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The Town Planning Board today (May 26) announced a set of new guidelines which set out the arrangement for consultation with the District Councils (DCs) on planning briefs.
"In view of the rising community aspiration for a higher degree of transparency and participation in the planning system, and to provide a channel for the public to contribute to the determination of planning parameters for major development/ redevelopment projects, the District Councils should be consulted on all planning briefs," a spokesman for the board said.
"All planning briefs prepared by the Planning Department, Housing Department, Hong Kong Housing Society or the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) will be submitted to the relevant District Council for consultation," the spokesman added.
"For URA development scheme, the URA and Planning Department will consult the relevant District Council on the draft planning brief, notional development scheme and scheme boundary of the Development Scheme Plan. District Council or its members may give their views directly to the board no later than two months after the date of consultation with the relevant District Council. The board would consider the draft planning brief and the Development Scheme Plan, together with District Council's views and any other public comments received, within three months from the date of submission of the planning brief and Development Scheme Plan by the URA."
The guidelines (TPB PG-No. 39) are now available at the Secretariat of the TPB at 15/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong (Tel: 2231 4810 or 2231 4835) and the Board's website (http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb).
Any enquiries on the guidelines may be addressed to the Secretariat of the board or the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department (Hotline: 2231 5000) at 17/F., North Point Government Offices and 14/F, Sha Tin Government Offices, 1 Sheung Wo Che Road, Sha Tin or by email to enquire@pland.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, May 26, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:21
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