The Lands Department will boost enforcement against lease breaches in industrial buildings to safeguard public safety.
Secretary for Development Paul Chan said today cases involving co-existence of facilities that attract people, such as learning centres, and premises manufacturing or storing dangerous goods will be targeted.
From August 29, District Lands Offices will issue warning letters to these land owners demanding rectification within 14 days. If they fail to do so, the department will take further action.
Mr Chan said conventional industrial buildings do not safely allow for the co-existence of industrial or storage activities and flow of people.
"The risk will even be more apparent if, in addition to flow of people attracted, dangerous goods are stored in the industrial building."
The department has identified cases matching the two conditions at Chung Hing Industrial Mansions in San Po Kong, Yuen Fat Industrial Building in Kowloon Bay, Block 1 of Tai Ping Industrial Centre in Tai Po, Tak Lee Industrial Centre in Tuen Mun, Wah Fung Industrial Centre in Kwai Chung, and Shield Industrial Centre in Tsuen Wan.
For other categories of lease breaches in industrial buildings, the department will continue with the current arrangement of issuing warning letters to the owners demanding rectification within 28 days.
If they fail to do so the department will register the warning letter with the Land Registry and consider further lease enforcement action.
The Buildings Department and the Fire Services Department have been inspecting mini-storage facilities and have issued statutory orders and Fire Hazard Abatement Notices to the owners and management of a building on Ngau Tau Kok Road today.
They were told to rectify irregularities in doors, escape routes and windows.
Secretary for Security TK Lai said the first round of inspection targeted industrial buildings built before 1973 which are not equipped with water sprinklers.
The departments will have all mini-storage facilities inspected over the next two months.
