Draft Sai Ying Pun & Sheung Wan Outline Zoning Plan approved
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     The Chief Executive-in-Council has approved the draft Sai Ying Pun & Sheung Wan Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

     "The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide the development within the Sai Ying Pun and Sheung Wan area," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (September 12).

     The Planning Scheme Area, covering about 146 hectares of land, is bounded by Hill Road to the west, Bonham Road and Caine Road to the south, Jubilee Street, Pottinger Street, D'Aguilar Street and Glenealy to the east, and the harbourfront to the north.   

     About 35 hectares of land, mainly along Connaught Road Central and West, Des Voeux Road Central and West, Queen's Road Central and West (northern side), Hollywood Road (northern side) and Arbuthnot Road, is zoned "Commercial/Residential" which is intended primarily for commercial and/or residential development.  Three sites of commercial developments - the Grand Millennium Plaza, The Center and The Centrium - are zoned "Commercial" (about 1.8 hectares).  

     About 24 hectares of land covering the established residential neighbourhoods located mainly to the south of Queen's Road West and Hollywood Road is zoned "Residential (Group A)" which is intended for high-density residential development.   About 0.29 hectares of land is zoned "Residential (Group C)" which is subject to specific plot ratio and building height restrictions to address problems of loading/unloading, limited emergency vehicular access and fire safety concerns.  
  
     A number of sites are zoned "Government, Institution or Community" (about 14 hectares) to serve the local and district needs for such facilities.  About 13 hectares of land is zoned "Open Space" for provision of outdoor open-air public space.
 
     Sites allocated for various specific uses are zoned "Other Specified Uses" ("OU") (about 12 hectares), which include public cargo working area, wholesale market, tram depot, liquefied petroleum gas filling station, ventilation building of the Western Harbour Crossing, elevated walkway, and commercial and public transport terminus and public car park.  

     The Western Market is zoned "OU" annotated "Existing Building Preserved for Retail, Restaurant, Cultural and Recreational Uses" to reflect a preservation scheme undertaken by the then Land Development Corporation.  The Central Police Station, Victoria Prison and former Central Magistracy Compound is zoned "OU" annotated "Historical Site Preserved for Cultural, Recreational and Commercial Uses" which is intended to preserve, restore and convert the Compound into a heritage tourism attraction.

     The approved Sai Ying Pun & Sheung Wan OZP No. S/H3/22 is now available for public inspection during normal office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in the North Point and Sha Tin Government Offices, the Hong Kong District Planning Office and the Central and Western District Office.

     Copies of the approved plan are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan can be viewed on the Town Planning Board¡¦s website at http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb

Ends/Friday, September 12, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:15

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