Policy Address

Urban Renewal and Building Safety

Urban Renewal

146.         Last year, the Government invited the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) to forge ahead with its “demand-led” redevelopment pilot scheme, which has received an overwhelming response from property owners.  In two and a half years, the URA has commenced eight projects, including one terminated for having failed to meet the threshold requirement of securing the consent of 80% of the owners.  Sites covered by the applications under the scheme are becoming larger, while the factors to be considered are also increasingly complex.  It is necessary for the URA to review the scheme comprehensively and to continue to operate it with due care under the principle of upholding a self-financing objective in the long run, so as to ensure its sustainability.

Building Safety

147.         The Government is very concerned about the safety issues relating to subdivided units used for domestic purposes.  The Buildings Department (BD) will strengthen its efforts to eradicate subdivided units in industrial buildings.  It will adopt a risk-oriented approach by stepping up its inspection and enforcement actions in industrial buildings more likely to have subdivided units.  The BD will step up prosecution action against owners who fail to comply with relevant orders.  The LandsD will also step up its lease enforcement action against non-compliant owners.

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