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The Town Planning Board (Board) today (Friday) announced the amendments to the General Notes of 29 rural Outline Zoning Plans (OZPs) by extending the planning permission for temporary uses from a period of twelve months to a period up to a maximum of three years.
Under the amendments, temporary open storage and port back-up uses in the "Site of Special Scientific Interest", "Coastal Protection Area" and "Conservation Area" zones are prohibited where appropriate.
A spokesman for the Board said the proposed amendments aimed at allowing a greater degree of flexibility to meet the demand of the relevant trades, in particular open storage and port back-up uses, and sufficient time for compliance of approval conditions.
The 29 plans cover the areas of Kwun Yam Shan and Fa Sam Hang, Ping Kong, Kwu Tung South, Ping Che and Ta Kwu Ling, Fu Tei Au and Sha Ling, Luk Keng and Wo Hang, Wu Kau Tang, Man Uk Pin, Kau Lung Hang, Shap Sz Heung, Kwu Tung North, Ting Kok, Lam Tsuen, Shek Kong, Sheung Pak Nai and Ha Pak Nai, Ha Tsuen, Pat Heung, Tai Tong, Kam Tin North, Kam Tin South, Ngau Tam Mei, Ping Shan, Tong Yan San Tsuen, Lam Tei and Yick Yuen, So Kwun Wat, Pak Kong and Sha Kok Mei, Tseng Lan Shue, Hebe Haven and Mui Wo Fringe.
"To tie in with the introduction of the above amendments, the existing Town Planning Board Guidelines for Application for Open Storage and Port Back-up Uses have been amended to specify that the Guidelines are also applicable to applications for temporary open storage and port back-up uses," the spokesman said.
The revised Guidelines incorporate the Board's intention to prohibit such uses in environmentally/ecologically sensitive areas and the mechanism to monitor the compliance of planning conditions.
When the approval of planning applications for such uses is considered, a clause will be imposed to the effect that the planning permission will be revoked automatically if the planning conditions are not complied with within the specified period.
Other major amendments to the OZPs include:
(1) the extension of the "Village Type Development" ("V") zones of six villages on the Ting Kok OZP by rezoning about 5.3 hectare (ha) of land from "Green Belt" ("GB"), "Agriculture" ("AGR") or "Recreation" ("REC");
(2) the rezoning of an area of about 5.93 ha near Ko Po Tsuen, Kam Tin Shi and Tai Hong Wai from "AGR" and "V" to an area shown as "Drainage Channel" on the Kam Tin North OZP to reflect the completed part of Main Drainage Channels for Yuen Long and Kam Tin; and
(3) the rezoning of the Man Kei Toi Government Quarters site on the Hebe Haven OZP from "Government, Institution or Community" ("G/IC") to "Residential (Group C)1" ("R(C)1") for private residential development with a plot ratio of 0.6, and the rezoning of the vegetated slopes within the north-eastern and southern portions of the Quarters sites from "G/IC" to "GB".
The above amendments/amendment plans are available for public inspection until August 27, 1999 (for amendments gazetted under s.7 of the Town Planning Ordinance Chapter 131) or October 6, 1999 (for amendments gazetted under s.12(3) of the Ordinance) at the Planning Department, 15/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road; and the relevant District Planning Offices and District Offices of the Planning Department and the Home Affairs Department respectively.
Any person affected by the amendments may submit a written statement of objection, stating the plan to which his objection relates, the nature of and the reasons for the objection, and proposed alteration to the plan, if any, to the Secretary, Town Planning Board, 15th floor, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road on or before August 27 1999 (for amendments gazetted under s.7 of the Ordinance) or October 6, 1999 (for amendments gazetted under s.12(3) of the Ordinance).
Copies of the relevant draft plans incorporating the amendments are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres of the Survey and Mapping Offices in North Point and Yau Ma Tei.
The revised Town Planning Board Guidelines are available at the Planning Enquiry Counter of the Planning Department and the Secretariat of the TPB respectively on 17/F and 15/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road.
They are also available for public inspection on the Department's web site (http://www.info.gov.hk/planning).
End/Friday, August 6,1999
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