Violations at the Lan Chau - Song Ngu Eco-tourism Complex, Resort Villas, Sports, and Entertainment Project were reported by Nghe An Newspaper in the articles "Do not concretize Lan Chau Pearl Island" (June 25); "Lan Chau Island is concretized: We have been warned!" (June 28); "Losing trust in the Lan Chau - Song Ngu Tourism Complex Project" (July 6); "Comprehensive inspection of the Lan Chau - Song Ngu Complex Project" (July 12).
For an accurate assessment, on July 4, 2023, the People's Committee of Cua Lo town issued Decision No. 1454/QD-UBND to establish a comprehensive inspection team for the Lan Chau - Song Ngu Eco-tourism, Resort, Sports and Entertainment Complex project, including project implementation progress, construction according to the planning approved by competent authorities, land management, environmental sanitation and other related issues.
Up to now, the inspection work has been completed. According to the report, the Lan Chau - Song Ngu Eco-tourism Complex, Resort Villas, Sports, Entertainment Project is invested by Song Ngu Son Joint Stock Company, with an area of 14.87 hectares. Song Ngu Son Joint Stock Company was granted the first Investment Certificate No. 27121000002 on March 18, 2014. On March 14, 2014, the project was approved by the Provincial People's Committee for the detailed construction planning at a scale of 1/500 in Decision No. 938/QD.UBND-CNTM; the Provincial People's Committee leased land in Decision No. 707/QD-UBND.DC dated December 12, 2014 with a total land area and sea surface area for lease of 171,799.6m2.2(including 86,376.5m2land and 85,423.1m2sea level) in Nghi Thuy, Thu Thuy and Nghi Hai wards.
On February 5, 2016, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 606/QD.UBND-CNTM approving the adjustment of the detailed construction plan at a scale of 1/500 for the Lan Chau - Song Ngu eco-tourism complex, resort villas, sports and entertainment, in Cua Lo town, Nghe An province. Three years later, by Official Dispatch No. 188/UBND-CN dated January 8, 2019, the Provincial People's Committee allowed Song Ngu Son Joint Stock Company to adjust the project implementation schedule to 2020.
Up to now, the project items according to the planning approved by the competent authority have been constructed by the investor, including: Song Ngu Son Hotel; security house; Lan Chau 1 restaurant; service bar; swimming pool and relaxation yard; welcoming tower and fairy tomb; guide column; water pumping station; generator and transformer house; water pumping station house; office building.
Inspecting each construction item in detail, the Inspection Team assessed that Song Ngu Son Hotel (item No. 03) was built in accordance with the planning; the construction scale was in accordance with the granted Construction Permit, which was a 9-storey building + 1 attic floor, with a construction area of 3,132m2.2. The guard house (item number 02) is built at a location suitable for planning; the scale according to the granted Construction Permit is a 1-storey house, actual area of 15.68m2, over 0.72m2.
Lan Chau Restaurant 1 (item number 20) is built in a location suitable for planning, with a scale guaranteed according to the granted Construction Permit, a 2-storey building, with an actual construction area of 296.7m2.2. Service bar (item number 09) is built in a location suitable for planning; construction scale is guaranteed to be in accordance with the granted Construction Permit, a 1-storey building with a construction area of 71.2m2.2Swimming pool and relaxation area (items 04 and 08) have been built with a total area of 1,288m2.2, the location is suitable for planning but beyond the construction boundary to the North and East of the project with an area of 201.5m22, the investor has not yet presented a construction permit. The welcoming tower, the ancestral tomb, and the guiding columns (items 21, 22, 23) are renovated works, without any expansion or additional construction.
Water pumping station and station house (item number 14) have been built with a total area of 20m2but the investor built against the planning and has not yet presented a construction permit. The generator house and transformer station (items number 13 and 25) were built with a total area of 87.4m2, however, the location is not in accordance with the planning, the investor has not yet presented a construction permit. The office building (item number 19) has not been built by the investor, and is currently using an old building with an area of 247.3m2.22 floors high, location suitable for planning.
There are a total of 8 construction items that have been put into use by the investor but are not included in the approved planning. Specifically, including the security guard house behind the hotel with an area of 6.5m2.2; laundry, warehouse, toilet have been built on the location of items 16 and 12 with an area of 6.5m2; restaurant at the foot of Lan Chau island, 1 floor height with an area of 843.6m2; elevator to the restaurant on the island with an area of 7.6m2; seafood tank behind the restaurant at the foot of Lan Chau island; staircase leading to Lan Chau restaurant on the island (connecting from the road to the wharf to the restaurant); installation of corrugated iron roof behind the hotel; the northern sea embankment of the project has a length of 256.1m, of which the area encroached on the sea compared to the planning is 3071m2, average width of encroachment on the sea is about 17m.
The inspection team also counted that in the Lan Chau - Song Ngu Eco-tourism, Resort, Sports and Entertainment Complex Project, there are 10 construction items included in the planning but not yet built by the investor. Including: Underground water tank (item number 15); transformer station (item number 25); wastewater treatment plant (item number 16); parking lot (item number 12); seafood restaurant (item number 10); square (item number 11); resort villa area (item number 07); Massage area, staff housing (item number 06); service bar on the island (item number 09); 11 resort bungalows (item number 18). "The Provincial People's Committee has adjusted the project progress until the end of 2020, however, up to now, the project has not been completed..." - the conclusion of the inspection team in the report.
In July 2023, when establishing an inspection team, the People's Committee of Cua Lo town clearly expressed its views on the Lan Chau - Song Ngu Eco-tourism, Resort, Sports and Entertainment Complex project. Specifically, it will propose that the Provincial People's Committee consider adjusting the project planning in the direction of eliminating 11 resort bungalows around the Lan Chau island rock beach; request the investor to hand over part of the area including the access road, marina, square and southern parking lot, and the water surface of the southern area of Lan Chau island to integrate with the overall planning of the park east of Binh Minh street; request provincial departments and branches to support and coordinate with the People's Committee of Cua Lo town in urging and requesting the investor to complete the items that have not been implemented and adjust and dismantle the items built in violation of the planning.
At the same time, it is determined that it will proactively organize inspections according to its authority to clearly determine the area of project items according to the investment decision and planning; resolutely request investors to dismantle construction works and items that are not in accordance with the planning, encroaching on the beach; request investors to construct construction items that have not been invested in and to adjust construction items that have not been built according to the planning.
Mr. Doan Tien Dung - Chairman of the People's Committee of Cua Lo town at that time also informed the reporter of Nghe An Newspaper: "The inspection team will follow the detailed planning approved by the competent authority for inspection. Any construction items that violate the law will be handled in accordance with the law; construction items that ensure the planning but lack aesthetics will also be required to be repaired by the investor...".
With the shortcomings and violations that have been clarified in the Lan Chau - Song Ngu Eco-tourism Complex, Resort Villas, Sports, and Entertainment Project, the handling viewpoint of the People's Committee of Cua Lo Town was clearly shown by the Inspection Team in the inspection report.
Specifically, the Inspection Team recommended that the People's Committee of Cua Lo town request Song Ngu Son Joint Stock Company to "demolish construction works that are not in accordance with the approved construction permit and planning; prepare a dossier requesting the Provincial People's Committee to allow adjustment of the project implementation progress to complete the remaining construction items of the project; prepare a dossier to apply for a construction permit and construct works that have not been invested in and constructed in accordance with the approved planning".
At the same time, it is recommended that the People's Committee of Cua Lo town direct specialized departments, the People's Committees of Nghi Thuy and Thu Thuy wards, and the Urban Order Management Team to regularly inspect and supervise the dismantling of illegal constructions and the construction of constructions that have not been built in accordance with the content of the granted construction permit and approved planning.
“The Lan Chau – Song Ngu tourist complex is a project behind schedule, but what is more critical is that the investor has built many construction items without permission, against planning, causing negative impacts on the sea and islands that are very difficult to overcome and restore to their original state. Therefore, we will recommend that the town leaders report to the Provincial People's Committee and related departments and branches…” – a responsible officer of the Inspection Team discussed./.