ENG-2020 — Page 241

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Planning, Land and Infrastructure

of land, while another eight UDs occupying two hectares of land later obtained planning permission.

Land Control and Lease Enforcement

The Lands Department carries out squatter control work. There are 381,768 surveyed squatter structures throughout the territory. These structures are tolerated until they cease to exist or are to be cleared for development, environmental improvement or safety reasons.

In 2020, the department demolished 184 illegal structures and extensions, in addition to unauthorised structures cleared in the context of land control and lease enforcement. It also handled about 14,500 cases of reported unlawful occupation of government land and about 950 cases involving breaches of lease conditions.

The department keeps a register of man-made slopes which records their maintenance responsibility. It inspects and maintains about 17,500 registered man-made slopes regularly, carrying out maintenance works on about 7,000 of them in 2020.

In 2020, the department provided in-house advice in about 1,700 development control submissions relating to trees and landscape on leased land and about 1,380 cases of tree issues on unmanaged government land. The department also conducted ad hoc vegetation maintenance work in about 22,330 cases.

Small House Policy Administration

The Lands Department administers the small house policy for indigenous villagers in the New Territories and the rebuilding of old village houses. In 2020, it approved 278 applications to build small houses and 268 applications to rebuild old village houses. The department processes rent exemption requisitions for indigenous villagers' rural properties according to the exemption criteria listed in the Government Rent (Assessment and Collection) Ordinance.

Land Conveyancing

The Lands Department's Legal Advisory and Conveyancing Office provides legal advice and conveyancing services for government land transactions. It drafts all government land disposal and lease modification documents, checks titles in land acquisitions, administers the Lands Department Consent Scheme, approves Deeds of Mutual Covenant, processes apportionments of premiums and government rents and recovers arrears of government rents by taking re-entry or vesting action. In 2020, it approved 33 applications for the sale of 12,898 units under construction and approved 36 Deeds of Mutual Covenant in respect of residential development.

Land Acquisition

Private land may be acquired for public purposes through resumption under the ordinances which provide for compensation for the property's value and business losses. If the payment amount cannot be agreed, either party may seek adjudication at the Lands Tribunal. The Lands Department is involved in resuming land for public works, urban renewal and railway development projects under the Lands Resumption Ordinance and other legislation. In 2020,

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