The scaffolding of six buildings has allegedly been up for over two years without being dismantled, possibly involving engineering modifications, severe weather, or cost disputes, among other issues

Following the fire at Tai Po Hung Fook Court that raised social concerns, some Legislative Council members earlier inquired about the safety issues of external scaffolding on buildings that have not been dismantled for a long time. The Secretary for Development, Ning Hanhao, responded in writing, revealing that there are six buildings in Hong Kong with external scaffolding that has been in place for over two years and has not been removed, located in Central and Western District, Eastern District, Sham Shui Po, Tuen Mun, and Wan Chai.

At the same time, under the government's large-scale maintenance program "Building Renewal Action 2.0," there are 1,822 first-category buildings and 1,354 second-category buildings at different stages of inspection or construction. As of the end of November last year, over 280 of these buildings still have scaffolding on their external walls.

Regarding the reasons for the long-term presence of scaffolding, the authorities explained that factors include changes in the project, inclement weather, and disputes over contracts and costs between the owners' corporations and contractors