Hong Kong leader says he is ‘serious’ about tackling problem of illegal structures but authorities must be ‘pragmatic’
- Chief executive stresses authorities are examining best way to approach problem, but highlights city has more than 400,000 private buildings
- One expert says government should act decisively over illegal structures, another insists time needed for authorities to carry out inspections
The government is “serious” about tackling the problem of illegal structures built on residential properties, but must be “pragmatic” in how it dealt with the problem, Hong Kong’s leader has said.
“The government is serious about the problem of illegal structures, but we have to face the reality that there are at least 400,000 private buildings [in Hong Kong], and each building, of course, is multi-storied. So if you look at the number of households, then you are talking about a very big number,” he said.
“Pragmatically, then, we have to think of a way to address the problem. So we are adopting the policy of taking action according to the risk.”
Ensuing inspections revealed unauthorised works at the Redhill Peninsula luxury estate in Tai Tam and at another house in Clear Water Bay.