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The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Tai O Fringe Development Permission Area (DPA) Plan.
"The approved DPA Plan provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide the development and redevelopment in the Tai O Fringe area," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (September 23).
The Planning Scheme Area, covering about 186.6 hectares in size, is bounded by the Lantau North Country Park in the east and south, and natural coastline in the north and west. The Area includes a major part of Tai O Island, but the Tai O village proper, Shek Tsai Po and Yim Tin residential area in the middle of the island are outside the Area.
About 36.6 hectares covering patches of woodland in Po Chue Tam, abandoned salt pans, marshes and fishponds east of Sun Ki Street, mangrove stands and wetlands east of Lung Tin Estate, Tai O reedbed at Leung Uk Tsuen, etc is zoned "Conservation Area". The zone is intended to protect and retain the existing natural landscape, ecological or topographical features of the area for conservation, educational and research purposes and to separate sensitive natural environment from the adverse effects of development.
About 6.7 hectares covering the coastline to the north of Tai O Island and another coastal strip to the east of Po Chue Tam is zoned "Coastal Protection Area". The planning intention is to conserve, protect and retain the natural coastlines and the sensitive coastal natural environment, including attractive geological features and physical landforms or areas of high landscape, scenic or ecological value, with a minimum of built development.
About 124.5 hectares covering fallow agricultural land, hillslopes, natural vegetation and small streams is zoned "Green Belt" for defining the limits of development areas by natural features and to preserve the existing topography and natural vegetation as well as to provide passive recreational outlets.
About 6.6 hectares covering existing village settlements at Leung Uk Tsuen, San Tsuen, Nam Chung, Fan Kwai Tong and Wang Hang is zoned "Village Type Development". The planning intention is to reflect existing recognised and other villages, and to provide land considered suitable for village expansion and reprovisioning of village houses affected by government projects. Land within this zone is primarily intended for development of Small Houses by indigenous villagers.
About 3.8 hectares covering temples and other government and utility uses is zoned "Government, Institution or Community". The zone is primarily for the provision of government, institution or community facilities serving the needs of the local residents and/or a wider district, region or the territory.
About 0.8 hectares covering sitting-out areas, children's playgrounds and a public promenade along the seawall at the western waterfront is zoned "Open Space" for the provision of outdoor open-air space for active and/or passive recreational uses serving the needs of local residents as well as the general public.
About 3.3 hectares for military uses, cemetery and sewage treatment works is zoned "Other Specified Uses".
About 1.2 hectares covering an area intended for a Salt Panning Demonstration Area, which is still subject to further study, is zoned "Undetermined".
The approved Tai O Fringe DPA Plan No. DPA/I-TOF/2 is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in North Point and Sha Tin, the Sai Kung and Islands District Planning Office, the Islands District Office and the Tai O Rural Committee.
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 at the Town Planning Board's website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).
Ends/Friday, September 23, 2011
Issued at HKT 16:16
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