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Chinese University of Hong Kong to remove green roofs, Buildings ­Department issues new guidelines to schools for immediate safety checks

The move, from Chinese University, came as the Buildings ­Department issued a green roof safety guideline for primary and secondary schools

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CUHK is planning to remove green roofs on top of six tin huts next to the Sir Philip Haddon-Cave Sports Field. Photo: David Wong

Chinese University ­announced plans to remove ­vegetation grown on six huts next to its sport field yesterday, as the Buildings ­Department issued a green roof safety guideline for primary and secondary schools.

The university said in a ­statement yesterday that it was ­removing rooftop vegetation that was part of an “experiment” and was now considered useless.

The statement came four days after a green roof at CityU ­collapsed, triggering city-wide concerns over the lack of ­supervision for green roofs.

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Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said yesterday that an inter­departmental meeting to review green building policies has been held - his first comments on the incident since it happened.

“It is true that we have a green building policy,” Leung said. “But it is most important for the building to meet the government’s safety requirements in its ­design, construction, use, maintenance and repairing.”

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