_=

    It helps that the STT holder doesn't mind/also wants some barrier in place, esp if he's a long-term (heh) STT holder but it's not really his burden to bear or cause to pursue (it's yours) if the critical spot is public area/govt land.

    No bright ideas, sorry. But I do think this is a good chance to cash in on your taxpayer contribution and utilize the system of democracy/elected reps to let your wishes be heard. Write in to your district council office (me thinks letter in chinese better impact) and tell them you think the area should have some kind of railing/fence for public safety reason because lots of folks use the path etc and request them to consider and escalate upwards to lands department on behalf of residents. Then you wait for a while (give them lotsa time) and write in to follow up after a whil etc...ie the bureacracy, the whole drill.

    Chances your wishes be granted = not sure, you never know. It's probably the slowest and least popular option of all but it's also the proper one and again, this is actually one of the features of a democractic system :P .

    shri likes this.