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The Town Planning Board today (Friday) endorsed the revised Town Planning Board Guidelines for Application for Developments Within Deep Bay Area Under Section 16 of the Town Planning Ordinances.

Under the revised guidelines, a new development approach is adopted to protect the ecological value of the fish ponds without precluding provision of essential public infrastructure projects or traditional development needs in the Deep Bay Area.

The revision was made in recognition of the need to strike a balance between conservation and other planning considerations. The Town Planning Board has taken into account recommendations of the Study on the Ecological Value of Fish Ponds in Deep Bay Area.

A spokesman for the Board explained that the fundamental land use planning concept for the area is to avoid loss of fish ponds and habitat fragmentation as well as negative impact from undesirable land uses and human disturbance.

"A two-pronged approach to land use planning control is adopted through the designation of Wetland Conservation Area for all existing continuous and adjoining active or abandoned fish ponds and the designation of Wetland Buffer Area," he said.

Within the Wetland Conservation Area, it is recommended that no development involving the filling of fish ponds should be permitted, except for essential public infrastructure projects or uses related to wetland conservation or environmental education. Any such uses, however, will need to be supported by ecological impact assessments with wetland compensatory measures as necessary.

Regarding the Wetland Buffer Area, all future new development proposals, except for temporary and some exempted uses, should be supported by ecological impact assessments to demonstrate no negative impact on the ecological value of the surrounding fish ponds.

The Wetland Buffer Area generally comprises the strip of land of about 500 metres wide along the landward side of the Wetland Conservation Area.

Degraded areas within the Wetland Buffer Area comprising mainly filled fish ponds with open storage uses are recommended for upgrading for residential or recreational developments. This provides an incentive for the removal of the existing open storage uses and restoration of some degraded wetland.

Fish ponds currently zoned or to be rezoned "Village Type Development" are not included in the Wetland Conservation Area in view of the demand for village housing sites within these areas.

The revised guidelines are available for public inspection at the Secretariat of the Board at 15/F or at the Technical Services Section of the Planning Department at 17/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, Hong Kong. They are also posted on the Planning Department's website at: http://www.info.gov.hk/planning/.

End/Friday, April 9, 1999

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