Development Secretary Bernadette Linn has defended the Lands Department's efforts in tackling land lease violations in industrial buildings, saying a restaurant in a Kwun Tong block was not singled out for alleged breaches.

Her comments came after a noodle shop at Camel Paint Building wrote on social media that it has been told to close, with authorities saying the premises is only for industrial and storage purposes.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, the minister stressed that any uses other than industrial and storage would be considered breaching lease conditions of that particular building.

"A lease violation is a lease violation. [We] can't say because a unit has breached lease conditions, while other similar units in Hong Kong have not received notices, then the Lands Department has done something wrong. We shouldn't think like this," she said.

"From my understanding, other units have received enforcement notices from the Lands Department."

Linn also said there would be safety hazards if an industrial building frequently had people coming in and out.

In response to RTHK enquiries, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said it had received 14 complaints about the noodle shop since last year, and had launched six prosecutions.

The department also said its officers went to the Camel Paint Building again on Monday and filed nine prosecutions, after they found some eateries there were operating without a licence.

Separately, the development chief said it's reasonable for the government to ask the Housing Society to take up a project aimed at building about 2,000 starter homes in Tsuen Wan, following a failed tender.

She noted that whether a plot is sold depends on various factors, such as how potential bidders see the site, as well as the property market outlook.

"Whenever [an unsuccessful tender] happens, we look at it case by case. And for this particular case, the government has already invited the Hong Kong Housing Society to consider taking over, because we are talking about a site delivering flats with some kind of subsidised elements, which is starter homes," she said.

"Of course, the government also sets a reserve price. We do not sell our land cheap."

The administration earlier rejected a sole bid for the Yau Kom Tau site because the tendered premium did not meet its reserve price.
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Last updated: 2023-08-28 HKT 21:21