• Thu   • Dec 12, 2013   • Updated: 2:05am   PUBLISHED :
Tuesday, 30 November, 2010, 12:00am UPDATED : Thursday, 29
March, 2012, 2:29pm  Transparency needed on land premiums  On
October 21 you printed my letter 'Street traders will not
benefit from tunnels and footbridges', in which I questioned the
rights of Hopewell Holdings to tunnel under and cover over the
streets of Wan Chai.  In my closing line, I asked 'could the
Lands Department advise what criteria it is using to determine
land premium on the ground beneath our pavements and streets,
and use of public space above'.  In view of the startling
revelation in your paper ('Error nets HK$1.5b bonus for
developer', November 23) in which your reporter describes how
Cheung Kong (Holdings) was undercharged by this whopping figure
in land premium on the 1881 Heritage development [the historic
Marine Police headquarters in Tsim Sha Tsui], I am sure that
there are many people in the community who now want an answer to
this question.  The Lands Department must pub