No flats in HK country parks, Development minister Paul Chan says

Development minister Paul Chan Mo-po yesterday pledged that the current government would not build flats in country parks, three days after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying delivered a policy blueprint that green groups believed put the parks at risk of development.

"At present, our ongoing rezoning proposals are limited to green-belt sites. The current administration will not launch any development work in country parks," Chan told reporters.

In his policy address, Leung said one of the causes of the city's housing shortage was the zoning of a substantial amount of land as country park or for other non-development uses.

Six green groups have since voiced fears that Leung was hinting at the possibility of building in the parks.

Chan's comment was the clearest official position to date on the issue. At a press conference on Friday, he reiterated that the government was "only rezoning green-belt sites" but stopped short of a pledge not to touch country parks.

He said the government was also working to turn brownfield sites into residential plots.