Draft Man Kam To Outline Zoning Plan approved
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"The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide development and redevelopment within the Man Kam To area (the Area)," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (December 15).
The Planning Scheme Area, covering an area of about 344 hectares, is bounded by the Shenzhen River in the north, Ping Che Road in the east, Hung Lung Hang in the southeast, Lo Wu Station Road in the southwest and the Ng Tung River in the west.
The general planning intention of the Area is to promote cultural conservation and recreation tourism, to provide suitable facilities to meet territorial needs and cross-boundary infrastructure, to retain good quality agricultural land for agricultural purposes or leisure farming and to preserve the existing heritage features and historic buildings.
A total of 27.62 hectares of land is zoned "Village Type Development" to demarcate existing recognised villages, namely Muk Wu, Muk Wu Nga Yiu, Chow Tin Tsuen and Fung Wong Wu, and areas suitable for village expansion.
A total of 11.28 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 area of 16.68 hectares, comprising an area to the north of the Ping Yuen River around Ta Kwu Ling Village and a small area to the east of Fung Wong Wu, is designated as "Recreation" to encourage the development of active and/or passive recreation and tourism/eco-tourism.
The Lo Wu Control Point and the Man Kam To Control Point are zoned "Other Specified Uses" ("OU") annotated "Boundary Crossing Facilities" with a total area of 10.15 hectares.
The "OU" annotated "Cemetery, Columbarium, Crematorium and Funeral Related Uses" zone with an area of 92.08 hectares is intended primarily for the provision of land for cemetery and related facilities including columbarium, crematorium and funeral parlours and other related uses. The existing Sandy Ridge Cemetery is included under this zone.
A strip of land to the east of the Ng Tung River with an area of 6.73 hectares is zoned "OU" annotated "Railway" primarily for the railway tracks of the Mass Transit Railway (East Rail Line).
To retain and safeguard good quality agricultural land, farm and fish ponds for agricultural purposes and to retain fallow arable land with good potential for rehabilitation for cultivation and other agricultural purposes, about 59.73 hectares of land is zoned "Agriculture".
To define the limits of urban and sub-urban development areas by natural features and to contain urban sprawl as well as to provide passive recreational outlets, a total of 107.35 hectares of land, which consists of the mountainous areas west of the boundary crossing at Man Kam To and at Lo Shue Ling in the east, the densely vegetated areas which are mainly scattered around the village settlements including Chow Tin Tsuen and Muk Wu and the permitted burial grounds for indigenous villagers, is zoned "Green Belt". There is a general presumption against development within the zone.
A small patch of land at Yuen Leng Chai near the foothills of Sandy Ridge to the west of MacIntosh Fort at Nam Hang with an area of 4.24 hectares is occupied by existing fish ponds/wetlands and is zoned "Conservation Area" to conserve the ecological value of wetland and fish ponds which form an integral part of the wetland ecosystem. The fish ponds were created as an ecological mitigation area associated with the previous Shenzhen River regulation works.
The approved Man Kam To OZP No. S/NE-MKT/4 is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the 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; and the Ta Kwu Ling 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 Board's website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).
Ends/Friday, December 15, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:00
Issued at HKT 16:00
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