Draft Fu Tei Au and Sha Ling Outline Zoning Plan approved
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     The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Fu Tei Au and Sha Ling Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

     "The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide development and redevelopment within the Fu Tei Au and Sha Ling area," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (June 19).

     The planning scheme area, covering an area of about 306 hectares, is located immediately to the north of Fanling North New Development Area. It is bounded by Man Kam To boundary crossing in the north, Hung Lung Hang in the east, Ng Tung River in the southeast, Fu Tei Au Road in the southwest, and Mass Transit Railway (East Rail Line) in the west. A large part of the area lies within the Closed Area Boundary.

     The general planning intention of the area is to promote and conserve the rural character through control of urban sprawl, minimisation of flood risk and preservation of agricultural land, and to achieve coherent planning and control of the open storage problem.

     A substantial portion of land, covering about 129.96 hectares, is zoned "Agriculture" to retain and safeguard the good quality agricultural land/farm/fish ponds and fallow arable land with good potential for rehabilitation for cultivation and other agricultural purposes.

     Another major portion of land, covering about 112.42 hectares, is zoned "Green Belt" to promote conservation of the natural environment, to safeguard it from encroachment by urban development, and to provide additional outlets for passive recreational activities.  There is a general presumption against development within the zone.

     A total of 12.65 hectares of land is zoned "Village Type Development" to demarcate the two existing recognised villages, namely San Uk Ling Village and Sheung Shui Wa Shan Village, and designate areas suitable for village expansion.

     About 7.19 hectares of land are zoned "Open Storage" for the provision of land for appropriate open storage uses.

     A total of 23.73 hectares of land is zoned "Government, Institution or Community" for the provision of Government, institution or community facilities serving the needs of the local residents and/or a wider district, region or territory.

     A total of 8.78 hectares of land is zoned "Other Specified Uses" ("OU") to allocate land for specified uses, including a site located along Man Kam To Road at Sheung Shui Wa Shan which is zoned "OU" annotated "Port Back-up Uses" to accommodate the anticipated increasing cross-boundary freight traffic, especially the parking of container vehicles.

     The approved Fu Tei Au and Sha Ling OZP No. S/NE-FTA/14 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 Sha Tin, Tai Po and North District Planning Office, the North District Office, the Ta Kwu Ling District Rural Committee and the Sheung Shui District Rural Committee.

     Copies of the approved OZP 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, June 19, 2015
Issued at HKT 16:04

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