King Yin Lei being Dismantled
CA Urges to Declare the Mansion as Proposed Monument

(11th September 2007) The Conservancy Association (CA) discovered today that King Yin Lei, the old mansion at 45 Stubbs Road, was being dismantled. Part of the green roof tiles has been destroyed. CA has already sent a letter to the Secretary for Development, urging her to declare the mansion as a proposed monument to stop the demolition and initiate negotiation with the owner.

When King Yin Lei was reportedly sold in mid-2007, CA wrote to the Secretary for Development in early August requesting the Administration to declare the mansion as a proposed monument; we also suggested to the Antiquities Advisory Board to grade the building. In the letter dated 13 August, the Development Bureau revealed that the Antiquities and Monuments Office was “in the process of conducting a detailed research with a view to ascertaining the heritage value of the building such that an appropriate way for its preservation could be devised.” CA is deeply disappointed with the Administration’s inaction to stop the ongoing demolition work in King Yin Lei.

CA criticizes the Administration for delaying the review of built heritage conservation policy. While the sham consultation was conducted in the first half of 2007, no effective mechanisms for preserving heritage have been introduced, especially for privately owned heritage. Nothing could prevent similar buildings from demolition if a fair and transparent grading and compensation mechanism was not implemented.