Officials on Monday set out how they will take a flexible approach to building and fire safety requirements to allow new campsites to be opened in rural areas, and for more holiday flats in villages houses.

This comes after Chief Executive John Lee announced in his policy address last year that the SAR would promote "local thematic immersive tours".

Two new licence application guides issued by the Home Affairs Department (HAD) state that the authorities can take a "pragmatic and flexible approach" to fire safety measures when campsites and village houses do not have emergency vehicular access, or are not located near a street fire hydrant.

The places in question would still need to have fire extinguishers and smoke detectors and meet fire safety standards.

One of the guides also sets out how applications to open holiday flats might not be rejected by the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) even if they are in located in village houses built before 1961 that do not fully comply with current construction standards.

"The OLA takes a pragmatic and flexible stance on building safety licensing requirements in order to facilitate the operation of holiday flats," the guide states.

"Due to the special nature and restrictions of rural settings of these kinds of village houses that the prescriptive requirements may not be fully met, alternative proposals on addressing the building safety licensing requirements will be considered on individual case merits."

Areas the authorities will examine include a building's means of escape, lighting, ventilation and structural safety.

Undersecretary for Home and Youth Affairs Clarence Leung said officials would allow for flexibility when reviewing individual applications, provided that building and fire safety standards are met.

“When we review these applications, the most important thing is to ensure the safety of the residents and the general public," he told RTHK.

DAB lawmaker Chan Hok-Fung said the authorities' flexible approach to licensing requirements will help promote tourism in rural areas.

He said that to streamline the licensing process, the HAD should set up a one-stop platform to help applicants handle the associated requirements across other government departments.

Chan also called for officials to work on the provision of dining and entertainment options in rural areas, to enhance the overall experience for visitors.



Edited by Thomas McAlinden