Readers will have been aware that during the recent dock strike, a number of dockers were camped outside the Cheung Kong building in Central, more or less opposite the HSBC headquarters at 1 Queens Road. The bank, unnerved by the Occupy Central movement, which set up camp in the area under the bank for almost a year, promptly restricted access to this space by lowering most of the shutters. People were only able to exercise their right to pass through via the narrow entrance at the four corners of the passageway.
Although none of the dockers attempted to set up camp under the bank, HSBC says it had noticed some of the previous "occupiers" lurking near the area. However, even though the dock strike is over, HSBC is still keeping its shutters down. It is true that under the 1983 deed of dedication, the bank is deemed to own the property under its HQ, but at the same time people do have a right of passage.
The deed allows the bank to partially restrict access to the area between 2am and 6am. But it goes on to say that "through passage must be maintained … at all times." So on the face of it, HSBC has been in breach of its deed of dedication by restricting access in this way. A bank spokesman said it was "monitoring the situation".
In a city where bureaucracy frequently flies in the face of common sense and goes to absurd lengths to maintain the letter of the law, it is good to see it turn a blind eye when dealing with the rich and powerful.