Flat owners of at least three private housing estates have demanded that the government let them privatise the public open space they have managed under their leases.
Their move comes after the government in December allowed owners of Tai Kok Tsui's Metro Harbour View to close public access to a public park within their development because of management difficulties.
The owners in Tai Kok Tsui are preparing a proposal to win the district council's support.
In written submissions to the Legislative Council yesterday, the owners' corporation of Coastal Skyline Phase I, a private housing estate in Tung Chung, said many buyers were misled by the developer into thinking that their 27,400 square metre park was a private area when they purchased their apartments in 2003.
It said the developer had blocked public access to the park until recently, and public use had brought disturbance to residents.
Flat owners did not realise the park actually lay on government land but the land lease required the private development to manage the park and open it for public use. Residents urged the government to return the park to their use only.
In December, the government, noting residents' complaints, said it could resume management of the park under the land lease parameters.
