Booking Procedure For Use Of Fee Charging Recreation And Sports Facilities

The LCSD aims to promote “sport-for-all” culture in the community and provides a wide range of recreation and sports facilities with a view to encouraging public participation in sports activities and allowing eligible organisations to make priority booking of recreation and sports facilities for competitions, training or other recreational activities. To allow eligible organisations reasonable time for planning and organising competitions and training, recreation and sports facilities can be booked in advance, subject to the conditions set out in this guide.

Block Booking by Organisations

Organisations eligible for priority booking:

Schools
Schools are allowed to block book sessions of the coming school year in advance for the period from September to mid-July of the following year. This arrangement applies only to sessions during normal school hours, i.e. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays; and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
Twelve-month in advance booking
Recreation and sports facilities may be reserved up to twelve months in advance for Local International Events, championships, leagues and training events, promoted or organized, not in order of priority, by –
(a)	Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China
(b)	Hong Kong Paralympic Committee
(c)	National Sports Associations
(d)	Community Sports Clubs
(e)	District Sports Associations
(f)	Hong Kong Schools Sports Federation
(g)	New Territories Regional Sports Association
(h)	those supported by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) or District Councils
Six-month in advance booking
Main arenas and activity rooms in sports centres during non-peak hours; squash courts (for squash activities only) and fitness rooms in all hours, may be reserved six months in advance for leagues, training or any other general recreation and sports activities promoted and organized in order of priority by –
(a)	Non-governmental organisations receiving subventions allocation from Social Welfare Department and charitable organisations registered with the Inland Revenue Department.
(b)	Affiliated clubs of National Sports Associations, registered with Certificate of Incorporation under the Companies Ordinance; or Certificate of Registration of a Society under the Societies Ordinance.
(c)	Government departments (including trading fund departments), public/statutory bodies organising departmental/public functions.
(d)	Bona fide associations, corporations (including government staff clubs/unions) registered with Certificate of Incorporation under the Companies Ordinance; or Certificate of Registration of a Society under the Societies Ordinance and offices of District Council members.
Recreation and sports facilities may be reserved up to six months in advance for Community Involvement Activities funded by District Councils and organised by the same categories of organisations stipulated in (a) to (d) above.
Three-month in advance booking
Recreation and sports facilities may be reserved three months in advance for championships, leagues, and training events promoted or organised by (i) schools during non-school hours and (ii) the same categories of organisations stipulated in (a) to (d) above in order of priority.

Quota

Block booking is generally subject to the following conditions:

(a)	During peak hours*, only one-third of the total available hours of the month may be allowed for block bookings (not including Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and LCSD or events subvented by LCSD and if these bookings are included, not more than half of the total available hours of the month); with not more than half the number of the facilities at each venue may be block booked at any one time; the latter condition is not applied to the facilities with only one number in a venue; and
(b)	During non-peak hours*, not more than two-thirds of the number of courts may be block booked.
	*The hours of peak and non-peak period are subject to the prevailing definition as determined by the LCSD. The definition may be revised on need basis.

Booking Procedure

A standard application form (LCS 189) should be used for block booking. Applicants are required to observe and adhere to the deadlines for submission of applications for block bookings of recreation and sports facilities and send to the respective venues according to the booking schedules stated below. The application will generally be processed according to the priority of applicant. If more than one application for the same session from applicants of the same priority is received, the allocation will be determined by ballot.

 

Schools

Bookings for the sessions of the facilities during normal school hours in coming school year shall be made on or before the first working day of June of each year. The Booking Procedure for Use of LCSD Sports Facilities by schools is available at https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/specials/facility/documents.htm.

Twelve-month in advance bookings

Bookings shall be made at least four but not more than twelve calendar months in advance (e.g. booking for sessions in September 2024 should reach the booking office between August 2023 and 30 April 2024. All late applications made after 30 April 2024 will be processed with applications of other organisations entitled three months in advance bookings).

Six/Three-month in advance bookings

Bookings shall be made six/three months in advance (e.g. bookings made three months in advance for sessions in September 2024 should reach the booking office between 1 to 31 May 2024).

Remarks:

Organisations which wish to book sessions less than three months in advance after the application deadline may enquire with respective booking offices of the availability of session quota for block booking by organisation.

Hire Charges

Use of recreation and sports facilities managed by the LCSD is subject to prior payment of the prescribed hire charges.

Cancellation of Booking

The hirer shall not cancel any confirmed booking unless the cancellation is deemed necessary and supported by strong and justifiable reasons from the hirers. Written notice for such cancellation must be sent to the venue concerned at least 20 days prior to the date of use of the venue.

General Condition of Use

All users of LCSD recreation and sports facilities shall abide by the Conditions of Use of LCSD Recreation and Sports Facilities which have been posted up at recreation and sports venues.

Breach of Conditions of Use by Priority Users

If any priority user fails to observe or perform any of the provisions of the Conditions of Use of LCSD Recreation and Sports Facilities or to comply with the advice of LCSD to the full satisfaction of the department, the venue management is entitled to cancel the confirmed booking and terminate the use of the venue by the user immediately. The applicant shall vacate the facility immediately under such circumstances. Any charges paid by the priority users to LCSD may not be refunded and LCSD has the right to deduct from the charges paid or claim from the priority user any loss of the Department as a result of the breach.