Draft Shap Sz Heung Outline Zoning Plan approved
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     The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Shap Sz Heung Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

     "The approved OZP provides a statutory land use framework to guide development and redevelopment within the Shap Sz Heung area," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (December 12).

     The Planning Scheme Area, covering an area of about 289 hectares, is located to the east of Ma On Shan New Town.  It is bounded by Three Fathoms Cove in the north and east, Sai Kung West Country Park in the south-east, the lower slopes of Ma On Shan and Sai Sha Road in the west.  The Area also covers Wong Chuk Yeung which is a large piece of relatively flat alluvial plain enclosed by the Ma On Shan Country Park and detached from the coastal lowland located to the south of the Area.

     Three sites near Che Ha, Tseng Tau and Tai Tung Wo Liu Villages, covering 64.48 hectares of land, are zoned ¡§Comprehensive Development Area¡¨ to ensure that integrated residential and recreational developments on these sites would be developed in a comprehensive manner with adequate provision of infrastructure and community facilities.  To meet the Small House demand of indigenous villagers, about 33.7 hectares of land is zoned ¡§Village Type Development¡¨.

     In order to encourage development for active and passive recreation and tourism, some 2.42 hectares of land at the coastal area is zoned ¡§Recreation¡¨.  To serve the needs of the local as well as district population, a total of 6.25 hectares of land is zoned ¡§Government, Institution or Community¡¨ and another 0.76 hectare is zoned ¡§Open Space¡¨.

     Two sites are zoned ¡§Site of Special Scientific Interest¡¨ (¡§SSSI¡¨) (57.36 hectares).  They comprise the coastal area near Tseng Tau which is characterised by sedimentary rocks and the coastal area between Tseng Tau South and Kei Ling Ha Lo Wai which includes a mangal community and mudflats.  The purpose of the ¡§SSSI¡¨ zoning is to conserve and protect these features of special interest and to deter human activities and developments.  Some 56.68 hectares of land is zoned ¡§Conservation Area¡¨ to preserve the existing natural landscape, ecological and topographical and separate sensitive natural environment from the impact of development.  To protect the natural coastlines and coastal features, some 15.42 hectares of land is zoned ¡§Coastal Protection Area¡¨.  The remaining part of the Area, which consists of vegetated foothills, knolls, woodlands, burial grounds, streams and agricultural land, is zoned ¡§Green Belt¡¨ (47.32 hectares).

     The approved Shap Sz Heung OZP No. S/NE-SSH/9 is now available for public inspection during normal office hours at the Secretariat of the Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in the North Point and Sha Tin Government Offices, the Sha Tin, Tai Po and North District Planning Office, the Tai Po District Office, and the Sai Kung North 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 on the Town Planning Board's website at (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).

Ends/Friday, December 12, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:30

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