*******************************************
The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Ha Tsuen Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).
"The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide the development and redevelopment within the Ha Tsuen area," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (January 23).
The Planning Scheme Area covers about 722 hectares of land in the western part of the North West New Territories. It is bounded by Tin Shui Wai New Town in the east, Lau Fau Shan in the north, the coast of Deep Bay in the west, and Hung Shui Kiu as well as the Ha Tsuen/Castle Peak Firing Range in the south.
Six sites totalling about 77 hectares are zoned "Comprehensive Development Area" for comprehensive development/redevelopment for residential use with the provision of commercial, open space and other supporting facilities. They are located along both sides of the northern section of Ping Ha Road and on the western side of Lau Fau Shan Road.
Three sites with about 53 hectares of land is zoned "Residential (Group D)" for residential upgrading and very low-rise and low-density residential developments. They are located to the north-west of Fung Kong Tsuen, to the west of San Sang Tsuen and Kau Lee Uk Tsuen, and to the west of Shek Po Tsuen. The existing villages and land reserved for village expansion, covering a total area of about 83 hectares, are zoned "Village Type Development".
With increasing cross-boundary trade with the Mainland and the frequent movement of containers as well as the demand for port back-up land and related facilities, a total of 44 hectares of land is zoned "Open Storage" or its sub-area for the orderly development of land for open storage uses, to provide land for appropriate open storage uses and to regularise the haphazard proliferation of open storage uses in the area. Development proposals for such uses have to clearly demonstrate that no adverse environmental, drainage, traffic and other impacts on the surrounding areas will result. They are mainly located on both sides of Ha Tsuen Road (formerly known as San Wai Road) and to the north of Shek Po Tsuen.
To serve the needs of local residents and/or the general public, about 11 hectares of land is zoned "Government, Institution or Community" to provide a range of government, institution or community facilities; about 5 hectares of land is zoned "Open Space" to provide outdoor open-air public space for active and/or passive recreational uses; and about 0.2 hectares of land is zoned "Other Specified Uses" for a petrol filling station to serve the area.
About 44 hectares of land located to the west and north of Tseung Kong Wai is zoned "Recreation" for recreational developments for the general public and encourages the development of active and/or passive recreation and tourism/eco-tourism.
About 42 hectares of land is zoned "Undetermined" which falls within the study area of the Planning and Engineering Study on the Hung Shui Kiu New Development Area. They are located to the east of Tin Ha Road near Sha Chau Lei Tsuen, and to the east of Ping Ha Road near Ha Tsuen Shi.
About 51 hectares of land in Ngau Hom Sha and Ngau Hom Shek is zoned "Agriculture" to retain and safeguard good quality agricultural land/farm/fish ponds for agricultural purposes. About 187 hectares of land is zoned "Green Belt" to conserve the natural environment, safeguard it from encroachment by urban-type development, and provide additional outlets for passive recreational activities.
To preserve the environment, about 81 hectares of land stretching from the north of Ha Tsuen/Castle Peak Firing Range to area west of San Sang San Tsuen is zoned "Conservation Area" to protect and retain the existing natural landscape, ecological or topographical features of the area for conservation, educational and research purposes. About 30 hectares of land along the Deep Bay coast stretching from Sha Kong Tsuen to Ngau Hom Sha is zoned "Coastal Protection Area" to conserve, protect and retain the natural coastlines and the sensitive coastal natural environment, including attractive geological features, physical landform or area of high landscape, scenic or ecological value, with a minimum of built development.
The approved Ha Tsuen OZP No. S/HT/10 is now available for public inspection during normal office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of Planning Department in North Point and Sha Tin, the Tuen Mun and Yuen Long District Planning Office, the Yuen Long District Office and the Ha Tsuen and Ping Shan Rural Committees.
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 (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).
Ends/Friday, January 23, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:30
NNNN