The Vinh City People's Committee fined the construction of a pickleball court on public land 170 million VND.
The commercial, service, housing, and office complex project in Le Loi Ward (Vinh City) has over 3,200 m2 of land designated for green spaces, sports facilities, and a cultural center. However, for many years, the investor has occupied and used this land as a storage area for specialized equipment and to build a pickleball sports field.
Illegal construction
In mid-January 2025, inspections were conducted on urban order and construction in the area.People's Committee of Le Loi WardIt was discovered that at the Commercial, Service, Housing and Office Building Complex project, owned by Construction and Investment Company 492, some construction items were built on land designated for green spaces, sports facilities, and a cultural center, in violation of the planning regulations.
Following this incident, the People's Committee of Le Loi Ward sent a document requesting the People's Committee of Vinh City to direct relevant departments and the City's Urban Order Management Team to investigate and resolve the issue completely.
On February 18, 2025, the People's Committee of Le Loi Ward, in coordination with the Vinh City Urban Order Management Team, conducted an inspection of the Commercial, Service, Housing, and Office Building Project of Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company 492. During the inspection, it was discovered that Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company 492 had constructed a sports field with an area of 1412.2 square meters.2(30.7m wide, 46m long) on land zoned for green space, sports facilities, and a cultural center.
Based on the inspection results, the City Urban Order Management Team issued Administrative Violation Report No. 430/BB-VPHC against Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company 492. Meanwhile, on February 19, 2025, the People's Committee of Le Loi Ward issued Document No. 63/BC-UBND reporting the inspection results to the People's Committee of Vinh City, requesting penalties for the violations and measures to compel Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company 492 to dismantle the construction items that violated the approved planning.
Based on Report No. 63/BC-UBND of the People's Committee of Le Loi Ward and Administrative Violation Record No. 430/BB-VPHC prepared by the Vinh City Urban Order Management Team, on February 26, 2025, the People's Committee of Vinh City issued Decision No. 117/QD-XPHC imposing administrative penalties on Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company 492.
Here, the violation committed by Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company 492 is identified as: "Organizing construction work that does not conform to the approved planning for a project requiring an economic-technical report for investment in the Commercial and Service Area with Housing Project in Le Loi Ward, Vinh City."
Specifically, according to Decision No. 5491/QD.UBND-XD issued by the People's Committee of Nghe An province on October 21, 2014, approving the adjustment of the detailed construction plan at a scale of 1/500 (4th time) for the Commercial, Service and Housing and Office Area in Le Loi Ward, there is a construction item that deviates from the planned content: The land designated for green space, sports, and culture includes 1 Cultural Center and 2 sports fields, but in reality, the entire sports field with an area of 1412m² was constructed.2(30.7m x 46m); the above-mentioned construction project has been completed and put into use in 2024.
For the aforementioned violations, the People's Committee of Vinh City fined Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company 492 170 million VND and ordered the demolition of the illegally constructed building. At the same time, the People's Committee of Vinh City required Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company 492 to strictly comply with the penalty decision; if it fails to comply voluntarily within the specified timeframe, enforcement will be carried out in accordance with the law.
The project's planning has been revised four times.
The detailed construction plan at a scale of 1/500 for the Commercial, Service, Housing and Office Building Project of Construction Company 492 in Le Loi Ward, Vinh City, was approved by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 2321/QD-UBND dated June 16, 2008.
According to Decision No. 2321/QD-UBND, on a land area of 21,132.52m².2The investor, Construction Joint Stock Company 492, will carry out the following construction items: a 17-story office building (construction area 1,250m²).2); 17-story apartment building (area 3,469m²)2); a residential area with 3-story subdivided plots (48 plots, construction area 4,811.89m²).2); the existing (3-story) administration building (area 480m²)2.
Regarding the investor's responsibilities, Decision No. 2321/QD-UBND clearly states: "The investor is responsible for implementing the project correctly and within the registered timeframe. Failure to implement the project on time will result in penalties as prescribed by law."
However, in the following years, the project for the Commercial, Service, Housing and Office Complex of Construction Company 492 was continuously adjusted, with the investment scale being reduced.
Specifically, on January 19, 2010, the detailed construction plan for this project was adjusted at a scale of 1/500 by Decision No. 195/QD.UBND-CNXD. According to this decision, the project no longer includes a 17-story office building; the apartment block was also reduced to 14 stories. Regarding the progress, the Provincial People's Committee required the investor to complete the relevant procedures to commence construction within 12 months and complete the project within 42 months from the date the decision takes effect.
However, from 2011 to 2014, the project for the Commercial, Service, Housing and Office Building of Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company 492 underwent three further adjustments to its detailed construction plan (Decision No. 4758/QD.UBND-DC dated November 4, 2011; Decision No. 1094/QD.UBND-DTXD dated April 1, 2013; Decision No. 5494/QD.UBND-XD dated October 21, 2014).
According to Decision No. 5494/QD.UBND-XD dated October 21, 2014, the land area for the project has a total area of 20,183.04 m².2The 14-story apartment building is no longer there; the land for building townhouses has increased to 6,524.8 square meters.2with a total of 59 plots; the land belonging to the agency has an area of 5,565.92m².2The land designated for green spaces, sports facilities, and cultural centers has an area of 3,285.57 m².2The rest is land for transportation.
Similar to previous planning adjustment decisions, in Decision No. 5494/QD.UBND-XD, the Provincial People's Committee also requires the investor to fulfill the following responsibilities: “…to preside over and coordinate with the Department of Construction, local authorities, consulting agencies and relevant agencies to organize the demarcation of the site, publicize, manage and implement the planning according to current regulations. During the implementation of the construction investment project, it must comply with the detailed construction plan approved in this decision, ensure the investment progress, fulfill all financial obligations as prescribed and comply with relevant laws on current construction investment…”.
However, based on current observations, it can be affirmed that the commercial, service, housing, and office complex of Construction and Investment Company 492 is one of the weakest housing projects in Vinh City in all aspects.
Notably, the entire area is 3,285.57 square meters.2Land designated for green spaces, sports facilities, and cultural centers for public use is being occupied and used by Construction and Investment Company 492 as a storage area for specialized equipment and for building sports fields.
According to Vice Chairman of Le Loi Ward People's Committee Tu Hoa Lam, the 492 Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company was previously fined by the Vinh City People's Committee for violating planning regulations (building a mini football field on land designated for green space, sports facilities, and a cultural center). Around 2021-2022, when the Commercial, Service, Housing, and Office Building project, owned by the 492 Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company, was inspected by the Department of Construction, the Le Loi Ward People's Committee reported the existing problems in the project and requested a definitive solution.
"In January 2025, upon discovering that the sports field construction was not in accordance with the planning regulations, the People's Committee of Le Loi Ward directly expressed its opinion and requested a halt to the investment activities. However, the opinion of the People's Committee of Le Loi Ward was not accepted, leading to an inspection and penalties in accordance with the law..." - said Tu Hoa Lam, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Le Loi Ward.
