CROWN LANDS DIVISION
Assistant Superintendent:
I. L. STANTON, F.R.I.C.S.
J. P. POTTER, A.R.I.C.S., A.A.I. (Acting)
6.05. The work of the Lands Division is undertaken by four separate sections, each controlled by a Senior Estate Surveyor.
Hong Kong and Kowloon Land Sections
6.06. The Hong Kong and Kowloon Land Sections deal with all sales, leases and allocations of Crown Land on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon and New Kowloon respectively and the general administration and control of Crown Land in the urban area is vested in them. There was little demand for the purchase of Crown Land for new development and due to conditions obtaining during the year, industrial land was similarly affected. There were nine sales by auction and tender, compared with 21 during the previous year.
6.07. Activities in the sphere of private treaty grants continued to be greater than in the field of auction sales and 75 such grants were made. There was no lessening in land requirements for Government and Government-sponsored projects and many allocations were made for these purposes.
6.08. Difficulties were experienced by some purchasers of industrial lots in making their instalment payments and this also applied to a number of regranted lots formerly held on 75-year non-renewable leases. However in the majority of cases, extensions of time, subject to interest on the sums outstanding, resulted in payment being made.
6.09. Owing to continued lack of demand for new domestic and industrial buildings, Government approved a further concession in respect of building covenants whereby an additional year's free extension was permitted in those cases where a free extension had previously been granted. In the case of new applications to which the terms of the original 1965 announcement would otherwise have applied, one year's free extension was also granted. Towards the end of the year, there were signs that with the completion of a number of buildings under construction, there might be some revival of interest in building on existing vacant sites.
6.10. Statistical details concerning land transactions are given at Appendix T.
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