Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ14: Floodlights around swimming pools

Following is a question by the Hon Howard Young and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (February 15):

Question:

Recently I have received complaints from members of the public that the floodlights around the swimming pool of the estate in their vicinity were excessively bright and not focused on the pool, thus affected their sightlines. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the number of complaints received by the authorities in the past three years concerning excessively bright floodlights around swimming pools;

(b) of the difference in the brightness requirements imposed by the authorities regarding the floodlights around swimming pools in private estates and hotels, and those around public swimming pools;

(c) whether the authorities will consider requiring the fitting of lampshades on the floodlights around swimming pools in densely populated areas; if not, the measures adopted by the authorities to reduce the impacts of the light from such floodlights on the residents nearby; and

(d) as the utilization rates of swimming pools in private estates and hotels are relatively low at night, whether the authorities will consider relaxing the brightness requirement for the floodlights around the swimming pools concerned as long as the safety requirements of such pools are met?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) had received four complaints against the illumination level of public swimming pools between 2003 to 2005 and taken immediate follow-up actions to address the problems. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) also received three complaints against the excessively bright floodlights around private swimming pools.

(b) According to the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD), there is currently no legal standard for lighting of public swimming pools. The current lighting requirement for public swimming pools has been drawn up with reference to the guidelines issued by the British Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE). The current average illumination for public swimming pools generally lies within the range of 300 - 500 lux.

For swimming pools in private housing estates and hotels that are governed by the Swimming Pools Regulation (Cap 132, Sub CA), the illumination for both the sidewalks and water surface of the pool must be maintained at an average of 200 lux or above. The above licence condition for illumination of swimming pools floodlights was set by FEHD after consultation with the ArchSD.

(c) On receiving a complaint about the level of illumination in a public swimming pool from residents in the neighbourhood, the LCSD would liaise with the ArchSD to conduct on-site visits. When necessary, the ArchSD would take the following improvement measures as appropriate-

a) re-position the headset of the existing lighting system or change its angle to adjust the area of its illumination; or

b) add lampshade or filter to the existing lighting system to reduce the glare.

For private swimming pools, the FEHD recorded only three complaints against excessively bright pool lighting over the past three years. In line with the licence condition on illumination of swimming pools, the management had resolved the problems by adjusting the angle or brightness of the lighting systems.

(d) For swimming pools in private housing estates and hotels that have low utilization rate during night-time, the management may apply to FEHD to relax the requirements for pool lighting. FEHD would take into account the conditions of the subject swimming pool and the safety of swimmers in processing the application.



Ends/Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:54

NNNN