Secretary for Development Carrie Lam says King Yin Lei, an antique building at 45 Stubbs Road, will be declared a proposed monument, after gaining the unanimous support of the Antiquities Advisory Board members.

Speaking after meeting the board at a special meeting today in her capacity as the Antiquities Authority, Mrs Lam said the declaration will be gazetted tomorrow and take immediate effect. The declaration will be valid for 12 months, enabling the authority to consider whether the building should be declared a monument and to negotiate preservation options with the owner.

Once a building has been declared a proposed monument, it will be subject to stringent controls, including the ban of any building or other works to demolish, remove, obstruct, deface or interfere with it without a permit.

Mrs Lam stressed the Government has no intention to interfere with any property transactions, adding the Antiquities & Monuments Ordinance empowers the Government to preserve antique buildings.

The board's Chairman Edward Ho hailed the Government's decisive action. He urged antique building owners to discuss with the Government options to preserve such buildings, achieving a win-win situation.

Government departments inspected works at the building yesterday. While no demolition has been conducted, people on site have been reminded that approval must be obtained before continuing work.